Air Force Index

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No. 72 Squadron Royal Air Force    No. 72 Squadron formed at Netheravon in July 1917, initially as a Training Squadron. It was then based in Basrah from March 1918 until the end of hostilities and disbanded in September 1919. No 72 (Basutoland) Squadron was reformed 22nd February 1937, when B Flight of No 1 Squadron at Tangmere was increased to squadron strength. It flew Gladiators until April 1939 when Spitfires were delivered. At the outbreak of WWII, No. 72 was at RAF Church Fenton in Yorkshire on air defence and convoy protection duties.   17th October 1939 On the move 1st December 1939 Moved again 13th January 1940  Moved again 2nd March 1940 Moved again 1st June 1940 Dunkirk 1st Jul 1940 Interception 2nd Jul 1940 Enemy Active 3rd Jul 1940 Patrols 4th Jul 1940 Plot 5th Jul 1940 Reports 6th Jul 1940 Threat of Attack 7th Jul 1940 Patrols 9th Jul 1940 Patrols 10th Jul 1940 Bad Weather 11th Jul 1940 Bad Weather 12th Jul 1940 Patrols 13th Jul 1940 Patrols 14th Jul 1940 Poor Weather 15th Jul 1940 Patrol 16th Jul 1940 Patrols 17th Jul 1940 Poor Conditions 18th Jul 1940 Poor Conditions 19th Jul 1940 Patrols 20th Jul 1940 Interception 21st Jul 1940 Suspicious Aircraft 22nd Jul 1940 Patrols 24th Jul 1940 Patrols 25th Jul 1940 Change of Command 26th Jul 1940 Patrols 27th Jul 1940 Raids Reported 28th Jul 1940 Enemy Aircraft 29th Jul 1940 Patrols 30th Jul 1940 Air Raid 31st Jul 1940 Patrols 15th Aug 1940 Eagle Day 15th Aug 1940 Eagle Day 31st August 1940 Into battle 31st August 1940  Battle of Britain 31st August 1940 Biggin Hill bombed 1st Sept 1940 Air battle over Kent 2nd Sept 1940 Battle of Britain 4th September 1940 Battle of Britain 5th September 1940 Battle of Britain 7th Sept 1940 Battle of Britain 11th September 1940 Battle of Britain 14th Sept 1940 Battle of Britain 15th Sep 1940 Battle of Britain Day 18th Sept 1940 London bombed 20th September 1940 Battle of Britain 23rd September 1940 Dog-fights 24th Sept 1940 Bad day 26th September 1940 Attack from above 12th October 1940 Bombers attacked in fog 13th October 1940 On the move 29th November 1940 Move to Scotland 15th December 1940 Return to Acklington 11th April 1941 Reconnaissance plane shot down 1st May 1941 Aircraft shot down 8th July 1941 New duties 26th July 1941 Relocations 13th March 1942 Four Spitfires lost 4th August 1942 Prepared for new role 12th August 1942 Gunnery training 26th September 1942 Ground attack training 8th November 1942 Operation Torch 16th November 1942 On the move 24th November 1942 Move to the front 12th February 1943  Return to Algeria June 1943 Move to Malta 14th July 1943 Invasion of Sicily 15th September 1943 Into Italy 13th October 1943 Fighter base established in Naples January 1944 On the move July 1944 Occupation of Corsica August 1944 Into France October 1944 Back to Italy November 1944 Move to Rimini May 1945 Into Austria   If 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. 72 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War 1939-1945. Davies-Cooke Paul John. F/O (d.27th Sep 1940) Pigg Oswald St. John. F/O. (d.2nd Sep 1940) Smith William . Winter D. C.. P/O. Young Mervyn F.S.. F/Lt. 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. 72 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. Announcements The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 24 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web. 22nd April 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 263973 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible. Looking for help with Family History Research?   Please read our Family History FAQ's The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. We are now on Facebook. Like this page to receive our updates. If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations. Want to know more about No. 72 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2078 items tagged No. 72 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. F/O Paul John Davies-Cooke 72 Sqdn. (d.27th Sep 1940) My uncle Flying Oficer Paul John Davies-Cooke was shot down in June 1940 near Biggin Hill during combat with BF109s over Sevenoaks, Kent, on 27th September 1940. His Spitfire crashed onto houses in Queensway, West Wickham. Davies-Cooke baled out but was found dead near Hayes Station. He is buried in Rhydymwyn (St John) Churchyard, Mold. Mike Add to this record. P/O. D. C. Winter 72 Squadron D.C. Winter served in 72 Sqn. I have a hand written combat report for this officer dated 15th August 1940. He reports shooting down 2 ME110s 30 miles east of Farne Is. He was in Green Sect. of "A" Flt. John Hughes Add to this record. F/Lt. Mervyn F.S. Young 129 Sqn, 72 Sqn A good friend of mine was based at RAF Hornchurch in 1943 - Flt Lt Mervyn Young of 129 Sqn & later 72 Sqn in Italy & Europe. He flew Spitfire DV-R (Serial No MH384). Mervyn told me that he was inspired to become a fighter pilot after watching the Howard Hughes Movie Hells Angels about WW1 Fighter pilots. He said his flight commander ‘Wag’ Haw had the same thoughts after seeing the movie. He flew many missions in Europe including Ram-rod missions in support of the daylight bombing raids, mostly B17’s including the famous Memphis Belle at one time. On one sortie his No 2 Sgt Carmichael was shot down & killed but in 2003 his aircraft was recovered & in Sept' 2003 Mervyn was among the memorial parade with full miltary honours for Sgt Carmichael; lost on a sortie over Belgium & located 60 years later, the fateful sortie was flown while Mervyn was based at RAF Hornchurch. Sadly Mervyn passed away in March 2006, I enclose a photo taken at RAF Ibsley in his Spit' DV-R (MH384) complete with his mascot logo of Jiminy Cricket. David Perry Add to this record. F/O. Oswald St. John "Ossie" Pigg 72 Squadron (d.2nd Sep 1940) Oswald St John Pigg was born in Jarrow in 1918 and was the son of the Reverend John James Pigg and Mabel Tyson Pigg of Chatton Vicarage, Northumberland. He went to the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle. Rev John Pigg, was curate at St John's Church in Grainger Street, Newcastle, then chaplain at Durham Prison and vicar of Chatton in Northumberland. F/O Oswald St John Pigg served in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. He joined the RAF in March 1937 on a Short Service Commission and was posted to 72 Sqn at Church Fenton on 27 November 1937. On June 2, 1940 he shot down a Ju87 over Dunkirk, then crash-landed, slightly wounding himself, at Gravesend. On 15 August 1940 Oswald shot down a Bf109. The 22-year-old had been involved in an aerial fight and he died when his Spitfire, P9458, was shot down by a Messerschmitt 109 at 11:15am on September 1, 1940. His aircraft crashed and burned out at Elvey Farm, Pluckley. Oswald lies in the Cemetery at Durham, St. Oswald’s Burial Ground and is commemorated on the WW2 Roll of Honour Plaque in the entrance of Jarrow Town Hall. Vin Mullen Add to this record. William Smith 72 Squadron I am the Grand Daughter of William Smith (Bill), and I have been learning the stories today of his time in service in the RAF WW2, Squadron flying Spitfires from Biggin Hill. I have heard some totally mind blowing events, and I am so proud of my Granddad! I feel now, I have to try and do something for him... He has just recently lost his wife, and I would love him to know we all care, and honour him as a person/ Granddad, and a war hero, as many of you are. I would love to find out if there are any events, I could bring my Granddad to in relation to the Spitfires, or 72 Squadron of Biggin Hill. He has not managed to attend such things in the past, but I will make sure we get him there now. His ultimate dream would be to go up in a Spitfire! I have been reading that there is only 3/4 two seaters in the uk, but they are not licensed to carry paying passengers. Would anyone be able to let me know if there is any possibility that a old servent of the RAF, would be able to attend a display, or get a flight in one of these planes. I am so desperate to spark his spirit again, I would appreciate any information on where to bring him for a reunion, or see Spitfires flying again. Lisa Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

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