Image: Royal Air Force- Italy, the Balkans and South-east Europe, 1942-1945. CNA1031

Description: Royal Air Force- Italy, the Balkans and South-east Europe, 1942-1945. Wing Commander G H Westlake, Commanding Officer of No.1 Mobile Operations Room Unit, photographed with a cask of Sicilian wine at Comiso. Westlake shot down nine enemy aircraft and shared in the destruction of two during his period as a fighter pilot with Nos, 80 and 213 Squadrons RAF, leading the latter unit in North Africa between August and October 1942. He then worked as a controller with Nos. 211 and 212 Groups in Tunisia before becoming 1 MORU for the invasions of Sicily and Italy. He later returned to operations, commanding a unit of the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, then leading No. 239 Wing RAF in Italy until June 1945. He was responsible for the success of Operation BOWLER, when, on 26 March 1945, he led the wing on a very sensitive attack on shipping in the harbour of Venice.
Title: Royal Air Force- Italy, the Balkans and South-east Europe, 1942-1945. CNA1031
Credit: http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//52/media-52201/large.jpg This photograph CNA 1031 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums.
Author: Daventry B J H (Fg Off), Royal Air Force official photographer
Permission: This image was created and released by the Imperial War Museum on the IWM Non Commercial Licence. Photographs taken, or artworks created, by a member of the forces during their active service duties are covered by Crown Copyright provisions. Faithful reproductions may be reused under that licence, which is considered expired 50 years after their creation.
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No