With Soviet Russia an ally of Great Britain following the German invasion in June 1941 war material was sent to her aid, probably the best-known British contribution in the early stages being the despatch of an entire Hurricane wing. No. 151 Wing, composed of Nos. 81 and 134 squadrons took a mixture of Hurricane Mk IIAs and Mk IIBs with pilots and ground crew. With twenty-four aircraft assembled and ready to fly and the remaining fifteen in crates. Their operational task was to give air cover to the northern Russian ports that received the convoys, before training the Russians in their use and the repatriation of the RAF personnel.
