The Yugoslav Royal Air Force was formed in 1918 in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (renamed to Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929) and existed until Yugoslavia's surrender to the Axis powers in 1941 following the Invasion of Yugoslavia during World War II.
Some 18 aircraft and several hundred aircrew escaped the Axis invasion of April 1941 to the Allied base in Egypt, eventually flying with the Royal Air Force in the Northern Africa initially and then with the Balkan Air Force in Italy and Yugoslavia, with some even going on to join the Soviet Air Force, returning to Yugoslavia in 1944.
Germany distributed captured Yugoslav Royal Air Force aircraft and spare-parts to Romania, Bulgaria, Finland and the newly created Independent State of Croatia.
Read more about Yugoslav Royal Air Force: Aircraft - April 1941, Markings, Gallery
Famous quotes containing the words air force, royal, air and/or force:
“I remember when I was first assigned to jets. I said to the colonel, “Colonel, I joined this man’s air force to fly an airplane. But nobody’s gonna hitch me to no Roman candle.””
—Kurt Neumann (1906–1958)
“All hail! the pow’r of Jesus’ Name;
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the Royal Diadem,
To crown Him Lord of all.”
—Edward Perronet (1726–1792)
“... in this air of withering sweetness ...”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“A petty bureaucrat always watches his superior’s countenance, just as a boatman trims his sails according to the force of the wind.”
—Chinese proverb.