No. 175 Squadron Royal Air Force

No.175 Squadron was formed 3rd March 1942 at RAF Warmwell with Hurricanes from 402 Squadron for maritime attacks on shipping and coastal targets. It flew its first raid on 16th April 1942. It was re-equipped in April 1943 with Typhoons for ground attack and anti-shipping strikes and in June 1943 it became part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force preparing for the invasion of France.
In February 1944 it was re-armed with rocket projectiles to strike selected strategic targets such as railway installations and armoured columns. After D-Day it moved to France, and supported the army across France, Belgium and into the Netherlands. After the end of the war, it remained in Germany as part of the army of occupation.
Airfields where 175 Squadron was based:

3rd March-10th October 1942: Warmwell
10th October-9th December 1942: Harrowbeer
9th December 1942-14th January 1943: Gatwick
14th January-19th March 1943: Odiham

Detachment: 1st-10th March: Stoney Cross (Exercise Spartan)
Detachment: 10-12th March: Lasham (Exercise Spartan)

19th March-8th April 1943: Stoney Cross
8th April-29th May 1943: Colerne
29th May-2nd June 1943: Lasham
2nd June-1st July 1943: Appledram
1st July-9th October 1943: Lydd
9th October 1943-February 1944: Westhampnett
February-March 1944: Eastchurch
March-April 1944: Westhampnett
1st April-20th June 1944: Holmsely South

20th June 1944: B.3 St. Croix
June-September 1944: B.5 Fresney Camille
September 1944: B.42 Beauvais-Tille
September 1944: B.50 Vitry-en-Artois
September 1944: B.70 Deurne
September-November 1944: B.80 Volkel, Belgium
21st November-4th December 1944: Warmwell
December 1944-March 1945: B.80 Volkel
March-April 1945: B.100 Goch
April 1945: B.110 Achmer
April-May 1945: B.150 Hustedt
May-June 1945: Warmwell
June 1945: Manston
June-August 1945: B.164 Schleswig, Germany.

3rd March 1942 New Squadron formed

13th April 1942 Tragic error on exercise

16th April 1942, First operation

22nd June 1942 Exercise

July 1942 Move cancelled

18th July 1942 American pilot lost over the Channel Islands

30th July 1942 Two Hurricanes and one pilot lost

19th August 1942 Aircraft abandoned

10th October 1942 Relocated

2nd November 1942 Pilot killed

9th December 1942 On the move

14th January 1943 Moving on

1st March 1943 Move for Exercise Spartan

2nd March 1943 Exercise Spartan

3rd March 1943 Exercise Spartan

3rd March 1943 Ready for Exercise Spartan

4th March 1943 No information

5th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

6th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

6th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

7th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

8th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

9th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

10th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

11th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

12th March 1943 Exercise Spartan ends

13th March 1943 Back to base

16th March 1943 No news

19th March 1943 Relocated

28th March 1943 Move confirmed: move cancelled

8th April 1943 Re-equipped with the Typhoon

29th May 1943 Relocated for new duties

30th May 1943 On the move again

2nd June 1943 Move

12th June 1943 2nd Tactical Air Force

15th June 1943 Typhoon crashed at sea

19th June 1943 Pilot killed

1st July 1943 Typhoons lost

1st July 1943 New airbase

1st July 1943 Abortive sortie

12th July 1943 Party at The Ship

18th July 1943 Airfield attacked

25th July 1943 Dutch airfield attacked

26th July 1943 Attack on Poix Aerodrome

30th July 1943 Killed over France

12th August 1943 Ops and exercises

16th August 1943 Evaded through Switzerland

11th September 1943 Two pilots shot down

6th October 1943 Typhoon pilot killed

9th October 1943 2TAF Squadron relocated

26th October 1943 Pilot Missing in Action

4th January 1944 Typhoon abandoned

6th January 1944 Typhoon pilot taken PoW

7th January 1944 Mid-air collision over France

5th February 1944 Two pilots taken PoW

February 1944 Squadron equipped with Rockets

16th March 1944 Ground attack operations

1st April 1944 On the move

7th May 1944 Flying accident

24th May 1944 Typhoon Lost

30th May 1944 US pilot Missing in Action

5th June 1944 Radar station attacked

6th June 1944 Invasion

20th June 1944 Move

9th July 1944 Crash

17th July 1944 Move to Normandy

18th July 1944 Typhoon pilot taken PoW

18th July 1944 Cab-rank operations

30th July 1944 Pilot killed

14th August 1944 Two Typhoons shot down

18th August 1944 Attack on German armoured column

27th August 1944 Typhoon missing

11th September 1944 Rapid moves to the east

26th September 1944 Typhoon Missing in Action

27th September 1944 Shot down over Germany

6th October 1944 Crashed avoiding barracks

24th October 1944 Recce

21st November 1944 Respite

2nd December 1944 Typhoons diverted to Tangmere

25th December 1944 Aircraft written off

29th December 1944 Shot down

2nd February 1945 Aircraft Lost

13th February 1945 Pilot taken PoW

24th February 1945 Pilot taken PoW

27th February 1945 Killed on armed recce operation

19th March 1945 Killed in flying accident

21st March 1945 Move into Germany

26th March 1945 Two Typhoons of 175 Squadron lost

30th March 1945 Killed whilst attacking target

31st March 1945 Crashed near Wuppertal

4th April 1945 Pilot found dead

June 1945 Respite and then return

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Those known to have served with
No. 175 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

Clermont Justin Gerard. F/O. (d.7th May 1944)
Lyons Bernard Stephen. F/O. (d.2nd February 1945)
Peters DFM. Raymond Albert. P/O. (d.30th Dec 1943)
Villinger George Kooker. Sgt.Pilot. (d.2nd March 1944)

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Want to know more about No. 175 Squadron Royal Air Force?

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Sgt.Pilot. George Kooker Villinger 175 Squadron (d.2nd March 1944)

George Villinger, age 23, from Palmyra, New Jersey, voluntarily enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at Montreal, Quebec on 20th of October 1941. After basic training/guard duty and Initial Training School at Toronto, Trenton, London and Belleville (all in the Province of Ontario), George began flight training on de Havilland Tiger Moth biplanes at RCAF No. 20 Elementary Flying Training School at Oshawa, Ontario. From there, he was posted to RCAF No. 16 Service Flying Training School at Hagersville, Ontario where he flew twin-engined Avro Ansons. He graduated as a Sergeant Pilot earning his wings on 25th of September 1942. George shipped out to England from Halifax, Nova Scotia in early October that year.
On 24th of November 1942 he commenced fighter pilot training on Hawker Hurricanes at Royal Air Force (RAF) No. 55 Operational Training Unit and was then posted to 175 , RFAon 26th of January 1943 where he flew Hurricanes until 24th of March 1943 when he transferred from the RCAF to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). George died 2nd of March 1944.

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F/O. Bernard Stephen Lyons 175 Squadron (d.2nd February 1945)

A cold wind blew over the Advanced Landing Ground B80 Volkel. The wind made the work for the ground mechanics and the pilots very hard. In spite of the bad weather five Typhoons nanaged to start late in the afternoon at five o'clock. Because of the strong wind, the engines of two Typhoons got overheated, but the pilots still managed to start with four aircraft.
Flight Officer Bernard Lyons flew in the second position with his Typhoon MN358, trunk code HH-U. To the north-east of Venlo, the formation successfully attacked a German convoy. During their further search, Lyons was hit by German anti-aircraft guns. He turned directly to the west in order to get above liberated territory. He passed on his last position above the river Maas by radio. He then crashed near the Kanaalweg in Mariapeel, a swamp area near Sevenum. Flight Lieutenant Lyons was found lifeless in the wreck.He was buried at the cemetery of Kronenberg NL. After the war his body was reburied at Venray War Cemetery in Venray, NL.

Piet Snellen

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F/O. Justin Gerard Clermont 175 Sqdn. (d.7th May 1944)

Flying Officer Justin Clermont was killed when his Typhoon (JR257/HH-W) crashed on the Stansted Park Estate, Rowlands Castle, Hampshire on 7th May 1944 when, according to eyewitnesses, his engine caught fire a few minutes after taking off from RAF Tangmere unfortunately a well known phenomenon with the Napier engine fitted to the Typhoon). A simple wooden War Memorial to Justin was erected at Stansted Park by Mr Graham Alderson in 1944 which, unfortunately, has deteriorated over the last few years. The Friends of Stansted Park Committee have now rebuilt the memorial as a fitting tribute to perpetuate Justin's memory.
Justin was born on 11th November 1921 in the small town of Cochrane, Ontario, Canada. His parents were Joseph Agapit Clermont and Delima Clermont (nee Lalumiere). Justin's RAF Squadron was based at Homsley Airfield in the New Forest. His body is buried in Brookfield Military Cemetery. On 6th May 2016 a memorial service will be held at Stansted Park. In attendance will be members of his family and a representative of the Canadian Embassy, London.

Robert Godwin

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Those known to have served with
No. 175 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.