- No. 75 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -
Air Force Index
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No. 75 Squadron Royal Air Force
No. 75 Squadron RFC, was formed on 1st October 1916, as a Home Defence unit. It was disbanded in 1919.Reforming in 1937 from 'B' flight of 218 Squadron as a heavy bomber squadron, it was redesignated as a Group Pool (Training) squadron in March 1939 and moved to RAF Stradishall. At the outbreak of the war it was equipped with Avro Ansons for general flight training and Wellington bombers for bomber crew training purposes.
Airfields at which No.75 Squadron was based:
- 75 (Bomber) Squadron at Harwell Sep 1939 to Apr 1940 then redesignated as 15 OTU
- New Zealand Squadron at RAF Marham to June to Sept 1939
- RAF Stradishall Sept 1939 - Feb 1940
- RAF Feltwell from Feb 1940 - April 1940 then redesignated as 75 (New Zealand) Squadron
- 75 (New Zealand) Squadron at Feltwell Apr 1940 to Aug 1942
- Detachment to Salon, France. Jun 1940.
- Mildenhall. Aug 1942 to Nov 1942
- Newmarket Nov 1942 to Jun 1943
- Mepal Jun 1943 to July 1945
- Spilsby from July 1945 onwards
3rd September 1939 New Zealand Squadron formed
4th September 1939 Relocation
19th Sept 1939 Training flight crash
25th September 1939 Training reorganised
12th February 1940 On the move
7th March 1940 Operational
4th April 1940 New Squadron titles
9th April 1940 Night Ops
12th April 1940 Reconnaissance
7th May 1940 Attached
10th May 1940 War over Holland
21st May 1940 Aircraft lost
June 1940 Detachment to France
19th July 1940 Ditched off the Netherlands
20th July 1940 Aircraft lost
25th July 1940 Aircraft lost
10th October 1940 Bomber attacks
21st October 1940 Raids
14th January 1941 Routine flight crashed
21st Feb 1941 Failed to return
3rd April 1941 Collision
6th May 1941 Aircraft Lost
18th Jun 1941 Scharnhorst attacked
3rd July 1941 Aircraft Lost
7th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost
13th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost
15th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost
24th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost
6th August 1941 Failed to return
11th Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost
15th Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost
17th Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost
20th Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost
28th Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost
10th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost
12th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost
15th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost
22nd Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost
26th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost
7th November 1941 Aircraft Lost
8th Nov 1941 Aircraft Lost
30th Nov 1941 Friendly fire
23rd Dec 1941 Aircraft Lost
27th Dec 1941 Aircraft Lost
6th Apr 1942 75 Squadron Wellington lost
11th Aug 1942 Bomber Command
15th August 1942 Relocation
26th Sep 1942 Postings
October 1942 Re-equipped
1st November 1942 Mine-laying
23rd January 1943 Bombing resumed
3rd February 1943 Aircraft lost
5th February 1943 Minelaying
13th February 1943 Crash landing
3rd March 1943 Unreliability
5th March 1943 Aircraft Lost
8th April 1943 Crashed
10th April 1943 Ditched and rescued
14th April 1943 Attack on Stuttgart
16th April 1943 Three aircraft lost
20th April 1943 Attack on Rostock
21st April 1943 19 Aircraft lost
29 April 1943 75 Squadron Stirlings lost
5th May 1943 Stirling bomber lost
12th May 1943 Crashed on take-off
23rd May 1943 Raid on Dortmund
25th May 1943 75 Squadron Stirling lost
29th May 1943 Four Stirlings lost
4th June 1943 Stirling lost
12th Jun 1943 75 Squadron Stirling lost
22nd June 1943 Four Stirlings lost
24th June 1943 Aircraft lost
27th June 1943 Relocated
13th July 1943 Raid on Aachen
24th July 1943 Raid on Hamburg
24th Jul 1943 Aircraft Lost
25th July 1943 Attack on Essen
30th July 1943 Two Stirlings lost
2nd August 1943 Two Stirlings lost
6th August 1943 Mine-laying
15th August 1943 Stirling lost
17th August 1943 Peenemunde Raid
23rd August 1943 Berlin
27th August 1943 Nuremburg
30th August 1943 Stirling lost
31st August 1943 Berlin
5th September 1943 Aircraft shot down
8th September 1943 Crashed into houses
23rd September 1943 Three Stirlings lost
27th September 1943 Attack on Hanover
4th October 1943 Bomber lost
24th October 1943. Air sea rescue role
4th November 1943 Three aircraft lost
22nd November 1943 Two Stirlings lost
1st December 1943 Family killed in crash
16th December 1943 Crashed
January 1944 Increase in Special Duties squadrons
24th February 1944 Minelaying
March 1944 Special Operations
March 1944 Minelaying
13th March 1944 Lancasters arrive
18th April 1944 RAF Mepal bombed
19th April 1944 MBE awarded postumously
23rd April 1944 Stirling lost
27th April 1944 Lancaster lost
1st May 1944 Lancaster lost
11th May 1944 Lancaster lost
11th May 1944 Two Lancasters lost
22nd May 1944 75 Squadron Lancaster lost
22nd May 1944 Two Lancasters lost
27th May 1944 Two Lancasters lost
6th June 1944 Coastal battery bombed
12th June 1944 Bomb Aimer pilots aircraft home
15th June 1944 Lancaster lost
25th June 1944 Lancaster lost
19th July 1944 Aircraft works attacked
21st Jul 1944 Seven Lancasters lost
25th July 1944 Two Lancasters lost
29th July 1944 Two Lancasters lost
30th July 1944 Troops attacked
8th August 1944 Aircraft shot down
13th August 1944 Four raids in one night
26th August 1944 Two Lancasters lost
30th Aug 1944 75 Squadron Lancaster lost
12th Sep 1944 75 Squadron Lancaster lost
17th September 1944 Busy month
17th September 1944 Mid-air collision and explosion
5th October 1944 Railway yards bombed
6th October 1944 Lancaster missing
6th October 1944 Mid-air collision
21st October 1944 Lancaster shot down
4th November 1944 Lancaster lost
20th November 1944 Oil refinery raid unsuccessful
22nd November 1944 Aircraft missing
30th November 1944 Lancaster shot down
7th December 1944 Ditched
19th December 1944 Detachment
27th December 1944 Lancaster lost
July 1945 Prepared for the Far East
15th August 1945 Tiger ForceIf you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
Logbooks
Do you have a WW2 Flying Log Book in your possession?If so it would be a huge help if you could add logbook entries to our new database. Thank you.
View Logbook entries
Those known to have served with
No. 75 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.
- Abrahams Gerry. W/O
- Biggar John Matthew. Flt.Sgt. (d.12th Sep 1944)
- Crowther Frederick Edward William. Flt.Sgt. (d.3rd Oct 1943)
- Curry DFC. George William. F/Lt.
- Fernie John Alexander. F/Lt.
- Gilbert Colin Leslie. Lt. (d.10th May 1942)
- Glass James.
- Gore Desmond Wallace. Sergeant
- Gore Desmond Wallace. Flt.Sgt.
- Hadley Wilson Orchard. F/O. (d.12th Sep 1944)
- Hall Robert Ewen. Sgt. (d.24th Feb 1944)
- Hiscox Henry John. Flt.Sgt. (d.21st July 1944)
- Howells DFC. L. W/O
- Jones Robert Owen.
- Kahler Hyman Chaim Mordecai. Sgt. (d.19th Apr 1944)
- Laud Ronald Hugh. Squadron Leader (d.12th Jun 1943)
- Lawrence DFC & Bar, MID. Kenneth Aubyn Hassel. Sqn Ldr.
- Littlewood Eric John. Flt.Sgt.
- Marquet Raymond Thomas. W/O.
- Marquet Raymond Thomas. W/O.
- Maryan Ronald Alfred. Sgt
- McCrorie Thomas Fraser. Flt.Lt. (d.23rd June 1943)
- Mulligan John. Sgt. (d.19th Apr 1944)
- Murray Henry James. F/O (d.19th April 1944)
- Pinney Doreen Eva.
- Quinn Arthur. Sgt. (d.25th Oct 1942)
- Staple DFC Owen David. Wing Commander
- Stewart Francis Barkhouse. Sgt. (d.3rd March 1943)
- Thomas Alfred John. P/O. (d.31st July 1943)
- Tod Richard Douglas. WOII. (d.24th June 1943)
- Tod DFM. Robert Ernest. W/OII. (d.23rd June 1943)
- Trott James.
- Turner Basil Simms. Sgt.
- Ward VC. James Allen. Sgt. (d.15th Sep 1941)
- Woollam Peter. Sgt. (d.19th Apr 1944)
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List
Records of No. 75 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.
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Want to know more about No. 75 Squadron Royal Air Force?
There are:2142 items tagged No. 75 Squadron Royal Air Force available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.
Sgt. Robert Ewen Hall 75 Squadron (d.24th Feb 1944)
My great-grandfather, Sergeant Robert Ewen Hall, was in No. 75 Squadron. He was killed in action on the night of 24th Feb 1944 in a Stirling, serial no: EH948, during a gardening operation in Kiel Bay.Harry Rickards
Sergeant Desmond Wallace Gore 75 Squadron
My father, Flight Sergeant Desmond Wallace Gore, was a 75 Squadron (Lancasters) flight Engineer stationed at Mepal, and was shot down in 1944 over Holland (he was the only survivor) and captured in Boxtelle. He ended up as a POW in Stalag Luft 7 and was an internee until the end of the war.Barry Gore
Wing Commander Owen David Staple DFC 107 Squadron 14 Squadron 75 squadron 41 Squadron 40 Squadron
Owen David Staple was from Dec-1942 with 36(Mosquito) Operational Training Unit in Canada as a pilot; from February 1944 with 60 OTU in the United Kingdom; from June 1944 with 107 Squadron (Mosquito); from April 1948 14 Squadron in Japan; from November 1954 75 Squadron; from September 1959 with 41 Squadron in Malaya.Decorations,Medals,Awards: DFC-1945, AFC-1960, 1939/45 STAR, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal 1939/45 War Medal, New Zealand War Service Medal, General Service Medal (Malaya).
Wing Commander Owen David Staple past away in 1974 at the age of 49. I am looking for more information on him as he died when I was 3 months old. The information is going towards the family tree so we do not forget the memories of the brave men and women of war.
Michael David Staple
Robert Owen Jones 75 Squadron
Robert Jones served as engineer/mechanic on Lancasters with No.75 New Zealand Squadron. He was stationed at 107 M.U. Kasfareet in Billet 8 certainly in 1945. Names Bob mentioned were Mac, Wally, and Tommy Muir. We have photographs of these three along with others. There are also photographs of Billet 8, 107 Lido, 107 MU Y.M.C.A, and 21 P.T.C. Cinema if they would be of interest to anyone.Malcolm Jones
F/Lt. George William Curry DFC. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron
George Curry completed a tour of duty with 75 (New Zealand) Squadron at RAF Feltwell, which was part of 3 Group Bomber Command. George was awarded the DFC during one of the Bombing missions in 1941. After operations, he was posted to RAF Pershore to train pilots on the Wellington Bomber as part of 23 OTU.Neil Finlay
Sgt. Basil Simms Turner 75 Squadron
Basil Turner joined the RAF as a trainee pilot in late 1938 or early 1940. He did his Elementary Flight Training at Hatfield then went South Cerney for training on Airspeed Oxfords. From there he went to RAF Pershore OCU for Wellington bomber training. Then was posted to 75 NZ Squadron based at RAF Feltwell. Basil Turner eventually progressed to flying the Lancaster and the finally the Lincoln. Basil completed 58 missions over enemy territory. He died in July 2005Edward James
W/OII. Robert Ernest Tod DFM. 75 Squadron (d.23rd June 1943)
Warrant Officer Class II (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Robert Tod was the Son of Alexander and Mary Edith Tod of St. Vital, Manitoba, Canada. He and his twin brother, Richard, both lost their lives when their aircraft was shot down. They were 23 years old and are buried in the Medemblik General Cemetery, Noord-Holland, Netherlands.s flynn
WOII. Richard Douglas Tod 75 Squadron (d.24th June 1943)
Warrant Officer Class II (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Richard Tod was the son of Alexander and Mary Edith Tod of St. Vital, Manitoba, Canada. He and his twin brother, Robert, both lost their lives when their aircraft was shot down. They are amongst 23 who are buried in the Medemblik General Cemetery, Noord-Holland, Netherlands.S flynn
Flt.Lt. Thomas Fraser McCrorie 75 Squadron (d.23rd June 1943)
Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Thomas McCrorie was the son of John Andrew and Margaret McCrorie; husband of Joan McCrorie of Broom, Warwickshire. He was 27 when his plane crashed and his body was washed ashore. He is buried in the Hemelumer Oldeferd (Molkwerum) Protestant Churchyard, Friesland, Netherlands.S Flynn
Flt.Sgt. Henry John Hiscox 75 Squadron (d.21st July 1944)
Flight Sergeant (Air Gunner) Hiscox was the Son of Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Hiscox, of Newport, Monmouthshire and husband of E. I. M. Hiscox of Newport. He was 35 when he died and is buried in the Beesel Roman Catholic Cemetery, Limburg, The Netherlands.S Flynn
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