No. 37 Squadron RAF facts for kids

No. 37 Squadron was a special group of pilots and planes that flew for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the First and Second World Wars. This squadron played important roles in defending the UK and supporting Allied forces across Europe and the Middle East.

The Story of No. 37 Squadron

Flying in World War I

No. 37 Squadron first started on 15 April 1916. It was part of the Royal Flying Corps, which was the UK's air force before the RAF. The squadron was based in Orfordness, Suffolk. At first, it was an experimental group, trying out new ideas. However, it closed down just a month later.

It started up again on 15 September 1916. Its main base was at Woodham Mortimer in Essex. Smaller groups were also stationed nearby. The squadron used different types of planes. These included the B.E.2s, B.E.12s, and F.E.2bs. Their main job was to protect London. They defended the city from German air attacks. These attacks came from large airships called Zeppelins at night. German planes also attacked during the day.

Defending Against Air Raids

In May 1917, German Gotha bombers started large-scale attacks. No. 37 Squadron received new planes. These were Sopwith 1½ Strutters and Sopwith Pup fighters. These planes were faster and better. They could catch the Gothas, which the older planes struggled to do. By August, the Pup fighters were used to form new home defense squadrons.

On the night of 16/17 June 1917, something amazing happened. Pilot Pierce Watkins flew a B.E.12 plane. He attacked a huge Zeppelin airship called L48. The Zeppelin caught fire and crashed. Other planes also attacked it at the same time. But Watkins was officially given all the credit for shooting down L48. In August, the squadron tried something new. They used B.E.12 planes with radios. These radios helped them report where enemy planes were. This helped track the daytime Gotha raids.

Becoming Part of the RAF

The squadron became part of the new Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918. It was assigned to patrol north of London. This area had fewer attacks. So, the squadron kept its older B.E.12 planes for a while. In May, they finally received modern S.E.5 planes. In October 1918, they got Sopwith Camels. By December, they had Sopwith Snipes. The squadron moved to Biggin Hill in March 1919. In July 1919, it was renamed No. 39 Squadron RAF.

World War II Bomber Missions

In April 1937, No. 37 Squadron started again. It was now called No. 37 (Bomber) Squadron. It was based at RAF Feltwell in Norfolk. The squadron flew Handley Page Harrow heavy bomber planes. In May 1939, they got Vickers Wellington bombers. They were still using these planes when World War II began.

The squadron flew its first mission of the war on 3 September 1939. Six Wellingtons searched for German warships. This mission was not successful. On 18 December 1939, 37 Squadron joined a large attack. Twenty-four Wellingtons attacked German ships. German fighter planes attacked them heavily. Five out of six of 37 Squadron's Wellingtons were shot down. Twenty-one airmen were killed. In total, twelve Wellingtons were lost that day.

A No. 37 Squadron Wellington bomber in Egypt during World War II.

Moving to the Middle East

In November 1940, the squadron moved to the Middle East. Their planes flew through Malta. They even flew a few missions from Malta. They arrived in Egypt on 14 November. One crew claimed to have shot down an Italian seaplane on the way. The ground crew traveled by ship. They sailed from Gibraltar to Alexandria. Their ship, HMS Manchester, even took part in a sea battle. It also came under air attack before reaching Egypt.

The Wellingtons of 37 Squadron helped with Operation Compass. This was a British attack against Italian forces. They bombed Italian airfields. In February 1941, the squadron moved to Greece. They supported Greek forces against the Italian invasion. They attacked targets in Albania and Italy. They also dropped supplies to Greek troops.

Battles in Greece and Iraq

When Germany invaded Greece in April 1941, the squadron bombed targets in Bulgaria. But by 17 April, the German army forced them to leave. They were evacuated back to Egypt. On 1 May 1941, some Wellingtons from 37 Squadron went to RAF Aqir in Mandatory Palestine. This was because Iraq was threatening a British airbase. The next day, they bombed Iraqi positions. This was the start of the Anglo-Iraqi War. The squadron continued to bomb Iraqi targets. Meanwhile, the rest of the squadron attacked German and Italian airfields. These were in southern Greece and the Dodecanese. The group in Iraq returned to Egypt on 12 May.

After the German invasion of Crete, the squadron helped defend the island. They continued to fly missions until the island fell. From 18 June, the RAF's Wellington squadrons in Egypt, including 37, attacked targets in Aleppo and Beirut. This was part of the Syria–Lebanon campaign. The squadron kept attacking targets in Greece and North Africa. These included ports like Benghazi and Derna. From November 1941, they focused on bombing airfields. This was to prepare for Operation Crusader.

Intense Fighting and New Planes

In December 1941, 37 Squadron joined a new group. It was called 231 (Bomber) Wing. From January 1942, the squadron got more planes and aircrew. These came from 458 Squadron RAAF. In February 1942, part of the squadron went to Malta. Six planes arrived on 21 February, and seven more on 22 February.

On the night of 1/2 March, the squadron's Wellingtons attacked Tripoli harbor. They damaged a large freighter ship. The next night, 10 Wellingtons raided Palermo. They sank a German freighter called Rhur. They also badly damaged other ships. On 4 March, the cargo on one damaged ship exploded. This sank two more ships and damaged many others. In total, 42 ships were sunk or damaged. However, the squadron also suffered heavy losses. By 18 March, most of the planes were gone. Only one Wellington could fly back to Egypt.

In April, the squadron moved closer to its targets. But German and Italian forces advanced. This forced the squadron to move back to the Nile Delta in June. During the Second Battle of El Alamein, 37 Squadron bombed Tobruk. They also attacked enemy airfields and troops. After the Allied victory, the squadron moved west. They attacked the supply lines of the retreating enemy.

Later War Missions

In February 1943, the squadron moved to Tunisia. They replaced their older Wellington Ic planes. They got more powerful Wellington Xs. On 18 February, 37 Squadron joined the new Northwest African Strategic Air Force. They mainly flew tactical missions. These were operations against targets in Sicily. This happened during the Allied invasion of the island in July–August 1943.

In December 1943, the squadron moved to southern Italy. They shared a base with American bombers. The Wellingtons were replaced by Consolidated Liberators from November 1944. The squadron flew its last Wellington mission on 13 December 1944. They bombed targets in Northern Italy and the Balkans. They also dropped supplies to Yugoslav Partisans. They even dropped mines in the River Danube. This was to stop German shipping. The squadron flew its last missions of World War II on 25/26 April 1945. They attacked railway yards in Austria.

On 2 October 1945, 37 Squadron moved to Aqir. Then they moved to Shallufa in Egypt in December. The squadron closed down there on 31 March 1946. On 15 April 1946, 214 Squadron was renamed No. 37. This squadron flew Avro Lancaster bombers. It was disbanded again on 1 April 1947.

Maritime Reconnaissance Missions

The squadron started again on 14 September 1947. It was based in Ein Shemer Airfield in Palestine. This time, it was a maritime reconnaissance squadron. This means they patrolled the seas. They used Lancaster GR3 planes. Their job was to patrol the Eastern Mediterranean. They especially looked for ships carrying Jewish illegal immigrants to Palestine.

In May 1948, the British left Palestine. The squadron moved to RAF Luqa in Malta. They patrolled the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. They also provided air support. This included bombing and strafing targets. In May–August 1953, the squadron got new planes. They replaced their Lancasters with Avro Shackletons. They supported the Anglo-French invasion of Egypt in 1956. This was during the Suez Crisis.

In July 1957, the squadron moved to RAF Khormaksar in Aden. They patrolled the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. They also helped with air support. This included bombing and using guns on their planes. A small group was based in Bahrain. They tried to stop weapons from being smuggled from Oman. In 1961, the squadron helped with Operation Vantage. This was when Britain responded to Iraqi threats against Kuwait. From 1966, they sent groups to Mahajanga in Madagascar. This was part of the Beira Patrol. It was a British effort to stop oil from reaching Rhodesia. The squadron finally closed down at Khormaksar on 7 September 1967.

The special colours of 37 Squadron are kept in All Saints' Church, Stamford.

See also

• London Air Defence Area