424 Squadron was declared operational at Zina (Kairouan West) Airfield, Tunisia on 26 June 1943, operating from a rough and primitive airstrip scraped out of scrubby unused olive groves, initially bombing 'per-invasion' targets, then bombing in support of Allied Ground Forces in Sicily, and Operation AVALANCHE the invasion of Southern Italy (3 September). Flying almost nightly, the 'Tigers' operated from Zina Airfield until 29 September 1943, with moving to El Hani East Landing Ground (Kairouan)they continued to support Allied Ground Forces in Italy. The last mission of No. 331 (RCAF) Wing was on 5 October 1943 when twenty-one 'Wellington' B.Mk.X aircraft of 424 and 425 Squadrons bombed the airfield at Grosseto, Italy, half-way between Rome and Pisa, seeing their departure on 15 October 1943.