74 Squadron
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74
Squadron was formed at Northolt on July 1st 1917 as a training squadron
of the Royal Flying Corps but was subsequently moved to London Colney
where it was established as a front line unit and on 20th March 1918 was
sent to France equipped with SE5a aircraft. It was in France that it
earned its ‘Tigers’ nickname as a result of the aggressive spirit shown
by its pilots, amongst whose ranks were to be found the likes of Mick
Mannock, Ira Jones and Keith Caldwell. Within seventy days of 74`s
arrival on the Continent, one hundred enemy aircraft had been shot down
with the loss of just one of its own. By the war's end, and after just
seven months in theatre, this total had risen to 224 – 140 confirmed, 68
probable's and 15 balloons.
However, its wartime exploits did not prevent 74`s disbandment in July
1919. It would be September 1935 before the squadron was re-established,
an event which actually happened whilst on board ship en route to Malta
with Hawker Demons as part of the British government's response to the
Abyssinian crisis. Returning to the UK in August 1936, 74`s new home was
Hornchurch and it was whilst here that the Squadron`s tiger head badge
and famous `I Fear No Man` motto was authorised. In April 1937 the
Demons were exchanged for Gloster Gauntlets and then in February 1939
the Tigers received their first Spitfire 1.
The outbreak of the Second World War found 74 still at Hornchurch but
often operating from the satellite aerodrome at Rochford. By this time
Sailor Malan had joined the Squadron and during the months ahead he and
his colleagues, including H M Stephen, John Freeborn and John Mungo
Park, were to be involved in extensive operations against the Luftwaffe.
In the Phoney War there was little operational activity but when the Low
Countries were invaded in May 1940, 74 flew extensively on offensive
operations and soon afterwards, when Fighter Command was engaged in
establishing air supremacy over the beaches of Dunkirk, the Squadron was
fully employed on convoy protection and patrols over the French coast.
During the Battle of Britain and with Sailor Malan now its Commanding
Officer, 74 flew against German raiders over London and the Thames
estuary and they met with considerable success. On 11th August, for
example, the Squadron flew into battle four times and at the end of the
day claimed twenty four enemy aircraft destroyed and fourteen damaged.
From the Chief of the Air Staff came a telegram:
‘A magnificent day's fighting, 74... Mannock started it and you keep it
up.’
But the hectic pace of operations took its toll and on 14th August the
Squadron was retired to Wittering for a short rest before moving to
Kirton-in-Lindsey, Coltishall and then in October back to the front line
at Biggin Hill. The RAF had now gone on to the offensive and during
November 1940, 74 destroyed 26 enemy aircraft. In February 1941 it moved
to Manston but was then sent up to Acklington before moving across to
Llanbedr and Long Kesh where, after the hectic pace of operations, they
found themselves in a backwater by comparison.
It was at this time that the Governor of Trinidad made a presentation of
Spitfires to 74 which subsequently became known as `Trinidad` Squadron.
This remained so until the 1950s.
In 1942 74 set sail for the Middle East, reaching Palestine in the July
- but it was a squadron without aircraft, the ship carrying those which
it was due to have flown having been sunk. For a while, in an
unprecedented move, 74 were used to provide maintenance facilities for a
USAAC Liberator unit before moving to Teheran where it started to
receive Hawker Hurricane IIbs. Under the command of Sqn Ldr `Spud`
Hayter it transferred to the Western Desert and undertook convoy escort
duties in the eastern Mediterranean as part of 219 Group. On 23rd July
it took part in a large offensive operation over enemy occupied Crete
during the course of which transport, stores dumps, RDF stations and
barracks were attacked and severely damaged.
In August the Squadron exchanged its Hurricanes for Spitfire Vbs and Vcs
and transferred to Cyprus from where it was sent to the Aegean islands
of Cos and Simi, only to be caught up almost immediately in the German
invasion.
Air and ground crew were drafted in to help in the islands` defence and
there are many stories of bravery within Squadron ranks as well as those
of adventurous escapes. Unfortunately 1 member was killed and 17 ground
crew were captured and became POWs. They have often harrowing stories to
tell.
The Squadron itself was withdrawn to North Africa and continued to fly
offensive sweeps and convoy patrols before returning to England and
North Weald and Lympne in April 1944, flying new Spitfire IXs, attacking
enemy railway yards and transport and escorting bombing raids on V1
sites in France prior to D Day. On that day itself 74 flew patrols over
the invasion fleet and after the landings attacked German positions. In
July it moved to Tangmere as part of 134 Wing and then moved to France
as a component of the 2nd TAF with 145 Wing. Flying in support of the
advancing Allied armies 74 was credited by the Canadian 4th Armoured
Brigade as providing the ‘closest air support to date!’ The Squadron
advanced as the Allies advanced and it was based fleetingly at Lille,
Courtrai, Duerne and Schijndel. In March 1945 it received Spitfire XVIs
which it flew alongside its LFIXs. By April it was at Droppe in Germany
and that is where, on May 2nd, it received news of the German surrender.
Its last wartime operation was an armed reconnaissance in the
Wilhelmshaven area.
Returning to the UK, 74 was one of the early squadrons to equip with the
Meteor F3. Based initially at Colerne it moved for a brief period to
Bentwaters and then took up a long residency at Horsham St Faith where
it became a component of Fighter Command's first post war jet fighter
wing. In December 1947 the Meteor F3 gave way to the F4 and then in
October 1950 the F8. 74 became the first winner of the Duncan Trophy,
awarded to the day fighter squadron making the greatest contribution to
day flying in all weathers. This was at a time when the RAF did not have
specific `all weather` squadrons. 74 won the Duncan Trophy again in 1952
and followed this in 1953 with the Dacre Trophy for weapons firing at
the Acklington gunnery school.
In March 1957 the Hawker Hunter F4 was introduced followed a few months
later by the F6. In July 1960 the Tigers proudly became the squadron
chosen to introduce the Lightning F1 into RAF operational service. Under
the command of Sqn Ldr John Howe and by now with Coltishall as its home,
displays were flown at Farnborough and Paris. At the same time they were
working hard to iron out the many teething troubles that beset this
demanding, exciting aeroplane. At the 1961 Farnborough show, nine
Lightnings were rolled in formation: in 1962 `The Tigers` became Fighter
Command's leading aerobatic team. A move to Leuchars in 1964 saw an end
to display flying and in its place the equally demanding Intensive
Flying Trial, designed to prove the operational capabilities of the
aircraft which were by now Lightning F3s. It was whilst at Leuchars that
74 hosted its first Tiger Meet, the gathering of NATO squadrons with the
tiger as their emblem and an Association of which 74 had been a founder
member in 1961. Tiger Meets continue to this day, albeit in modified
form, embracing the world's Tiger Squadrons and increasingly restricted
by lack of available funds. Meets combine social and operational aspects
of squadron life and are used to further the understanding of roles,
aircraft and operational procedures on the ground and in the air.
In June 1967, 74 undertook a logistically impressive deployment to
Tengah, Singapore, where it became a component of the Far East Air
Force. Refuelled en route by Victor tankers, the deployment of the
thirteen Lightning F6s with which the Squadron was by now equipped was
the largest to be undertaken thus far with such support. Four of 74`s
aircraft which later flew from Tengah to Darwin in northern Australia in
June 1969 set a 2,000 mile record for the longest non stop flight made
by a Lightning . Once at Darwin they participated in an air defence
exercise with the Royal Australian Air Force.
After four years in Tengah, the Tigers disbanded on 25th August 1971.
Their Lightnings were flown to Cyprus where they were taken on charge by
56 Squadron. 74 themselves lay dormant for thirteen years until October
1984 when they reformed at RAF Wattisham under Wg Cdr Dick Northcote on
the F4J Phantom. These aircraft, unique to the RAF and wearing a very
distinctive duck egg blue paint scheme, the origins of which nobody is
sure, were purchased from the US Navy and after rework at the San Diego
Naval Facility were ferried back to the UK in batches of three
accompanied by VC10 tankers, the last arriving at Wattisham on January
5th 1985.
Declared operational on 31st December 1985, 74 flew this mark of Phantom
until it was retired and replaced by the Spey-engined FGR2. 74 disbanded
again in October 1992, this time as the last Phantom operator in the
Royal Air Force - but stood up again immediately at RAF Valley with the
BAe Hawk which it flew until September 22nd 2000 in the training role.
74 has always played a pivotal role in the story of the RAF, introducing
new aircraft into operational service (such as the Lightning),
developing new tactics (as did Sailor Malan during the Second World War)
and as the Squadron through which all air defence and ground attack RAF
pilots passed on their way to the front line (which they did at Valley).
Not for the first time, but quite probably the last, on 22 September
2000 74(F) Squadron officially disbanded. Victim of 'rationalisation' in
the RAF, three reserve squadrons at Valley was deemed too inefficient,
so one had to go, 74 drawing the short straw.
In a low-key ceremony outside its hangar at a windswept Valley, the
standard was paraded for a final time in front of Air Vice Marshal
Robinson, who broke the news that 74 definitely wouldn't be re-appearing
as a Eurofighter squadron in the foreseeable future. Speculation had
thought that it would, possibly as the Operating Conversion Unit, but it
seems a decision has been made and 74 doesn't feature in the RAF of the
future.
It brings to an end a long tradition, with its finest hour being that
with many other fighter squadrons over the skies of southern England in
1940.
The Tigers have a proud tradition which is maintained by the
74 (F)
Tiger Squadron Association which brings together Tigers from all eras at
an Annual Reunion and by means of newsletters.
‘Tigers’ by Bob Cossey (published by Arms and Armour Press in 1992) and
‘I Fear No Man’ by Doug Tidy (published by J&KH Publishing in 1998) are
available from Bob Cossey.