World War II Museum

The WW II airport in Vis

Hidden in the inland plain between Vis Town and Komiža, near the village of Plisko Polje, you’ll find the small, unassuming museum of Velimir Mratinić, a Vis native with a deep passion for the island’s turbulent World War II history.

The setting is no coincidence. This quiet field was once a vital military site. During World War II, the Allies transformed the fertile plain into an emergency airfield, laying down metal plating to create a runway for damaged aircraft returning from missions over occupied Europe. Bombers such as the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator made emergency landings here, saving countless crews who might otherwise have been lost at sea.

At its peak, the island’s population swelled dramatically with the presence of Allied forces. Local stories still echo those days—like the oft-told tale of soldiers forced to shave with wine due to water shortages, a testament to both the scale of the military presence and the island’s long-standing abundance of vineyards.

Today, alongside aircraft relics and original photographs, the museum also houses a collection of mostly World War II-era books.