ut . ▁R . ▁T . ▁Jo yn er , ▁W S / L ie ut . N . ▁K . ▁Mac all un , ▁T / L ie ut . ▁A . ▁C . ▁de ▁Vill iers ) ▁ ▁flying ▁Sp it fire ▁VB s ▁borrow ed ▁from ▁ 3 1 8 ( Pol ish ) ▁Squadron ▁were ▁det ached ▁to ▁the ▁B alk an ▁Air ▁Force . ▁There ▁they ▁were ▁to ▁operate ▁in ▁Greece ▁against ▁EL AS , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Al lies ' ▁inter vention ▁in ▁the ▁Greek ▁Civil ▁War . ▁A ircraft ▁from ▁several ▁other ▁Des ert ▁Air ▁Force ▁units ▁also ▁tried ▁to ▁cross ▁the ▁Adri atic ▁to ▁Greece ▁on ▁that ▁day : ▁all ▁the ▁aircraft ▁and ▁their ▁cre ws ▁were ▁lost , ▁apart ▁from ▁the ▁ 4 0 ▁Squadron ▁pil ots . ▁ ▁A ▁strong ▁north - e aster ly ▁wind ▁and ▁dark ▁clouds ▁ble w ▁the ▁aircraft ▁off ▁course ▁and ▁forced ▁them ▁ever ▁lower . ▁The ▁radio ▁be acon ▁at ▁Pat ras , ▁on ▁which ▁all ▁the ▁aircraft ▁were ▁hom ing , ▁was ▁not ▁turned ▁on . ▁The ▁four ▁squad ron ▁pil ots ▁had ▁agreed ▁that ▁if ▁one ▁had ▁to ▁d itch ▁for ▁lack ▁of ▁fuel , ▁they ▁all ▁should : ▁and ▁just ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁had ▁reported ▁that ▁his ▁t anks ▁were ▁showing ▁empty , ▁another ▁saw ▁an ▁island ▁in ▁the ▁mur k . ▁Without ▁delay , ▁all ▁four ▁made ▁whe els - up ▁land ings ▁in ▁a ▁field ▁on ▁what ▁turned ▁out ▁to