No. 74 Squadron — Tiger

No. 74 Squadron — the Tiger Squadron, named for its distinctive tiger-head badge — entered the war as a Spitfire unit based at RAF Hornchurch within 11 Group. It flew over Dunkirk in May 1940 and was heavily engaged throughout the Battle of Britain, its pilots claiming a substantial toll of Luftwaffe aircraft. Among its most celebrated airmen was South African ace Adolph “Sailor” Malan, whose gunnery doctrine influenced fighter tactics across the RAF. After offensive sweeps over occupied France through 1941, the squadron deployed to the Middle East in April 1942, operating eventually with Hurricanes and then Spitfires across Palestine, Iraq, and Egypt. Returning to Britain in April 1944, it joined the 2nd Tactical Air Force, supporting the Normandy landings and the advance through France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, ending the war on German soil.