No. 75 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 75 Squadron of the Royal Air Force
operated as a bomber unit in World War II
, before being transferred to the Royal New Zealand Air Force
in 1945.
c and later BE2e aircraft, it moved to Elmswell
in East Anglia
in September 1917, exchanging BE2c for FE2b. Operational flying against day and night raids proved fruitless and the pilots did not engage the enemy. Late in 1917, the Squadron became part of 50 Southern Wing. Minimal records exist to show that the Squadron flew 16 interception sorties between September 1917 to August 1918. In May 1918 the squadron moved to North Weald tasked with night fighting, and it received Avro 504
K and Sopwith Pup
s in October.
After the war, Sopwith Camel
s arrived (December) and finally Sopwith Snipe
s (March 1919). Little information has survived about the squadron's early history, however, John Rawling's Fighter Squadrons of the Royal Air Force confirms that it saw no action before being disbanded, still at North Weald, on 13 June 1919.
as cadre, forming at RAF Driffield
in Yorkshire. Initial aircraft received were four Vickers Virginia night bombers and two Avro Anson
s. Later more Ansons arrived from No. 215 Squadron
to give six in each flight. By September Handley Page Harrow
heavy bombers replaced the Virginias and the squadron became a long range bomber unit with six aircraft in each flight and four in reserve, with the squadron code of '75' painted on the fuselage. In July 1938 they moved to RAF Honington and were issued with the aircraft code of 'FO' to replace the '75'. By March 1939, 75 Sqn became the Pool for No. 3 Group
, RAF Bomber Command
, effectively becoming an Operational Training Unit (OTU), it moved to RAF Stradishall
in July 1939 and re-equipped with Vickers Wellington
Mk1's. On 4 April 1940, 75 Sqn was absorbed into No.6 (Training) Group and ceased to exist. The reformed squadron did not create, adopt or have authorised an official RAF Squadron badge.
. The crews were to fly the aircraft to New Zealand in batches of six. RAF official records name this group of airman as "The New Zealand Squadron
", and as a result of Britain delaring war against Germany, the New Zealand Government made the airman and the aircraft available to the RAF to help with the new war effort. A decision by the British Air Ministry to give them the defunct No. 75 Squadron numberplate on 4 April 1940, meant that the nucelus of The New Zealand Squadron personnel remained together as an operational unit of the RAF.
s; technically these units were attached to the RAF under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme
, and were known as "Article XV squadrons".)
75 (NZ) Sqn rejoined No. 3 Group and was based initially at RAF Feltwell
, then RAF Mildenhall
, RAF Newmarket
and RAF Mepal in Cambridgeshire. It saw action over France, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Sweden and Germany.
Its code letters of "AA" became widely recognised on both sides, The squadron operated with three flights after receiving Short Stirling
s, and "C" Flight was given the code letters "JN" as there were insufficient codes for three flights of "AA". Avro Lancaster
s replaced the Stirlings in 1944 until August 1945 when after moving to RAF Spilsby
the squadron began converting to Avro Lincoln
s as part of the new Tiger Force
. The squadron had to leave their well tuned and looked-after Lancasters at Mepal and were given a squadron of rather poorly kept Lancasters at Spilsby. The personnel were now completely New Zealanders, but when Japan surrendered, the squadron had received only three Lincolns to take to the Far East, and it was soon disbanded, with the New Zealanders being slowly shipped home over a twelve-month period.
75 (Bomber) Squadron 1937-1940, and 75 (NZ) Squadron 1940-1945,
was based at:
! style="text-align: left;"|From
! style="text-align: left;"|To
! style="text-align: left;"|Name
! style="text-align: left;"|Equipment
|-
| Mar 1937
| Jul 1938
| RAF Driffield
| Anson Mk.I
, Virginia Mk.X
|-
| Jul 1938
| Jul 1939
| RAF Honington
| Anson Mk.I
, Harrow Mks.I, II
|-
| Jul 1939
| Sep 1939
| RAF Stradishall
| Anson Mk.I
, Wellington Mk.I
|-
| Sep 1939
| Apr 1940
| RAF Harwell
| Anson Mk.I
, Wellington Mk.I
|-
| Apr 1940
| Aug 1942
| RAF Feltwell
| Wellington Mks.I, Ia, Ic
|-
| Aug 1942
| Nov 1942
| RAF Mildenhall
| Vickers Wellington Mks.Ia, Ic
Short Stirling Mk.I
|-
| Nov 1942
| Jun 1943
| RAF Newmarket
| Short Stirling Mk.I
|-
| Jun 1943
| Jul 1945
| RAF Mepal
| Short Stirling Mks.I, III
Lancaster Mks.I, III
|-
| Jul 1945
| Oct 1945
| RAF Spilsby
| Lancaster Mks.I, III
Lincoln Mk.II
was disposing of its Ventura bombers at RNZAF Base Ohakea
at the time, and so was disbanded and renumbered as No. 75 Squadron RNZAF
. It formed up as a Fighter/Bomber unit and requiped with 50 ex-RAF de Havilland Mosquito
s, which they flew out from Britain.
The RAF were to never again have a No. 75 Squadron, and it is the only RAF Squadron to be given to a Commonwealth country by Britain. The squadron badge was also transferred and maintained its RAF format but with the Royal New Zealand Air Force title. This is also a unique aspect ,being the only RAF format badge among all the RNZAF Commonwealth format badges.
75 Squadron claims to be the only squadron engaged constantly against Germany from 1939 to VE day. The squadron flew more sorties than any other Allied
heavy bomber squadron, suffered more casualties than any other Allied squadron, and dropped the second largest weight of bombs of any Allied squadron. The squadron won a single Victoria Cross
, awarded to Sgt J A Ward
for climbing along the wing of a Wellington, in flight, to put out an engine fire.
A Lancaster in 75 Squadron colours is preserved at the Museum of Transport and Technology
at Auckland
, New Zealand. The National Archives schools web-site features an interview with Gordon Ford, a British wireless operator who served with 75 Squadron in World War II.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
operated as a bomber unit in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, before being transferred to the Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
in 1945.
First World War, Royal Flying Corps, Home Defence Squadron
Established as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps for Home Defence, it was formed at Goldington on 1 October 1916 with BE2Be2
The online matchmaking company be2 is one of the leading matchmakers worldwide. Internationally, be2 is represented in 37 countries..-History:...
c and later BE2e aircraft, it moved to Elmswell
Elmswell, Suffolk
Elmswell is a village in the County of Suffolk, England. It is situated halfway between Bury St. Edmunds and Stowmarket and lies just to the north of the A14 road....
in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
in September 1917, exchanging BE2c for FE2b. Operational flying against day and night raids proved fruitless and the pilots did not engage the enemy. Late in 1917, the Squadron became part of 50 Southern Wing. Minimal records exist to show that the Squadron flew 16 interception sorties between September 1917 to August 1918. In May 1918 the squadron moved to North Weald tasked with night fighting, and it received Avro 504
Avro 504
The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
K and Sopwith Pup
Sopwith Pup
The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very...
s in October.
After the war, Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
s arrived (December) and finally Sopwith Snipe
Sopwith Snipe
The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force . It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of that conflict, in late 1918.The Snipe was not a fast aircraft...
s (March 1919). Little information has survived about the squadron's early history, however, John Rawling's Fighter Squadrons of the Royal Air Force confirms that it saw no action before being disbanded, still at North Weald, on 13 June 1919.
1937, reforms as bomber squadron
The squadron reformed as No. 75 (Bomber) Squadron on 15 March 1937 as part of a planned expansion of the RAF. It used B Flight, No. 218 SquadronNo. 218 Squadron RAF
No. 218 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was also known as No 218 Squadron after the Governor of the Gold Coast and people of the Gold Coast officially adopted the squadron.-World War I:...
as cadre, forming at RAF Driffield
RAF Driffield
RAF Driffield was a Royal Air Force station situated near Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.Situated between Kelleythorpe and Eastburn on the A614 road, there stands an aerodrome. In recent times, it was known as Alamein Barracks and used as an Army driving school...
in Yorkshire. Initial aircraft received were four Vickers Virginia night bombers and two Avro Anson
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
s. Later more Ansons arrived from No. 215 Squadron
No. 215 Squadron RAF
No. 215 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron formed as a night bomber squadron in World War I and again in World War II, becoming a transport squadron near the end of the Second World War.-History:...
to give six in each flight. By September Handley Page Harrow
Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C.H. Handley Page Aircraft since 1907. London: Putnam Publishing, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
heavy bombers replaced the Virginias and the squadron became a long range bomber unit with six aircraft in each flight and four in reserve, with the squadron code of '75' painted on the fuselage. In July 1938 they moved to RAF Honington and were issued with the aircraft code of 'FO' to replace the '75'. By March 1939, 75 Sqn became the Pool for No. 3 Group
No. 3 Group RAF
Number 3 Group of the Royal Air Force was an RAF group first active in 1918, again in 1923-26, part of RAF Bomber Command from 1936 to 1967, and part of RAF Strike Command from 2000 until it disbanded on 1 April 2006.-The 1930s and World War II:...
, RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
, effectively becoming an Operational Training Unit (OTU), it moved to RAF Stradishall
RAF Stradishall
RAF Stradishall was a Royal Air Force station in Suffolk, opened in 1938.The airfield closed in 1970 and is now the site of two category C prisons: HMP Highpoint North and HMP Highpoint South...
in July 1939 and re-equipped with Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
Mk1's. On 4 April 1940, 75 Sqn was absorbed into No.6 (Training) Group and ceased to exist. The reformed squadron did not create, adopt or have authorised an official RAF Squadron badge.
The New Zealand Squadron
The New Zealand government had ordered 30 Vickers Wellington Mk1C bombers in 1938. RNZAF aircrew were sent to England to train on the new aircraft based at RAF MarhamRAF Marham
Royal Air Force Station Marham, more commonly known as RAF Marham, is a Royal Air Force station; a military airbase, near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia....
. The crews were to fly the aircraft to New Zealand in batches of six. RAF official records name this group of airman as "The New Zealand Squadron
The New Zealand Squadron
The New Zealand Squadron was the name given by the Royal Air Force to the men of the Royal New Zealand Air Force in the United Kingdom to train on the 30 Vickers Wellington Mk1C bombers the New Zealand Government ordered in 1938 to introduce the latest in aviation military technology to the Royal...
", and as a result of Britain delaring war against Germany, the New Zealand Government made the airman and the aircraft available to the RAF to help with the new war effort. A decision by the British Air Ministry to give them the defunct No. 75 Squadron numberplate on 4 April 1940, meant that the nucelus of The New Zealand Squadron personnel remained together as an operational unit of the RAF.
Second World War: New Zealand crews
On 4 April 1940, The New Zealand Squadron was renamed No. 75 Squadron with the letters (NZ) being added in brackets after the number. This was the first Commonwealth squadron to be so created in the Second World War. Although often referred to, then and since, as an RNZAF unit, 75 Squadron was equipped and controlled by the RAF until VJ Day. (This was not the case with most RNZAF units, as well as those from the other DominionDominion
A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...
s; technically these units were attached to the RAF under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
, and were known as "Article XV squadrons".)
75 (NZ) Sqn rejoined No. 3 Group and was based initially at RAF Feltwell
RAF Feltwell
RAF Feltwell is a Royal Air Force station in Norfolk, East Anglia that is currently used by the United States Air Forces Europe. The station is located about 10 miles west of Thetford, and is in the borough of King's Lynn at approximate Ordnance Survey grid reference .A former Second World War...
, then RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
, RAF Newmarket
RAF Newmarket
RAF Newmarket was an RAF station near Newmarket, Suffolk, England, near the border with Cambridgeshire.The RAF station was actually a grass-strip on Newmarket's Rowley Mile Racecourse...
and RAF Mepal in Cambridgeshire. It saw action over France, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Sweden and Germany.
Its code letters of "AA" became widely recognised on both sides, The squadron operated with three flights after receiving Short Stirling
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
s, and "C" Flight was given the code letters "JN" as there were insufficient codes for three flights of "AA". Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
s replaced the Stirlings in 1944 until August 1945 when after moving to RAF Spilsby
RAF Spilsby
-Units and aircraft based at Spilsby:-References:*Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore Action Stations: Wartime Military Airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands v. 2 -External links:*...
the squadron began converting to Avro Lincoln
Avro Lincoln
The Avro Type 694, better known as the Avro Lincoln, was a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were known initially as the Lancaster IV and V, but were renamed Lincoln I and II...
s as part of the new Tiger Force
Tiger Force (air)
Tiger Force, also known as the Very Long Range Bomber Force, was the name given to a World War II British Commonwealth long-range heavy bomber force, formed in 1945, from squadrons serving with RAF Bomber Command in Europe, for proposed use against targets in Japan...
. The squadron had to leave their well tuned and looked-after Lancasters at Mepal and were given a squadron of rather poorly kept Lancasters at Spilsby. The personnel were now completely New Zealanders, but when Japan surrendered, the squadron had received only three Lincolns to take to the Far East, and it was soon disbanded, with the New Zealanders being slowly shipped home over a twelve-month period.
75 (Bomber) Squadron 1937-1940, and 75 (NZ) Squadron 1940-1945,
was based at:
! style="text-align: left;"|From
! style="text-align: left;"|To
! style="text-align: left;"|Name
! style="text-align: left;"|Equipment
|-
| Mar 1937
| Jul 1938
| RAF Driffield
RAF Driffield
RAF Driffield was a Royal Air Force station situated near Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.Situated between Kelleythorpe and Eastburn on the A614 road, there stands an aerodrome. In recent times, it was known as Alamein Barracks and used as an Army driving school...
| Anson Mk.I
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
, Virginia Mk.X
Vickers Virginia
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam, 1989. ISBN 0-85177-851-1....
|-
| Jul 1938
| Jul 1939
| RAF Honington
RAF Honington
RAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Although used as a bomber station during the Second World War, RAF Honington is now the RAF Regiment depot and home to the Joint CBRN Regiment.-RAF use:...
| Anson Mk.I
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
, Harrow Mks.I, II
Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C.H. Handley Page Aircraft since 1907. London: Putnam Publishing, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
|-
| Jul 1939
| Sep 1939
| RAF Stradishall
RAF Stradishall
RAF Stradishall was a Royal Air Force station in Suffolk, opened in 1938.The airfield closed in 1970 and is now the site of two category C prisons: HMP Highpoint North and HMP Highpoint South...
| Anson Mk.I
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
, Wellington Mk.I
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
|-
| Sep 1939
| Apr 1940
| RAF Harwell
RAF Harwell
RAF Harwell was a Royal Air Force airfield in former Berkshire, England, near the village of Harwell, later the site of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The site is now in Oxfordshire....
| Anson Mk.I
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
, Wellington Mk.I
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
|-
| Apr 1940
| Aug 1942
| RAF Feltwell
RAF Feltwell
RAF Feltwell is a Royal Air Force station in Norfolk, East Anglia that is currently used by the United States Air Forces Europe. The station is located about 10 miles west of Thetford, and is in the borough of King's Lynn at approximate Ordnance Survey grid reference .A former Second World War...
| Wellington Mks.I, Ia, Ic
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
|-
| Aug 1942
| Nov 1942
| RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
| Vickers Wellington Mks.Ia, Ic
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
Short Stirling Mk.I
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
|-
| Nov 1942
| Jun 1943
| RAF Newmarket
RAF Newmarket
RAF Newmarket was an RAF station near Newmarket, Suffolk, England, near the border with Cambridgeshire.The RAF station was actually a grass-strip on Newmarket's Rowley Mile Racecourse...
| Short Stirling Mk.I
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
|-
| Jun 1943
| Jul 1945
| RAF Mepal
| Short Stirling Mks.I, III
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
Lancaster Mks.I, III
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
|-
| Jul 1945
| Oct 1945
| RAF Spilsby
RAF Spilsby
-Units and aircraft based at Spilsby:-References:*Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore Action Stations: Wartime Military Airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands v. 2 -External links:*...
| Lancaster Mks.I, III
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
Lincoln Mk.II
Avro Lincoln
The Avro Type 694, better known as the Avro Lincoln, was a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were known initially as the Lancaster IV and V, but were renamed Lincoln I and II...
Transfer to the Royal New Zealand Air Force
In October 1946, in gratitude for the work done and sacrifices made by its New Zealand aircrew, Britain transferred the squadron number, badge and colours to the Royal New Zealand Air Force. No. 2 Squadron RNZAFNo. 2 Squadron RNZAF
No. 2 Squadron RNZAF was a squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It was formed in 1930 as part of the Territorial Air Force with the main Headquarters at Wellington and shadow flights at New Plymouth and Wanganui. Squadron personnel conducted their annual flying at RNZAF Base Wigram...
was disposing of its Ventura bombers at RNZAF Base Ohakea
RNZAF Base Ohakea
RNZAF Base Ohakea is an operational base of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Opened in 1939, it is near Bulls, 25 km north west of Palmerston North in the Manawatu...
at the time, and so was disbanded and renumbered as No. 75 Squadron RNZAF
No. 75 Squadron RNZAF
No. 75 Squadron RNZAF was an air combat squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It was formed from the RAF's World War II bomber squadron, No. 75 Squadron, which had been initially equipped by the New Zealand government and was largely manned by New Zealanders...
. It formed up as a Fighter/Bomber unit and requiped with 50 ex-RAF de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
s, which they flew out from Britain.
The RAF were to never again have a No. 75 Squadron, and it is the only RAF Squadron to be given to a Commonwealth country by Britain. The squadron badge was also transferred and maintained its RAF format but with the Royal New Zealand Air Force title. This is also a unique aspect ,being the only RAF format badge among all the RNZAF Commonwealth format badges.
Achievements
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
heavy bomber squadron, suffered more casualties than any other Allied squadron, and dropped the second largest weight of bombs of any Allied squadron. The squadron won a single Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, awarded to Sgt J A Ward
James Allen Ward
James Allen Ward VC was a New Zealand recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Biography:...
for climbing along the wing of a Wellington, in flight, to put out an engine fire.
A Lancaster in 75 Squadron colours is preserved at the Museum of Transport and Technology
Museum of Transport and Technology
The Museum of Transport and Technology is a museum located in Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand. It is located close to the Western Springs Stadium, Auckland Zoo and the Western Springs Park. The museum has large collections of civilian and military aircraft and other land transport vehicles...
at Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand. The National Archives schools web-site features an interview with Gordon Ford, a British wireless operator who served with 75 Squadron in World War II.