Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vbs of No. 417 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, flying in loose formation over the Tunisian desert on a bomber escort operation, 1943. Formed in England on 27 November 1941 at RAF Charmy Down, known as the "City of Windsor", and equipped with Hurricanes, the No 417 Squadron RCAF was deployed in Egypt and, re-equipped with Spitfires, followed the Allied advance through the North African Western Desert and based in Tunisia. After the defeat of Axis forces in North Africa, the 417 Squadron was deployed in Italy to follow the Allied advance, which was disbanded on July 1, 1945.


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