No. 75 Squadron RAF

In October 1945, the squadron number – along with its heraldry and honours – was relinquished by the RAF and transferred to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, officially becoming No.

[citation needed] Established as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps for Home Defence, it was formed at Goldington, Bedfordshire on 1 October 1916 with B.E.2c and BE2e aircraft, supplementing these with BE.12s in 1917.

While the squadron remained operational, it was badly understrength - on 7 March 1917, it had 7 aircraft, and four pilots, compared with an establishment strength of 18 of each.

[7] It moved to Elmswell in East Anglia in September 1917, with detachments at Harling Road and Hadleigh.

[5] Operational flying against day and night raids proved fruitless and the pilots did not engage the enemy.

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 504K and Sopwith Pups in October.

Although often referred to, then and since, as an RNZAF unit, 75 Squadron was equipped and controlled by the RAF until VJ Day.

It formed up as a Fighter/Bomber unit and re-equipped with 50 ex-RAF de Havilland Mosquitos, which they flew out from Britain.

The squadron badge was also transferred and maintained its RAF format but with the Royal New Zealand Air Force title.

Although badly damaged by enemy fighters' canon shells, the aircraft managed to return to its base.

[12] A rebuilt Lancaster in the Museum of Transport and Technology at Auckland, New Zealand, has the AA codes of one of 75 (NZ) Squadron aircraft.

The National Archives features an interview with Gordon Ford, a British wireless operator who served with 75 (NZ) Squadron in World War II.