▁be ▁Zak yn th os . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁were ▁open ly ▁host ile , ▁but ▁a ▁local ▁land - owner ▁res cu ed ▁the ▁pil ots ▁and ▁put ▁them ▁on ▁a ▁fish ing - bo at ▁for ▁the ▁main land . ▁ ▁The ▁det achment ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁Kal am aki ▁Air field ▁near ▁Ath ens , ▁this ▁time ▁flying ▁Sp it fire ▁VB s ▁which ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁used ▁by ▁a ▁Greek ▁squad ron . ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁month ▁it ▁made ▁ 9 3 ▁sort ies ▁without ▁loss ; ▁these ▁included ▁long ▁range ▁T ac . R s , ▁Target ▁Search ▁Ar ty . R s ▁and ▁Ar ty . R s , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁path find er ▁miss ions ▁for ▁Beau fig h ters ▁and ▁Sp it f ires . ▁After ▁dark ▁the ▁pil ots ▁joined ▁in ▁the ▁defence ▁of ▁the ▁air field ▁per imeter ▁against ▁EL AS ▁attacks , ▁St en ▁guns ▁in ▁hand . ▁ ▁The ▁B AF ▁det achment ▁rejo ined ▁the ▁squad ron ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁signal ▁from ▁A OC , ▁Air ▁H Q ▁Greece : ▁ ▁" I ▁should ▁like ▁to ▁thank ▁you ▁for ▁the ▁loan ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁pil ots ▁of ▁ 4 0 ▁SA AF ▁Squadron ▁who ▁have ▁now ▁been ▁returned . ▁ ▁" Please ▁convey ▁to ▁the ▁Squadron ▁Commander ▁my ▁appreci ation ▁of ▁their ▁work . ▁ ▁They ▁met ▁every ▁call ▁made ▁on ▁them ▁and ▁gave ▁very ▁valuable ▁and