202480 Years of the Halyard Mission - Sheetlets CTO

Operation Halyard was one of the largest and most successful missions to rescue downed Allied airmen during World War II. Conducted from August to December 1944 in occupied Yugoslavia, the mission was led by the Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland (JVuO) in partnership with the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

The goal was to evacuate Allied pilots shot down during bombing missions to oil fields in Romania and other targets in the Balkans. With the aid of local villagers, the JVuO hid and protected the airmen until the evacuation. The primary location of the operation was Pranjani in central Serbia where General Dragoljub Mihailović ordered the construction of an improvised airfield on Galovića field. Hundreds of local villagers built the airstrip using ox carts and hand tools, exemplifying the complex coordination between the local population, the JVuO, the U.S. 15thAir Force, and the OSS.

Despite the presence of numerous German units in the area, over 500 Allied airmen were successfully evacuated without being detected. Operation Halyard not only saved the Airmen but demonstrated the effectiveness of rescue efforts under the most difficult conditions. Although initially obscure due to post–war political circumstances, the operation has since gained recognition as a testament to extraordinary courage and collaboration in the face of tremendous adversity.