Page 13 - Horace Drew

No. 37 (Bomber) Squadron was the first RAF Unit Horace as a Sergeant Pilot was posted to. This
Squadron was based in North Africa giving support to the Eighth Army. Horace completed 35
operations as Second Pilot with this squadron before being screened from further
operations and rested.

No. 37 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, was formed as an experimental Squadron at Orfordness,
Suffolk, on 15 April 1916, but ceased to exist a month later when the nucleus Flight of the
th
Squadron was absorbed by the experimental Station at Orfordness. In September 1916, it re-
formed as a Home Defence squadron with its headquarters at Woodham Mortimer, in Essex.
Flights operated from landing grounds at Rochford, Stow Maries and Goldhanger and constituted
an Eastern line of defence against raiding aeroplanes and airships for London. On the night of
th
16/17 June 1917, Lieutenant LP Watkins, a Canadian Army officer attached to No. 37 Squadron,
was responsible for the destruction of the Zeppelin L48 over Suffolk; he was flying a BE12.