| No. 74 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1 July 1917 – 1 April 1918(RFC) 1 April 1918 – 3 July 1919(RAF) 3 Sept 1935 – 25 August 1971 19 Oct 1984 – 1 October 1992 5 Oct 1992 – 22 September 2000 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Allegiance | British Armed Forces |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Flying squadron |
| Role | disbanded |
| Nicknames | Tiger Squadron Trinidad[1] |
| Motto | I Fear No Man[2] |
| Mascot | Bengal tiger |
| Former aircraft | see below |
| Battle honours |
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| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge heraldry | A tiger's face. Approved byKing George VI in February 1937.[3](Developed from an unofficial emblem used during the First World War.) |
| Squadron codes | JH (Feb 1939 – Sep 1939) ZP (Sep 1939 – Apr 1942) 4D (Apr 1944 – Apr 1951) TA–TZ (Hawks) |
| Squadron flash |  |
No. 74 Squadron, also known as 'Tiger Squadron' from its tiger-head motif, was asquadron of theRoyal Air Force (RAF). It operatedfighter aircraft from 1917 to the 1990s, and then trainer aircraft until its disbandment in 2000. It was the Royal Air Force's member of theNATO Tiger Association from 1961 until the squadron's disbandment, it has since been replaced byNo. 230 Squadron.[4]
Forming in 1917 asNo. 74 (Training Depot) Squadron, the unit began life as a training squadron.[5] Sent to theWestern Front in 1918 asNo. 74 (Fighter) Squadron, the unit quickly developed a fierce reputation during theFirst World War due to itspilots having an aggressive 'Tiger'-like spirit.[6] With manyaces amongst its ranks (such asMick Mannock,Taffy Jones andSydney Carlin), No. 74 (F) Squadron managed 225 victories in only seven months at the front.[7] 'The Tigers' went on to serve during theSecond World War, fighting in theBattle of Britain.[3] After the war, it formed the first all-jet fighterwing withNo. 616 andNo. 504 Squadrons, flying theGloster Meteor F.3.[8] In 1960, they became the first unit in the RAF to operate theEnglish Electric Lightning F.1.[6] Between 1962 and 1963, No. 74 (F) Squadron operated an aerobatic display team called 'The Tigers' made up of nine Lightnings; it was the first display team in the world to fly aircraft capable ofMach 2.[9]
From October 1984 onwards, 'The Tigers' operated fromRAF Wattisham,Suffolk, flying the uniqueMcDonnell Douglas F-4J(UK) Phantom.[10] These were kept up until January 1991, when they were exchanged for theSpey–poweredPhantom FGR.2s.[11] Under theOptions for Change defence review in 1990, it was decided to retire the remaining Phantom squadrons (No. 74 (F) Squadron andNo. 56 (F) Squadron), with this coming to fruition by October 1992.[12] 'The Tigers' spent their last eight years asNo. 74 (Reserve) Squadron, operating theBAe Hawk T.1/T.1A fromRAF Valley training future fighter pilots.[13] No. 74 (R) Squadron disbanded for the last time on 22 September 2000.[6]
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No. 74 Squadron was first formed atNortholt on 1 July 1917; 108 years ago (1917-07-01), as No. 74 (Training Depot) Squadron of theRoyal Flying Corps (RFC), before relocating to the aerodrome atLondon Colney nine days later.[14][5] Beginning life as a training unit, the squadron initially flew theAvro 504Ks, among other types, before working-up to a fighter squadron.[5] In February 1918,Mick Mannock became the senior flight commander of the squadron as it reached front-line status, becoming No. 74 (Fighter) Squadron.[15]
On 20 March 1918, the squadron received its first operational fighters, theRoyal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a. On 30 March, the squadron was sent over to the RFC headquarters inSaint-Omer,France. No. 74 (F) Squadron saw its first action on 12 April when it engaged in a dogfight nearMerville against the GermanLuftstreitkräfte, with Mannock scoring 'the Tigers' first kill: anAlbatros Scout.[16] Within 70 days of being on the continent, No. 74 (F) Squadron had notched 100 enemy kills to just one loss.[6] The squadron served in France from April until February 1919, when it returned home toRAF Lopcombe Corner,Hampshire, where it was disbanded on 3 July 1919.
During its 7-month-long wartime service, it was credited with 140 enemy planes destroyed and 85 driven down out of control, for 225 victories. Seventeen aces had served in the squadron, includingVictoria Cross winner Major Edward 'Mick' Mannock,Ira 'Taffy' Jones,Benjamin Roxburgh-Smith, futureAir CommodoreKeith Caldwell,Andrew Kiddie,Frederick Stanley Gordon,Sydney Carlin,Frederick Hunt,Clive Glynn,George Hicks,Wilfred Ernest Young,Henry Dolan, Harris Clements,George Gauld, andFrederick Luff.[7][better source needed]
In response to the ongoingAbyssinia Crisis of 1935, the squadron was reformed in unusual circumstances on 3 September.[3] The squadron was reborn out of the combination of detachments of Nos.3,23,32,56,65, and601 Squadrons, who were on board the troopship shipNeutralia, which was en-route toMalta.[3] After arrival, No. 74 (F) Squadron operatedHawker Demon two-seater fighters. While it had been officially re-established, the squadron was prohibited from identifying its aircraft by squadron number until 14 November 1935 due to security reasons; until then, it was referred to as 'Demon Flights'.[17]
In the following July, the squadron and its Demons, were shipped back to England, with the squadron arriving atRAF Hornchurch in September 1936.[17] On 20 December 1936,Adolph Gysbert 'Sailor' Malan was posted to 'the Tigers'.[18][19] In February 1937, after years of unofficial use, No. 74 (F) Squadron had its squadron badge design; a tiger's face, officially approved byKing George VI.[3] 'The Tigers' re-equipped withGloster Gauntlets in April 1937, forming part of the newly createdFighter Command.[20] The Gauntlets were kept up until February 1939, when the squadron began converting to theSupermarine Spitfire Mk.I.[17]
At the outbreak of war, No. 74 (F) Squadron was operating fromRAF Rochford, a satellite aerodrome ofRAF Hornchurch. On 6 September 1939, after an early morning air raid alert, a flight of No. 56 (F) SquadronHawker Hurricanes took off fromNorth Weald. These were followed by two reserve Hurricanes. The two reserves were identified as enemy aircraft, and Spitfires from RAF Hornchurch, among them No. 74 (F) Squadron, were ordered to attack them. Both were shot down. One pilot,P/O Montague Hulton-Harrop was killed; the other pilot, Frank Rose, survived. The pilot who fired the fatal shots was No. 74 (F) Squadron's John Freeborn. The exact story of what happened in this incident, which came to be known as theBattle of Barking Creek, may never be known. Even the origin of the name is obscure, as it did not take place above Barking Creek but nearIpswich, inSuffolk. At the subsequentcourt martial, it was accepted that the entire incident was an unfortunate error.[21]
"A magnificent day's fighting, 74... This is the way to keep the measure of the Boche.Mannock started it and you keep it up."
The squadron, as part ofNo. 12 Group, first saw combat in May 1940 during theevacuation from Dunkirk, in battles which exacted a heavy toll on both pilots and aircraft. Thereafter No. 74 (F) Squadron served successfully through theBattle of Britain, being heavily involved throughout June and July. On 11 August, the squadron flew four sorties, and by the end of the day, had claimed 24 victories and 14 damaged.[6] On 14 August, No. 74 (F) Squadron was posted toRAF Wittering for rest, and shortly after moved ontoRAF Kirton in Lindsey and then ontoRAF Coltishall,Norfolk.[23] It was here at Coltishall in September 1940 that the squadron replaced their Spitfire Mk.Is with the Mk.IIa. The squadron moved back south toRAF Biggin Hill in October for the end of the Battle.[23] Between November and December 1940, No. 74 (F) Squadron destroyed 38 enemy aircraft.[24]
With the Battle of Britain won, the squadron were posted toRAF Manston,Kent, in February 1941.[23] The squadron then went to the north of England toRAF Acklington in July 1941 to regroup, from there moving around to stations in Wales (RAF Llanbedr) and Northern Ireland (RAF Long Kesh).[23] During this time, theGovernor of Trinidad and Tobago,Sir Hubert Winthrop Young, made a presentation of Spitfires to No. 74 (F) Squadron. This subsequently led to 'the Tigers' being named the 'Trinidad Squadron', a name that lasted until the 1950s.[6]
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The squadron finally made a move from RAF Long Kesh in April 1942, when it was sent theMiddle East, arriving inEgypt in June.[23] The ship carrying their aircraft they had been due to fly had been sunk leaving 'the Tigers' without anything to fly.[6] No. 74 (F) Squadron was then moved toPalestine in July, where a decision was made for the squadron to operate as a maintenance unit forUSAAFB-24 Liberators. The squadron finally recovered its air capability in December 1942, when they received Hurricane Mk.IIBs, forming part ofNo. 219 (Fighter) Group. During this time, they operated fromRAF Habbaniya in Iraq, and were also based inIran. The squadron, now commanded by Squadron LeaderJames Hayter, moved back to Egypt in May 1943, arriving at Landing Ground 106 nearEl Dabaa, in order to carry out shipping patrols.[23] On 23 July, 'the Tigers' took part in a large offensive overAxis-occupiedCrete, in which they attackedradio direction finder (RDF) stations and barracks, among other targets, severely damaging them.[6] The squadron converted back to Spitfires in September 1943, this time to Mk.Vbs and Mk.Vcs, as they were transferred over toCyprus to participate in the failedDodecanese campaign. 'The Tigers' withdrew back to Egypt, and in late October 1943, the squadron got Mk.IX Spitfires, which were swapped for Mk.XVIes in March 1944.[23]
No. 74 (F) Squadron returned home in April 1944 toRAF North Weald, before moving ontoRAF Lympne. They had arrived back just in time to participate in the buildup forOperation Overlord (the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944). It was equipped with theSpitfire Mk.IX HF operating while from RAF Lympne inAir Defence of Great Britain, though under the operational control ofRAF Second Tactical Air Force (2nd TAF).[25] During this time, they attacked Axis railway yards and escorted Allied bombing raids onV-1 flying bomb launch sites in occupied France as part of D-Day preparations. On 3 July, the squadron left RAF Lympe forRAF Tangmere, as part ofNo. 134 Wing, before leaving forSommervieu,Normandy in August 1944 and joiningNo. 145 Wing. From here, they supported the Allied advance through France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, in a fighter-bomber role. No. 74 (F) Squadron operated fromaerodromes inLille,Courtrai,Duerne, andSchijndel during this time.[6] In March 1945, the squadron received Spitfire Mk.XVIs, which they operated alongside their Mk.IXs. On 16 April, 'the Tigers' were based atDrope in Germany, from here they were used to carry out reconnaissance missions overWilhelmshaven.[6] It was while based here that No. 74 (F) Squadron received news of Germany's surrender. The squadron finally left Germany on 11 May 1945, returning to Britain.
Upon arrival back to England, No. 74 (F) Squadron converted to their first jet aircraft; theGloster Meteor F.3, being based atRAF Colerne,Wiltshire. The squadron soon moved toRAF Bentwaters, before finally settling atRAF Horsham St Faith, Norfolk in August 1946. While here, as one of the first adopters of the Meteor F.3, the squadron formed the first all jet fighter wing withNo. 616 Squadron andNo. 504 Squadron.[8] 'The Tigers' had a brief stay atRAF Lübeck between July and August 1947. From December 1947, onward, the squadron began to re-equip with Meteor F.4s, completing conversion by March 1948. In October 1950, the squadron received the much improved Meteor F.8. From 1954 onward, the squadron's Meteors began to be camouflaged in dark green and dark sea grey, this coincidentally marked the return of 'tiger stripe' markings on the squadron's aircraft; something not seen since the Gloster Gauntlets.[17] After 12 years of flying Meteors, No. 74 (F) Squadron converted to theHawker Hunter F.4 in March 1957. The Hunter F.4s wouldn't be operated for long, as the squadron started to re-equip with Hunter F.6s in November 1957, with the Hunter F.4s being phased out by January 1958.
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On 8 June 1959, 'the Tigers', under the command ofSquadron LeaderJohn 'Johnny' Howe, moved toRAF Coltishall for re-equipment with theEnglish Electric Lightning F.1 in June 1960; this was the first squadron in the RAF to receive the Lightning. In 1962, No. 74 (F) Squadron formed an aerobatic display team; The Tigers, replacingNo. 92 Squadron's Blue Diamonds as the RAF's official display team. On 2 March 1964, the squadron moved up toRAF Leuchars in Scotland, before getting the Lightning F.3 in April. While based at RAF Leuchars, No. 74 (F) Squadron held their firstTiger Meet between 5 and 9 July 1966, having joined theNATO Tiger Association at its inception in 1961.[26] 'The Tigers' upgraded to Lightning F.6s in November 1966, with the last Lightning F.3s remaining up until January 1967.[27]
The squadron moved toRAF Tengah inSingapore in June 1967, where it operated alongsideNo. 20 Squadron, which flew Hunters, andNo. 81 Squadron, which flewCanberra PR.9s.[28] In June 1969, while based in Singapore, four Lightning F.6s flew a distance of 2,000 miles from RAF Tengah toDarwin, Northern Territory inAustralia, setting the longest non-stop flight made by a Lightning.[6] In 1971, the squadron flew its Lightning F.6s toRAF Akrotiri,Cyprus, to hand them over to No. 56 (F) Squadron, who were flying Lightning F.3s, and then disbanded on 25 August 1971.[3][29]
After a dormancy of 13 years, No. 74 (Fighter) Squadron was reformed atRAF Wattisham, Suffolk, on 19 October 1984, with ex-US NavyMcDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom IIs (designated as the F-4J(UK) in RAF service).[13] These were purchased by the RAF as a stop-gap measure to replace those of No. 23 (F) Squadron that had been sent to theFalklands afterthe war.[30] The 15 F-4Js cost $125 million, and underwent a full rework at the Naval Air Rework Facility atNaval Air Station North Island,San Diego.[30] Here they received the ability to use theSkyflash air-to-air missile, theirradar was upgraded, and were brought up to a spec similar to the more definitive F-4S; they were also sprayed in a distinct duck egg blue colour.[30] The F-4J(UK)s were then ferried across theAtlantic in three different batches supported byVickers VC10s, with the last group arriving on 5 January 1985.[6] Late April and early May 1985 saw 'the Tigers' participate in their first major exercise; Exercise Priory, which sought to test UK air defences.[31][32][33] July 1985 saw a deployment out toRAF Akrotiri to undergo an Armament Practice Camp (APC); which also saw them carry outdissimilar air combat training (DACT) withGrumman F-14A Tomcats ofVF-41 andVF-84 (fromUSSNimitz).[34] The squadron's operational capability was declared on 31 December 1985.[35]
No. 74 (F) Squadron's first intercept of the Phantom era was made on 7 April 1986, when aTupolev Tu-142 Bear-F was intercepted.[36] October 1986 saw a squadron exchange with350th Squadron of theBelgian Air Force, seeing fourSABCA F-16 Fighting Falcons arriving at Wattisham and four F-4J(UK)s going toBeauvechain Air Base.[37] The squadron underwent another APC between February and March 1987, once again carrying out DACT withU.S. Navy Tomcats.[38] On 1 July 1987, 'the Tigers' celebrated their 70th anniversary by attempting to break the London-to-Edinburgh speed record, succeeding in doing so with a time of 27 minutes and 3 seconds.[39] On 26 August 1987, No. 74 (F) Squadron lost F-4J(UK) Phantom ZE358 in a fatal accident nearAberystwyth,Wales.[40] Both crew members, Flt. Lt. Euan Holm Murdoch and Fg. Off. Jeremy Lindsey Ogg were killed.[41]
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'The Tigers' operated their unique F-4J(UK)s up until January 1991, when they converted over to surplusPhantom FGR.2s, which were available due to other squadrons converting to thePanavia Tornado F.3.[13] Although converted to the Phantom FGR.2, the squadron continued to make F-4J(UK) flights throughout February 1991, delivering them to their new homes to undertake varies new duties; such as ZE360, which was delivered toRAF Manston in Kent on 22 February 1991 to become a fire training aid.[42] Plans had originally been for the RAF to retain two Phantom squadrons, 'the Tigers' and her sister No. 56 (F) Squadron ('the Firebirds'), at RAF Wattisham, but with the end of theCold War, these plans were shelved.[12] Instead under theOptions for Change defence review, all remaining Phantoms would be withdrawn from service.[12] The disbanding ofNo. 228 OCU at RAF Leuchars led to 'the Tigers' operating the Phantom Training Flight between 1 February 1991 and 31 December 1991.[43]
No. 74 (F) Squadron participated in their penultimate Tiger Meet as a fighter squadron atLos Llanos Air Base,Spain between 14 and 22 May 1992.[44][45] Both Phantom squadrons carried out their final APC at RAF Akrotiri in early June, marking a draw down in operations. On 13 June 1992, both No. 56 (F) Squadron and No. 74 (F) Squadron participated inQueen Elizabeth II'sofficial birthday flypast overBuckingham Palace with a 16-ship diamond formation (eight Phantoms from each squadron), one of the last acts by the Phantom fleet.[45]
By August 1992, No. 56 (F) Squadron had relocated toRAF Coningsby; having stood down on 31 July, and became theOperational Conversion Unit (OCU) for the Tornado F.3, leaving 'the Tigers' as the RAF's last remaining Phantom squadron.[46] Throughout its last year, No. 74 (F) Squadron flew an aerobatic display around the country, sporting colours of both 'the Tigers' and 'the Firebirds'. The Phantom FGR.2 XT914 was flown bySquadron Leader Archie Liggat and Flt. Lt. Mark 'Manners' Manwaring.[47] 'The Tigers' held a mini Tiger Meet at RAF Wattisham between 14 and 17 September to mark the Phantom's retirement, inviting theDutch,French,Portuguese, and theUSAF among others,British Aerospace Hawk T.1s fromNo. 4 FTS, which No. 74 (F) Squadron would soon operate, also participated.[48] One of No. 74 (F) Squadron's last acts was to flyover RAF Wattisham in a 'diamond nine' formation, before finally disbanding on 1 October 1992. Although disbanded, 'the Tigers' made their last Phantom flight on 1 November 1992 with a pair of Phantoms departing Wattisham; with one (XV474) going to theImperial War Museum Duxford,Cambridgeshire.[47] RAF Wattisham shortly thereafter began its transition over to theArmy Air Corps, becomingWattisham Airfield in March 1993.[49][50]
On 5 October 1992, No. 74 (Reserve) Squadron stood up with the Hawk T.1 as part ofNo. 4 Flying Training School (4 FTS) atRAF Valley in the weapon instruction role.[3] At the 1993 Tiger Meet, No. 74 (R) Squadron won the coveted 'Silver Tiger' trophy while competing against the likes ofSpanishMirage F1s and Belgian F-16s; as Flt. Lt. Will Jonas said, "Not bad for a training unit eh?!"[51] With the rationalisation of No. 4 FTS to just two squadrons, No. 74 (R) Squadron was disbanded for the last time on 22 September 2000.[6] Upon disbandment, thesquadron Standard was laid up atRAF College Cranwell in the rotunda of the College Hall Officers’ Mess.[30]
Famous pilots associated with the squadron:
Aircraft operated included:[53][54][55]
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The 74 (F) Tiger Squadron Association brings together formerTigers from all generations for a yearly reunion dinner. Pending raising the necessary funds, plans are in place to create a museum dedicated to the squadron's history at their former RAF base of Horsham St. Faith, nowNorwich Airport. Since then, plans have been made to create a special section at theCity of Norwich Aviation Museum dedicated to the 'Tiger Squadron'.[56] In 2019, the association, along with theBritish Phantom Aviation Group, acquired F-4J(UK) Phantom ZE360 at theManston Fire School, with plans to restore it and display it atCotswold Airport.[57]
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