mid-January 1944 were the two reunited: but not for long. On 26 February 'A' Flight was detached to operate in conjunction with No. 225 Squadron RAF in support of US Fifth Army. Operations covered the Cassino -Rome road, Rome itself, and the Anzio beachhead. In April the whole squadron, reunited once again, was operating in support of Fifth Army. The squadron maintained its reputation for efficiency and gallantry, witnessed by this letter from HQ 5th Canadian Armoured Division: “Our thanks for oblique sortie S.B.31. This sortie has been of tremendous value to our patrols. Please convey our appreciation to the pilot who took these pictures as obviously he took great risks in flying so low to procure such splendid photographs.” The squadron continued to move with the Army, five times in June and twice in July. Missions were Tac.Rs and Photo.Rs. A detachment sent to Corsica flew Naval Arty.R shoots as part of the invasion of Elba. During July, Fleet Air Arm pilots were attached to the squadron for training as Fighter Reconnaissance pilots, in preparation for the invasion of the South of France. On 25 August the squadron resumed its support of 8th Army's assault on the Gothic Line. It suffered especially heavy casualties during the Battle of Gemmano and in the Rimini area. It then operated from a series of landing grounds on the Adriatic, including one actually on the beach. In Autumn 1944, the squadron settled at the former Regia Aeronautica base at Forli, enjoying concrete runways and all the amenities of an established station. Greece On 9 December 1944 four pilots (WS/Lieut. H. Davison, WS/Lieut. R. T. Joyner, WS/Lieut.N. K. Macallun, T/Lieut. A. C. de Villiers) flying Spitfire VBs borrowed from 318(Polish) Squadron were detached to the Balkan Air Force. There they were to operate in Greece against ELAS, as part of the Western Allies' intervention in the Greek Civil War. Aircraft from several other Desert Air Force units also tried to cross the Adriatic to Greece on that day: all the aircraft and their crews were lost, apart from the 40 Squadron pilots. A strong north-easterly wind and dark clouds blew the aircraft off course and forced them ever lower. The radio beacon at Patras, on which all the aircraft were homing, was not turned on. The four squadron pilots had agreed that if one had to ditch for lack of fuel, they all should: