No. 72 Squadron RAF

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No. 72 (Fighter) Squadron RAF
72 Squadron RAF.jpg
Active28 June 1917 – 1 April 1918 (RFC)
1 April 1918 – 22 Sept 1919 (RAF)
22 Feb 1937 – 30 December 1946
1 February 1947 – 30 June 1961
15 November 1961 – 1 April 2002
12 July 2002 – 31 October 2019
28 November 2019 – present
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeFlying training squadron
RoleAdvanced flying training
Part of No. 4 Flying Training School RAF
Home station RAF Valley
Nickname(s)'Basutoland' [1]
Motto(s)Swift [2]
Aircraft Beechcraft Texan T.1
Battle honours * Honours marked with an asterisk are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldryA swift volant, intended to symbolise speed. [3]
Post 1950 squadron insignia RAF 72 Sqn.svg
Squadron codesRN (Oct 1938 – Apr 1939) [4]
SD (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939) [4] [5]
RN (Sep 1939 – Dec 1946) [6] [7]
FG (Jan 1947 – Apr 1951) [8] [9]
AA–AZ (Wessex) [10]

Number 72 (Fighter) Squadron of the Royal Air Force is a training squadron that is currently based at RAF Valley using the Beechcraft Texan T.1 to deliver Basic Fast Jet Training (BFJT).

Contents

No. 72 Squadron started life in 1917 supporting the British Army during World War I on operations in the Middle East, being disbanded in 1919. It was reformed in 1937, initially with Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters, [11] moving on to fly Supermarine Spitfires during the Battle of Britain. For the remainder of World War II it served in a variety of theatres, ending up disbanded in Austria in 1946.

Reformed again in 1947, it was equipped with de Havilland Vampire jet fighters, moving on to the Gloster Meteor, and then the Gloster Javelin, flying these until 1961. After the jets, it moved to RAF Odiham and from 1961 until 1 April 2002 the squadron flew helicopters in the transport role. In 2002 it assumed its current role as a training unit, initially based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse using the Short Tucano T.1, before moving to RAF Valley and the Texan trainer.

The squadron nickname, "Basutoland", is derived from the fact that during both world wars, the Basutoland Protectorate, now Lesotho, donated aircraft to RAF, which were assigned to No. 72 Squadron. [12]

History

First World War

No. 72 Squadron was formed on 28 June 1917 at Upavon as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. [3] [13] On Christmas Day, the squadron left for the Middle East and regrouped at Basra on 2 March. Here, they split in three flights, each assisting the Army in their various missions, and were disbanded in Baghdad on 22 September 1919. [3]

Second World War

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa, No. 72 Squadron, April 1941 The Royal Air Force in Britain, April 1941 TR139.jpg
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa, No. 72 Squadron, April 1941

No. 72 Squadron was reformed at RAF Tangmere on 22 February 1937 from 'B' flight of No. 1 Squadron, initially equipped with the Gloster Gladiators that came across from No. 1 Squadron. [3] In 1939, these were replaced by Supermarine Spitfires, which were used for air defence and convoy protection duties following the start of World War II. Then, in May 1940, the squadron moved to RAF Gravesend [14] to provide air cover for Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk. [15]

At the start of the Battle of Britain, No. 72 Squadron was in the North of England at RAF Acklington as part of No. 13 Group, before moving south to RAF Biggin Hill during September to aid the main defence force. [14] The squadron was then moved to North Africa to support the Tunisian campaign before being supplied with the updated Spitfire Mk.IX in 1942. They then assisted the British 8th Army as they advanced through Italy and France up until the German surrender. At this point they were moved to Austria. It was here they were disbanded on 30 December 1946 at Zeltweg. [3]

Post-War jets

Gloster Javelin FAW.4, a type flown by No. 72 Squadron, 1959-61 Gloster Javelin XA634 - RAF Leeming (7177640781).jpg
Gloster Javelin FAW.4, a type flown by No. 72 Squadron, 1959–61

The squadron was reformed on 1 February 1947 at RAF Odiham by renumbering No. 130 Squadron. [3] They took over No. 130 Squadron's de Havilland Vampire F.1s, making no haste to remove that units 'AP' code. [16] The Vampire soldiered on for three versions until it gave way to the Gloster Meteor F.8 in 1952, and when the squadron was given a night-fighter role in February 1956 these were replaced with Meteor NF.12s and Meteor NF.14s. In April 1959, the squadron got the all-weather fighter role and was given Gloster Javelin FAW.4s and later Javelin FAW.5s. These were flown until the squadron was disbanded at RAF Leconfield on 30 June 1961. [3]

Helicopters

Bristol Belvedere HC.1, a type flown by No. 72 Squadron, 1961-64 100 years of the RAF MOD 45163706.jpg
Bristol Belvedere HC.1, a type flown by No. 72 Squadron, 1961–64
No. 72 Squadron Westland Wessex HC.2 based at RAF Odiham, in tactical camouflage, 1971 Westland Wessex HC.2 XT670 AU 72 Sq COLT 18.09.71.jpg
No. 72 Squadron Westland Wessex HC.2 based at RAF Odiham, in tactical camouflage, 1971

On 15 November 1961, No. 72 Squadron was reformed at RAF Odiham, but now as a helicopter unit. [17] They were equipped with twin-rotor Bristol Belvederes HC.1s until the Westland Wessex HC.2 replaced these aircraft in August 1964. For the next thirty-eight years they continued to use these aircraft and in that time the squadron saw action in Malaya, provided post-disaster assistance following the Torrey Canyon tanker disaster in 1967 and supported the security forces in Northern Ireland from 1969. [17] During the mid 1970s the squadron also operated a SAR 'D' flight at RAF Manston. [18] From January 1997 the Wessex was partly supplanted with the more modern Westland Puma HC.1. The squadron's Wessex HC.2s departed RAF Aldergrove on 25 March 2002, shortly before their retirement. [19] No. 72 Squadron was then disbanded on 1 April 2002 at Aldergrove. [17] [15]

Training – Tucano to Texan

Short Tucano T.1 of No. 72 (Reserve) Squadron, 2005 Short Tucano at Shoreham.jpg
Short Tucano T.1 of No. 72 (Reserve) Squadron, 2005

On 12 July 2002, No. 1 Flying Training School divided its strength between two new reserve squadrons – No. 72 (Reserve) Squadron and No. 207 (Reserve) Squadron, with both units operating the Short Tucano T.1 at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire. [20] No. 72 (Reserve) Squadron became No. 72 Squadron after the (Reserve) suffix was rescinded across the RAF on 1 February 2018. [21] The final Tucano Basic Fast-jet Training (BFJT) course graduated on 25 October 2019, which was marked with a nine-ship flypast over the local area. [22] No. 72 Squadron disbanded on 31 October 2019. [23]

On 28 November 2019, the squadron stood-up at RAF Valley operating the Beechcraft Texan T.1. [24]

On 13 November 2020, No. 72 Squadron became No. 72 (Fighter) Squadron to reflect its former role as a fighter unit. [25] [26]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 72 Squadron, data from [13] [27]
FromToAircraftVariantRemark
March 1918June 1918 Airco DH.4 'A' flight
March 1918January 1919 Spad S.7 'A' flight
April 1918November 1918 Martinsyde G.100 'B' flight
April 1918February 1919 Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 S.E.5A'A' flight
April 1918February 1919 Bristol M.1 M.1c'C' flight
May 1937May 1939 Gloster Gladiator Mk.I
April 1939April 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I
May 1940May 1940Gloster GladiatorMks.I, IIAcklington unserviceable for Spitfires [28]
April 1941July 1941Supermarine SpitfireMks.IIa, IIb
July 1941July 1942Supermarine SpitfireMk.Vb
July 1942February 1943Supermarine SpitfireMk.Vc
July 1942August 1942Supermarine SpitfireMk.IX
August 1942November 1942Supermarine SpitfireMk.Vb
February 1943October 1944Supermarine SpitfireMk.IX
June 1943January 1944Supermarine SpitfireMk. Vc
October 1944December 1946Supermarine SpitfireLF.Mk.IX
February 1947October 1948 de Havilland Vampire F.1
June 1948February 1950de Havilland VampireF.3
November 1949July 1952de Havilland VampireFB.5
July 1952February 1956 Gloster Meteor F.8
February 1956June 1959Gloster MeteorNF.12
February 1956June 1959Gloster MeteorNF.14
April 1959June 1961 Gloster Javelin FAW.4
June 1959June 1961 Gloster Javelin FAW.5
November 1961August 1964 Bristol Belvedere HC.1
August 1964Easter 2002 Westland Wessex HC.2
January 1997Easter 2002 Westland Puma HC.1
July 2002October 2019 Short Tucano T.1
November 2019present Beechcraft Texan T.1

See also

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References

Citations
  1. ↑ Rawlings 1978, p. 522.
  2. ↑ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p.  227. ISBN   0-7100-9339-X.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rawlings 1978, p. 176.
  4. 1 2 Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 51.
  5. ↑ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 12.
  6. ↑ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 90.
  7. ↑ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 104.
  8. ↑ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 40.
  9. ↑ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 151.
  10. ↑ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 199.
  11. ↑ Gustavsson, Håkan. "Gloster Gladiator in 72 RAF Squadron service". Biplane Fighter Aces from the Second World War. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  12. ↑ "Jackson, 2006, p260"
  13. 1 2 Jefford 2001, p. 50.
  14. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 47.
  15. 1 2 "72 Squadron". RAF Museum. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  16. ↑ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 148.
  17. 1 2 3 Rawlings 1982, p. 89.
  18. ↑ Green 1976, p. 13.
  19. ↑ Sharrock, David (26 March 2002). "The Wessex helicopter ends duty in Ulster". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  20. ↑ "When 207 Squadron 're-formed' at Linton-on-Ouse". 207 SQUADRON ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORY. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  21. ↑ "RAF Drops 'Reserve' Suffix from its Squadrons". Warnsey's World of Military Aviation. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  22. ↑ "Final Graduation of RAF Tucano Pilots". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  23. ↑ Cooper, Rich (25 October 2019). "One final salute as Tucano bows out". Key.Aero. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  24. ↑ AirForces Monthly . Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. January 2020. p. 8.
  25. ↑ "No 72 (Fighter) joins XXV (Fighter) and IV (Army Co-Operation) Squadrons in the 4 Flying Training School 'stable' here at RAF Valley". RAF Valley (Twitter). 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  26. ↑ "A squadron which played a key role in the Battle of Britain has been given permission to include Fighter in its title". Royal Air Force (Facebook). 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  27. ↑ Halley 1988, p. 140.
  28. ↑ Rawlings 1978, p. 177.
Bibliography
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