October 13, 2018 – Continuing our look at the Mediterranean as it once was through various videos online, a trip to the island of Vis during World War II, and the vital role the island played in the war.
Ome of the most fascinating of Croatia’s 1000+ islands undoubtedly is Vis. A film location for Mamma Mia 2 these days, Vis was actually a closed island to foreigners until as recently as 1991, and its military history over the centuries is quite fascinating.
It is here, for example, that the oldest cricket club in Europe outside the UK can be found, dating back more than 200 years when the British were stationed here during Napoleonic times, and the rich British military over the centuries is there for all to see, including Allied cemeteries for those who lost their lives fighting for freedom.
Tito had a secret submarine base here, and the secret military tunnels built into the island’s hills are an essential tourism attraction these days.
Perhaps the most important point in the island’s military history was during the Second World War, as the Allies used the island airstrip in its assault on Yugoslavia, saving countless lives of pilots whose planes had been shot or had mechanical failure and would not have made it back to bases in Italy.
A wonderful snapshot of this unique period in history in this British video report of Vis and its airport – an airport which is most often used these days as a cricket pitch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q50QIAsIUgw
