No. 74 Squadron RAF
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| 74 Squadron | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Active | 1917 |
| Role | Fighter |
| Garrison/HQ | Inactive |
| Motto | I fear no man. |
| Equipment | See text |
| Battle honours | Western Front 1918, France and Low Countries 1940, Dunkirk, Battle of Britain 1940, Fortress Europe 1940-1941 and 1944, Home Defence 1940-1941, Mediterranean 1943, Walcheren, Normandy 1944, France and Germany 1944-1945, Rhine |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
head of a tiger - approved by HM King George VI in February 1937. Developed from an unofficial emblem used during the First World War. |
No.74 Squadron RAF, also known as a Tiger Squadron from its tiger head motif, operated fighter aircraft from 1917 to the 1990s.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] First World War
The squadron was first formed at London Colney on 1 July 1917. No 74 Squadron was a training unit flying Avro 504Ks.
Its first proper fighters were S.E.5As in March 1918. The squadron served in France from April until February 1919, when it returned to Britain where it was disbanded on July 3 1919.
[edit] Interwar years
During the Abyssian crisis of 1935 the squadron was reformed in September to operate out of Malta with Hawker Demon two-seater fighters. In July the following year, the Squadron, with its Demons, was shipped back to England. It re-equipped with Gloster Gauntlets in April 1937 at Hornchurch, and formed part of the newly created Fighter Command. The Gauntlets were exchanged for the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I in Feb 1939.
[edit] World War II
The Squadron, which was now part of No 12 Group, first saw combat during the evacuation from Dunkirk. These battles extracted a heavy toll on both pilots and aircraft. Thereafter they served successfully through the Battle of Britain Mark Is were replaced with Mk.IIA Spitfires in September 1940 at RAF Coltishall. The squadron moved back south to RAF Biggin Hill in October for the end of the Battle of Britain. The Squadron went to the north of England in July 1941 to regroup, from there moving around to stations in Wales and Northern Ireland until it was sent, without aircraft, to the Middle East in April 1942. Shortly after moving to the Middle East in April 1942. In June they arrived in Egypt. The squadron was moved to Palestine to operate as a maintenance unit for USAAF B-24 Liberators. The squadron received aircraft, Hurricane IIBs in December 1942 and served in Iran until May 1943, moving back to Egypt for shipping patrols and conversion to Spitfire Mk.VB and Mk. VC in September 1943. In late October 1943 the squadron got Mk.IX Spitfires, which were swapped for Mk. XVIs in March. No 74 returned home just in time to take part in the D-Day landings in June 1944, using its aircraft as fighter-bombers supporting the Allied liberation of France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
[edit] Post war
Scarcely three days later the Squadron was sent back to England to equip with jets - the Gloster Meteor. The squadron kept Meteors until 1957, when they got a more modern fighter, the Hawker Hunter.
In June 1959 the squadron moved to Coltishall for re-equipment with the English Electric Lightning F.1 in mid 1960. In 1964 they moved to RAF Leuchars to get F.Mk.3 then F.Mk.6 Lightnings in 1966. The Squadron moved to RAF Tengah in Singapore, where it operated alongside 20 Squadron which flew Hunters, and 81 Squadron which flew Canberra PR-9s. The Squadron flew its F.Mk.6s to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus to hand them over to 56 Squadron and disbandment on 31 August 1970.
The squadron was reformed in October 1984, with ex-US Navy/Marine F-4Js (designated as the F-4J(UK) in RAF service) that were purchased by the RAF as a stop gap measure to replace those of 23 Sqn that had been sent to the Falklands after the war. In 1991 74 Sqn gave up their Phantoms and shared Phantom FGR.2s with 56 Sqn, both Squadrons then being at RAF Wattisham.
In October 1992 No.74 became a Reserve Squadron with Hawks at 4 Flying Training School, RAF Valley, Wales.
In 2000, No.74 was disbanded.
In 2008, No.74 will celebrate its 90th anniversary.
[edit] Famous pilots
Famous pilots associated with the squadron:
- Keith Caldwell
- A.G. "Sailor" Malan-32 victories
- Edward Mannock-73 victories of which 35 where in the 74th.
- H.M. Stephen
