The New Zealand Squadron was the name given by the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

to the men of the

Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...

(RNZAF) in the United Kingdom to train on the 30

Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its g ...

Mk1C bombers the New Zealand Government ordered in 1938 to introduce the latest in aviation military technology to the RNZAF. Some RNZAF aircrew had been sent to the United Kingdom and others already there were posted to the group training on the new aircraft based at

RAF Marham RAF Marham is a Royal Air Force station and military airbase near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia. It is home to No. 138 Expeditionary Air Wing (138 EAW) and, as such, is one of the RAF's "Main Operating ...

in Norfolk commencing on 1 June 1939 under the command of Squadron Leader

Maurice Buckley Maurice Vincent Buckley, (13 April 1891 – 27 January 1921) was an Australian soldier serving under the pseudonym Gerald Sexton who was awarded the Victoria Cross during the First World War. This is the highest award for gallantry in the face ...

. The crews were to fly the aircraft to New Zealand in batches of six, to their new airbase,

RNZAF Base Ohakea RNZAF Base Ohakea is an operational base of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Opened in 1939, it is located near Bulls, New Zealand, Bulls, 25 km north-west of Palmerston North in the Manawatu District, Manawatu. It is also a diversion landin ...

in the country's North Island, that was being built to receive them. RAF official records name this group of airmen as "The New Zealand Squadron", and shared RAF Marham with No. 38 and No. 115 Squadrons. They moved to

RAF Harwell Royal Air Force Harwell or more simply RAF Harwell is a former Royal Air Force station, near the village of Harwell, located south east of Wantage, Oxfordshire and north west of Reading, Berkshire, England. The site is now the Harwell Sc ...

, and then to RAF Feltwell on 12 February 1940. Those aircraft initially delivered and being used by the New Zealand crews had their RNZAF serial numbers painted under the wings, "NZ301" to "NZ305". As a result of Britain declaring war against Germany, the New Zealand Government made the airmen and the aircraft – that had so far been delivered and those still on the production line – available to the RAF to help with the new war effort. Also called or known as The New Zealand Flight, they completed several operations of their own across to various European destinations. The New Zealand airmen were concerned that they would be split up and posted to existing RAF squadrons, however a decision by the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...

to give them the defunct No. 75 Squadron numberplate on 4 April 1940, meant that the nucleus of The New Zealand Squadron personnel remained together but under the command of the RAF as No. 75 (NZ) Squadron.

Notes

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:New Zealand Squadron Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons Royal New Zealand Air Force squadrons Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1940