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Number 72 (Fighter) Squadron of the Royal Air Force is a training squadron that is currently based at RAF Valley using the Beechcraft Texan T.1 to deliver Basic Fast Jet Training (BFJT).

No. 72 (Fighter) Squadron RAF
Squadron badge
Active	28 June 1917 – 1 April 1918 (RFC) 1 April 1918 – 22 September 1919 (RAF) 22 February 1937 – 30 December 1946 1 February 1947 – 30 June 1961 15 November 1961 – 1 April 2002 12 July 2002 – 31 October 2019 28 November 2019 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying training squadron
Role	Advanced flying training
Part of	No. 4 Flying Training School RAF
Home station	RAF Valley
Nickname(s)	'Basutoland'[1]
Motto(s)	Swift[2]
Aircraft	Beechcraft Texan T.1
Battle honours	Mesopotamia (1918)* Channel and North Sea (1939–1942) Dunkirk* Battle of Britain (1940)* Fortress Europe (1941–1942)*, North Africa (1942–1943)* Mediterranean (1942–1943) Sicily (1943)* Italy (1943–1945) Salerno* Anzio and Nettuno* * Honours marked with an asterisk are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldry	A swift volant, intended to symbolise speed.[3]
Post 1950 squadron insignia
Squadron codes	RN (Oct 1938 – Apr 1939)[4] SD (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939)[4][5] RN (Sep 1939 – Dec 1946)[6][7] FG (Jan 1947 – Apr 1951)[8][9] AA–AZ (Wessex)[10]

It was previously based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse using the Short Tucano T.1, a modified version of the Brazilian Embraer EMB-312 Tucano training aircraft. No. 72 Squadron started its service life supporting the army during World War I on operations in Middle East and afterwards was quickly disbanded. In its second incarnation the squadron was a real fighter unit, transitioning from Gloster Gladiator biplanes[11] to Gloster Javelin all-weather jets, in between flying the Supermarine Spitfire during the Battle of Britain. The jets went in 1961 and from then until 1 April 2002 the squadron flew helicopters in the transport role.

The squadron nickname, "Basutoland", is derived from the fact that during both world wars, the Basutoland Protectorate, now Lesotho, donated aircraft to RAF, which were assigned to No. 72 Squadron.[12]

History

First World War

No. 72 Squadron was formed on 28 June 1917 at Upavon as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps.[3][13] On Christmas Day, the squadron left for the Middle East and regrouped at Basra on 2 March. Here, they split in three flights, each assisting the Army in their various missions, and were disbanded in Baghdad on 22 September 1919.[3]

Second World War

No. 72 Squadron was reformed at RAF Tangmere on 22 February 1937 from 'B' flight of No. 1 Squadron.[3] In 1939, the squadron was outfitted with Supermarine Spitfires which replaced the Gloster Gladiators that came with the flight from No. 1 Squadron. These were used in Air defence and convoy protection duties following the start of World War II. Then, in 1940, the squadron moved to assist in the evacuation of Dunkirk.[14]

During the Battle of Britain, No. 72 Squadron spent the early days at RAF Acklington as part of No. 13 Group, before moving south during September to aid the main defence force. The squadron was then moved to North Africa to support the Tunisian campaign before being supplied with the updated Spitfire Mk.IX in 1942. They then assisted the British 8th Army as they advanced through Italy and France up until the German surrender. At this point they were moved to Austria. It was here they were disbanded on 30 December 1946 at Zeltweg.[3]

Post-War jets

The squadron was reformed on 1 February 1947 at RAF Odiham by renumbering No. 130 Squadron.[3] They took over No. 130 Squadron's de Havilland Vampire F.1s, making no haste to remove that units 'AP' code.[15] The Vampire soldiered on for three versions until it gave way to the Gloster Meteor F.8 in 1952, and when the squadron was given a night-fighter role in February 1956 these were replaced with Meteor NF.12s and Meteor NF.14s. In April 1959, the squadron got the all-weather fighter role and was given Gloster Javelin FAW.4s and later Javelin FAW.5s. These were flown until the squadron was disbanded at RAF Leconfield on 30 June 1961.[3]

Helicopters

On 15 November 1961, No. 72 Squadron was reformed at RAF Odiham, but now as a helicopter unit.[16] They were equipped with twin-rotor Bristol Belvederes HC.1s until the Westland Wessex HC.2 replaced these aircraft in August 1964. For the next thirty-eight years they continued to use these aircraft and in that time the squadron saw action in Malaya, provided post-disaster assistance following the Torrey Canyon tanker disaster in 1967 and supported the security forces in Northern Ireland from 1969.[16] During the mid 1970s the squadron also operated a SAR 'D' flight at RAF Manston.[17] From January 1997 the Wessex was partly supplanted with the more modern Westland Puma HC.1. The squadron's Wessex HC.2s departed RAF Aldergrove on 25 March 2002, shortly before their retirement.[18] No. 72 Squadron was then disbanded on 1 April 2002 at Aldergrove.[16][14]

Training – Tucano to Texan

On 12 July 2002, No. 1 Flying Training School divided its strength between two new reserve squadrons – No. 72 (Reserve) Squadron and No. 207 (Reserve) Squadron, with both units operating the Short Tucano T.1 at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire.[19] No. 72 (Reserve) Squadron became No. 72 Squadron after the (Reserve) suffix was rescinded across the RAF on 1 February 2018.[20] The final Tucano Basic Fast-jet Training (BFJT) course graduated on 25 October 2019, which was marked with a nine-ship flypast over the local area.[21] No. 72 Squadron disbanded on 31 October 2019.[22]

On 28 November 2019, the squadron stood-up at RAF Valley operating the Beechcraft Texan T.1.[23]

On 13 November 2020, No. 72 Squadron became No. 72 (Fighter) Squadron to reflect its former role as a fighter unit.[24][25]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 72 Squadron, data from[13][26]

From	To	Aircraft	Variant	Remark
March 1918	June 1918	Airco DH.4		'A' flight
March 1918	January 1919	Spad S.7		'A' flight
April 1918	November 1918	Martinsyde G.100		'B' flight
April 1918	February 1919	Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5	S.E.5A	'A' flight
April 1918	February 1919	Bristol M.1	M.1c	'C' flight
May 1937	May 1939	Gloster Gladiator	Mk.I
April 1939	April 1941	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.I
May 1940	May 1940	Gloster Gladiator	Mks.I, II	Acklington unserviceable for Spitfires[27]
April 1941	July 1941	Supermarine Spitfire	Mks.IIa, IIb
July 1941	July 1942	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.Vb
July 1942	February 1943	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.Vc
July 1942	August 1942	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.IX
August 1942	November 1942	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.Vb
February 1943	October 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.IX
June 1943	January 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk. Vc
October 1944	December 1946	Supermarine Spitfire	LF.Mk.IX
February 1947	October 1948	de Havilland Vampire	F.1
June 1948	February 1950	de Havilland Vampire	F.3
November 1949	July 1952	de Havilland Vampire	FB.5
July 1952	February 1956	Gloster Meteor	F.8
February 1956	June 1959	Gloster Meteor	NF.12
February 1956	June 1959	Gloster Meteor	NF.14
April 1959	June 1961	Gloster Javelin	FAW.4
June 1959	June 1961	Gloster Javelin	FAW.5
November 1961	August 1964	Bristol Belvedere	HC.1
August 1964	Easter 2002	Westland Wessex	HC.2
January 1997	Easter 2002	Westland Puma	HC.1
July 2002	October 2019	Short Tucano	T.1
November 2019	present	Beechcraft Texan	T.1

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

• Official RAF No.72 Squadron Website
• No.72 Squadron in art
• Photographs of No.72 Squadron's farewell visit and flypast at RAF North Weald, March 2002
• No 71 - 75 Squadron Histories

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