37 SQUADRON ROYAL AIR FORCE REGIMENT

THE BIRTH OF 37 SQUADRON

The deteriorating political situation in the Suez Canal Zone of Egypt in late 1951 led to the decision that the British Garrison in the area would be strengthened. The reinforcement came with the formation of No 37 Squadron Sqn (Light Anti Aircraft (LAA)) Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regt) commanded by Squadron Leader W L Hitchcock. The Sqn was officially formed on December 17 1951, and between 20 - 22 January boarded 4 Hastings aircraft at RAF Lyneham and flew by night via Malta to RAF Abu Sueir in Egypt. There they formed No 3 (LAA) Wing RAF Regt along with 27 (LAA) Squadron and 36(LAA) Sqn based at Ismailia.

RAF ABU SUEIR, SUEZ CANAL ZONE

The Sqn was accommodated in tents and immediately set to work on Internal Security (IS) duties as its guns and transport would not arrive for some weeks. The Sqn provided guards and patrols on the station perimeter, as well as roadblocks on the road into Ismailia as part of an overall anti - terrorist plan. The Sqn received 12 L60/40mm Bofors Anti - aircraft guns, finished in desert camouflage, by November 1952 and began training for it's primary role as well as continuing with IS duties.

This period of time was very tense in the Canal Zone and there were frequent alarms when it seemed likely that Egyptian forces would attack British bases. Consequently the Sqn became well practised in rapid deployment to protect the airfield. The Sqn also conducted exercises with the Meteors of No 208 Fighter Squadron and the Vampires of No 6 Fighter Squadron flying from Habbaniya. The Sqn was also tasked with desert rescue operations - the rapid recovery of aircraft and aircrew unfortunate enough to crash in the desert and much time and effort was put in to training for this arduous job.

It was in the Field role that the Sqn under took a mock assault on the town of Aquaba on the southern tip of Sinai. The Sqn flew to an airstrip on the outskirts of the town in 2 Vallettas and practised the deployment. These skills were called for when the Sqn was placed under the command of 32 (Guards) Brigade as the situation between Britain and Egypt worsened. Should the need have arisen, the British divisions were to occupy specific targets in Egypt, and it would have been 37's task to spearhead the assault on the airfield of Alexandria.

Over the period 31 March to 18 June 1954, 37 Sqn provided defence of the airfield at RAF Amman in Trans - Jordan, which provided a welcome change of scenery from the Canal Zone. Upon it's return, the entire Sqn deployed to Bir Odeib for 2 weeks of intensive training along with the rest of 3 Wing, as it did every summer during its time in Egypt. In October 1954, the Sqn was tasked with guarding the residence of the Commander - in - Chief at Ismailia, as it had done the previous year. The Sqn performed one of many ceremonial duties as part of the RAF Regt Guard of Honour, which paraded the Queen's Colour of the RAF Regt at the Imperial War Graves Commission Cemetery at El Alamein on 24 October 1954. The occasion was the unveiling of a memorial to soldiers and airmen killed in the Western Desert 1939 - 1945 who had no known graves. This period also saw the Sqn undertake IS duties at RAF Deversoir.

In January 1956, the Sqn sent a detachment to RAF Nicosia, Cyprus as part of a No 3 Wing commitment to defend the station and carry out IS duties. The Sqn Commander remained in Egypt with a number of men to continue with the guard and security duties at RAF Abu Sueir and RAF Fayid. By 29 April the men remaining in Egypt had moved to RAF Akrotiri where they joined the rest of the Sqn who had moved there from RAF Nicosia on 15 March 1956. The Sqn was back together again, but still living in tents.

RAF AKROTIRI

The Sqn carried out very little training at this time due to its extensive guarding and security commitments, these included roadblocks and anti - sabotage patrols. In June, after a request from Army authorities, Sqn personnel assisted a parachute brigade in an operation that involved sweeping the Paphos forest and Troodos Mountain area for EOKA Guerrillas. There were several clashes with the Guerrillas, the result of which was the capture of the headquarters of the EOKA leader and seven of his lieutenants as well as documents, weapons and ammunition. At the conclusion of the operation congratulatory messages were received by No 3 Wing on the efficient work of the RAF Regt personnel from the Officers Commanding 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment and 16 Independent Parachute Brigade.

On 27 September during a routine daily search a party of 37 Sqn personnel located 15 sticks of Dynamite linked to a timer fuse in the Works Asphalt and Bitumen Plant. The explosives were removed and harmlessly destroyed. IS duties continued but on 20 October 1956 the Sqn received orders to deploy all of it's guns alongside 27 Squadron in LAA defence of RAF Akrotiri as the station was to mount air operations over the Suez Canal Zone. By dusk they were in position ready for immediate action from first light on 21 October. The operation, in direct support of the Suez Campaign, continued until 5 December 1956.

The Sqn continued with IS duties (with a tour of duty at RAF Kophinou in liaison with 26 LAA Battery Royal Artillery (RA)) and it's primary role of LAA defence of RAF Akrotiri with the occasional Guard of Honour and in January 1959 it re - equipped with the L40/70mm Bofors gun. In December 1959 after nearly 8 years of living in tents, the Sqn moved in to barrack block accommodation. It was to be short lived however because it then moved back to the UK and RAF Sealand to become a MEAF Sqn between 24 and 31 January 1961.

A NEW ROLE AS A FIELD SQUADRON

The period of time between February 1961 and May 1963 was a quiet one for the Sqn. Training continued and a static display of its L40 Guns was mounted at the Review of the RAF Regiment by HRH The Duchess of Gloucester, at RAF Catterick, in May 1962. The Sqn moved again to RAF Upwood in September 1962 and after a month of operational training in Cyprus with No3 (LAA) Wing the Squadron was converted to the Field role on 10 May 1963.

The Sqn was deployed to Aden between 9 and 24 June 1963 in order to relieve 16 Sqn of its Middle East commitments. A Flight (Flt) proceeded to Bahrain, B Flt to Mukeiras with a section from Mortar Flt, and C Flt also with a section from Mortar Flight remained at RAF Khormaksar, all of which were employed on Ground Defence duties, the Flts rotated through each location at intervals. A small detachment mounted a guard of the airstrip at Salem Salek near Dhala on the Yemeni border after 4 servicemen were killed and 18 taken prisoner on 23 June.

The Sqn was reunited in January 1964 when it moved to RAF Eastleigh, Kenya, in response to mounting unrest in the area. The Sqn was again tasked with the Ground Defence of the installation and it's assets and in addition to this C flight secured the airfield at Tabora in Tanganyika ready for a force of 45 Commando (Cdo) Royal Marines. Also associated with this operation were B Flt who provided protection for the Commandos at the airstrip at Nitchingwea, SW of Dar Es Salaam. A Sqn detachment also defended the airfield at Thumair in support of the Army Radfan Force.

The Sqn returned to RAF Catterick after several more detachments to Khormaksar and Mukeiras, in June 1964. However they were soon back in Cyprus for a brief period in January 1965, for IS duties and then later in the month they carried out anti - sabotage duties at RAF Khormaksar which lasted until April, when all Sqn personnel returned to RAF Catterick. The Squadron received the General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) and the 84mm Anti - Tank Gun in January1966.

37 Sqn were back at RAF Khormaksar in April 1966 for a 6 month detachment as the Resident RAF Regt Squadron on IS duties. A grenade and a mortar incident within the Sqn's area of responsibility caused slight damage to equipment, but luckily casualties were avoided. Back in the UK, the Sqn provided the escort for Her Majesty the Queen when She visited the Depot to present the Regt with its new Colour on 16 June 1967. The standard Aden detachment commenced again in late August 1967, and on 30 August Sqn patrols came under fire on 3 occasions but no casualties were taken. The political situation in the area gradually began to improve and security incidents decreased so RAF Khormaksar was wound down as negotiations took place for the hand over of power. The Sqn was back in the UK by 28 October.

In July 1968, the Sqn was detached to RAF Seletar for training in Jungle warfare and air moves in Whirlwind and Belvedere Helicopters. Normal training resumed and then in March 1969 B Flt moved to RAF Muharraq in Bahrain on IS duties. C Flt took over and in July the Muharraq/ Salalah commitment was taken over by 26 (LAA) Squadron. On 3 August selected Sqn personnel formed part of the Guard of Honour for President Nixon of the USA during his visit to RAF Mildenhall.

The escalation in The Troubles in Northern Ireland at the time led to the Sqn being deployed to Dungannon early in November 1969. They were placed under the operational control of the OC of 17/21 Lancers. One Flt served out of Pomeroy RUC Station and another went to No 33 (Field) Wing HQ at Lisanelly Barracks in Omagh. Normal IS duties were carried out, including crowd control during a disturbance in Armagh. The Sqn returned to the UK in February 1970 and began training for its conversion back to the LAA role. It received 13 70mm Bofors Guns in June and assumed its new role on 1 September 1970.

A RETURN TO LOW LEVEL AIR DEFENCE (LLAD) 1970

The Sqn was immediately deployed in this new role to RAF Kai Tak, Hong Kong, Antigua and RAF Aldergrove simultaneously on airfield security duties. The Sqn was back in the Province in July 1971. March 1972 saw the Sqn send a detachment to Belize (British Honduras) for LLAD of Belize International Airport, which it maintained until August 1972. The Sqn continued to send detachments to Belize and Northern Ireland throughout the 1970s on IS duties. It was involved in two bomb incidents on 17 May 1973, which damaged the runway at Aldergrove but caused no casualties and during a detachment in the summer of 1974 Sqn personnel discovered a cache of illegal arms and explosives.

In April 1975, the 37 Sqn Badge depicting an old English Fighting Bill and the motto "Versatilis" meaning versatile, were approved by Her Majesty The Queen.

On November 8 the Sqn provided a short notice detachment to Belize in order to provide a full air defence posture in response to continuing tension in the country over the future independence of Belize. This continued until 3 February 1976 when an earthquake destroyed part of Guatemala City resulting in some reduction of the threat to Belize.

RAF BRUGGEN, 1 APRIL 1976

On 1 April 1976 a major organisational change took place within the regt when 37 Sqn RAF Regiment exchanged number plates with 66 Squadron RAF Regt, a Rapier Squadron based at RAF Bruggen. The Sqn spent the rest of the year training on the new SAM system at their new home in Germany. During this training programme the Sqn fired the 1000th Rapier missile at a Missile Practise Camp (MPC) in the Hebrides in June 1976.

On December 17 1976 the Sqn completed 25 years of unbroken service, qualifying it for the Queens Standard, which it received on 26 November 1980 from the Commander in Chief RAF Germany. In June 1981 the Sqn also received a 40mm Bofors Gun, of the type it used to operate in its early days, to act as a historical gate guardian at the entrance to the Sqn. The gun was presented by the Deputy Commander RAF Germany, AVM J M D Sutton CD. Meanwhile the Sqn continued to send detachments to Belize.

In August 1982 the Sqn deployed to RAF Stanley, Falkland Islands (FI), until early 1983. Living under canvas in nearly continuous rain and mud for the duration of the detachment and being re - supplied only by air, it was a time when the Regt's legendary improvisation skills were called upon. Later in 1983 the Sqn won the Barnard Trophy with the highest marks ever in Categorisation Board testing, and later in the year the Premier Regiment Trophy for Rapier Squadrons. It was at this time that it was twinned with the local town of Niederkruchten.

February 1984 saw the Sqn's second deployment to the FI. This 4 month detachment was to be much more comfortable than the first, with the Sqn being accommodated in permanent sites or in floating hotels ("Coastels") with greatly improved sporting and leisure facilities. Mount Pleasant Airfield (MPA) was opened and visited shortly after by 37 Sqn, who were back in the South Atlantic again in the summer of 1985.

As well as the standard MPCs and FI detachments, the Sqn moved to Florennes in the Ardenne in 1989 to pit their wits against Belgian F16s and Mirages, before taking part in Exercise Rorkes Drift, a FIBUA exercise. The CO of 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers heaped high praise on the Sqn's approach, determination and proficiency in basic military skills during this exercise.

The Sqn split in half and deployed A Flt to the FI and B Flt to Belize in September 1991. It was the 8th time the Sqn had sent a detachment to the FI since 1982 and while they were still in the South Atlantic the 40th anniversary was celebrated on 17th December 1991. Meanwhile in Belize, B Flt was busy mounting jungle patrols along the Guatemalan border in order to gain information on illegal aliens and drug running operations. It wasn't all hard work though and time was found for some rest and recuperation in such places as Florida, Costa Rica, Mexico and Honduras.

RAPIER FSC

The Sqn became operational with Rapier FSC in 1996. The conversion went very smoothly with the new kit being simple to operate and maintain. At this time the Sqn was cut from 125 to 108 personnel who were left to man only 6 fire units, but its overall wartime capability was greatly increased, due to the FSC's ability to engage two targets simultaneously in any type of weather.

In March 1997 the Sqn provided the Hunter Force for an aircrew Winter Survival Course. During the initial deployment SAC Hamilton saw the rotor blades of a Puma helicopter strike a tree after an aborted landing. The Pilot and another crewmember were seriously hurt while the loadmaster was thrown from the aircraft without major injury. The passengers in the back were also largely unhurt. SAC Hamilton, who was over 400m away at the time, raised the alarm and immediately a group of 37 Sqn gunners rushed over to try to free the injured from the wreckage. It was not an easy task and required great presence of mind and physical strength. Despite this huge effort the pilot later died of his injuries, however for their immediate and effective reaction, 37 Sqn's Corporals Mark Coogan and Al Cullen and SAC Rea were awarded Commendations in the 1998 New Year' Honours and Awards.

The usual routine of MPC and FI detachments continued interspersed with sporting and charity work and normal training. Work for Hope and Homes for Children and other charities as well as numerous sporting events such as the Bruggen 10 mile road race, Rugby, the Nijmegen marches and the annual shooting competition at Bisley, provided the Sqn with opportunities to excel, which they did without fail. The Sqn's entry for the 2000 Nijmegen marches was the largest military team ever with 31 marchers.

In the FI in 2000, an MPC at Bertha's Beach witnessed by the Secretary of State for Defence and numerous other VIPs, was livened up by several missiles that refused to behave in the conventional manner. One ploughed in to the beach 50m from the launcher, another disappeared momentarily into the sea before quickly reappearing again, and yet another simply remained smoking on the rails. Later on in the Camp, after the VIPs had left, a missile exploded while still on the rails, destroying the launcher and damaging the Tracker Radar. Luckily no one was injured.

February and March 2001 saw the Sqn deploy deep into the Norwegian Arctic Circle on Exercise Joint Winter with 92 men and 5 fire units. A full STANEVAL was undertaken with highly realistic airborne targets provided by RAF Tornados and RNoAF F - 16s, as well as a ground threat posed by Norwegian Special Forces. The exercise was a great success and the Sqn recovered back to Bruggen from Bardufoss airfield during April with just enough time to deploy to the FI again in May.

THE END OF AN ERA AND A NEW HOME

RAF Bruggen was to be handed over to the Army's 1 Signals Brigade in March 2002 and so by the end of October 2001, the Sqn had rolled out of the gates of RAF Bruggen for the last time. 37 Sqn was the final operational squadron to leave the station as the Station Commander had flown the last Tornado back to the UK on 4 September, it was also the last RAF Regt Sqn to leave Germany, bound for RAF Wittering. A 25-year chapter of the Sqn's life had come to an end. Now back in the UK and in temporary accommodation, not for the first time it's history, the Sqn celebrated its 50th anniversary on Dec 17th 2001.

After a short stay in No 1 Hangar the Sqn relocated to its current address at the former home of the Nuclear Weapons Convoy Group HQ, where it is due to stay for the foreseeable future. As the RAF Regt celebrated its 60th anniversary, 37 Sqn completed another round of Categorisation Board testing in January 2002, followed by a NATO exercise to Norway, which included a GBAD Force STANEVAL. After gaining a SATISFACTORY grading for conducting Rapier Ops, the Sqn was then stood up for several field related tasks.

In April a Flt of men provided the Hunter Guard Force in support of the School of Combat Survival and Rescue at RAF St Mawgen and then in May the Sqn was placed on 24 Hours Notice to Move for duties on Op RAMSON in Kenya. Although not actually deployed, the training that was carried out served a purpose when 2 sections were detached to 34 Sqn RAF Regiment who were the Resident Field Squadron deployed on Op RESINATE (South) at Ali Al Salem airfield in Kuwait. Meanwhile, the rest of the Sqn provided GBAD of a Mine Counter Measures Fleet during Joint Maritime Course 2/02, working closely with the Navy and 20 Cdo Battery RA on the NW Scottish coast. On completion of that exercise, the Sqn moved straight to the Hebrides for its annual MPC.

Everyone had returned to Wittering by September, just in time to be re-assigned to Op FRESCO (Z), the military response to a national Fire Brigade Union strike. Concurrently, the Sqn deployed 38 men to the FI for the first 8-month tour of responsibility for the Resident Rapier Sqn (RRS) and what little spare manpower was left was nominated as Battle Casualty Replacements for Op TELIC, which started in March 03.

The Sqn was not to be together again until September 2003 when everyone returned from Summer Leave and Post Operational Detachment Leave. An intense period of Rapier build up trg began ahead of the series of exercises and evaluations that will take place on the road to the Sqn's appointed goal of reintegration with NATO GBAD and an OPEVAL in the summer of 2004. Before then, JMC, MPC and a STANEVAL await, with AT in Cyprus to look forward to prior to the Christmas break.

THE FIRST 50 YEARS

The Sqn is now 50 years old, during this time many things have changed. It was initially formed in order to help keep stability within the crumbling British Empire. Then during the Cold War period, it was used primarily in direct defence of RAF Bruggen. Today's expeditionary style of operations and the instability caused by the events of 11 September 2001, together with the tempo sustained by the GBAD Force ensures that a lot of time is spent away from the Sqn's home base. It is committed to supporting the Immediate Reaction Force (Air) and the Joint Rapid Reaction Force as well as providing the RRS in the FI.

The Sqn has carried out numerous and varied tasks throughout its history, and has used a variety of different equipment to do so. Often these tasks were not the Sqn's primary ones but it always did a professional and efficient job, as can be seen by reading this history.

The Sqn's badge depicts the blade of an old English Fighting Bill, which in the late 15th century, was a versatile and formidable weapon in the hands of the foot soldier, used in the defence of local communities. Hence it is a significant emblem for 37 Sqn as each has its origins in farming country and has proved its versatility defending its home and families. Therefore the Squadron motto of "Versatilis" is particularly appropriate.