No. 71 Squadron RAF

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No. 71 (Eagle) Squadron RAF
No. 71 Squadron badge
Active27 March 1917 – 19 January 1918
19 September 1940 – 29 September 1942
16 September 1950 – 30 April 1957
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
 United States (September 1942)
Branch Royal Air Force
Nickname(s)Eagle
Motto(s)First from the eyries[1]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA bald-headed eagle displayed charged with three stars of nine points
Post 1950 Squadron Roundel
Squadron CodesXR (November 1940 – September 1942, also used initially on transfer to USAAF)
L (September 1950 – October 1953)

No. 71 Squadron was a

Second World War as the first of three Eagle Squadrons
; and post-war as a fighter-bomber unit under the command of Royal Air Force Germany.

History

First World War

Main article: No. 4 Squadron RAAF

The first unit known by the British military as "No. 71 Squadron" was No. 4 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps (AFC), during the First World War. The squadron was formed at Point Cook, Victoria, Australia on 16 October 1916, after which it travelled to England. From 27 March 1917, while based at Castle Bromwich, it was designated "No. 71 Squadron" by the Royal Flying Corps, to avoid confusion with No. 4 Squadron, RFC. This name was never officially adopted by the Australian Imperial Force.

4 Sqn AFC arrived in

Elwyn King, Edgar McCloughry (later an air vice-marshal), Herbert Watson, Thomas Baker, Leonard Taplin, Thomas Barkell, George Jones (later Chief of the Australian Air Force
), Norman Trescowthick, and Garnet Malley served in the unit.

On 19 January 1918, British usage of "No. 71 Squadron" for this unit also ceased, and it became No. 4 AFC at every level. The squadron spent some time with the Army of Occupation in Germany after the Armistice and was disbanded there at Bickendorf on 28 February 1919.[2]

American Eagles

North Weald
, Essex.

At the start of the

US Army Air Forces, becoming the 334th Fighter Squadron of the 4th Fighter Group
.

Into the jet age

On 16 September 1950 a new 71 Squadron was formed at

North American Sabre. The Sabres were replaced by Hawker Hunters in April 1956. The squadron moved to RAF Bruggen
in May 1956 and disbanded on 30 April 1957.

Aircraft operated

Dates Aircraft[6] Variant Notes
June 1917 – October 1917 Various
October 1917 – January 1918 Sopwith Camel 4 Sqn Australian Flying Corps (a.k.a. 71 Sqn RFC)
October 1940 – November 1940
Brewster Buffalo
 I
November 1940 – May 1941 Hawker Hurricane I
April 1941 – August 1941 Hawker Hurricane IIB
August 1941 – September 1941 Supermarine Spitfire IIA
September 1941 – September 1942 Supermarine Spitfire VB
October 1950 – October 1953 de Havilland Vampire FB.5
October 1953 – May 1956
North American Sabre
 F.4
April 1956 – April 1957 Hawker Hunter F.4

See also

References

Notes

  1. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X
    .
  2. ^ Rawlings 1978, p. 173.
  3. ^ Ford, Dan, The Sorry Saga of the Brewster Buffalo (2008), Article
  4. ^ Rawlings 1978, p. 175.
  5. ^ 'Aces High', Shores and Williams, 1994
  6. ^ Halley 1988, p. 138.

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to No. 71 (Eagle) Squadron RAF.
  1. ^ 64 pages, book in English and French, review
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