No. 75 Squadron — New Zealand

No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron was formed on 4 April 1940 and became the New Zealand contribution to RAF Bomber Command, serving in No. 3 Group. It flew the Vickers Wellington from RAF Feltwell in its early years before converting to the Short Stirling in 1942 and finally to the Avro Lancaster, operating from a succession of East Anglian stations including RAF Mildenhall, RAF Newmarket and RAF Mepal.

In July 1941 the squadron produced one of the most celebrated acts of courage of the bomber war when Sergeant James Ward climbed out onto the wing of his burning Wellington in flight to smother an engine fire, an exploit for which he received the Victoria Cross. Over the course of the war No. 75 flew more sorties than any other heavy-bomber squadron in Bomber Command, and suffered among the heaviest losses. In October 1946 the RAF formally gave the squadron’s number and badge to the Royal New Zealand Air Force — the only time it has gifted a unit identity to another air force. Its Māori motto, Ake ake kia kaha, means “for ever and ever be strong”.