Page 14 - Horace Drew

After the Armistice No. 37, by then flying Sopwith Camels, was concentrated at Stow Maries and
in March 1919, moved to Biggin Hill. In July 1919, it was re-numbered 39 Squadron.

In April 1937, the Squadron was re-formed as No. 37 (Bomber) Squadron from a nucleus provided
by No. 214 Squadron. It was equipped with Handley Page Harrows at first, but by the outbreak of
the Second World War was flying Vickers Wellingtons.

Seven hours after the outbreak of war, six of the squadron's Wellingtons took off to seek and
attack German warships in the vicinity of Heligoland. Because of very bad weather conditions and
the fact that darkness was falling by the time they reached the search area, they failed to locate
any warships and returned to base with their bomb loads intact. A second operation of this kind,
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on 15 December, was also uneventful. The next, on 18 December, was disastrous - so
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disastrous, in fact, that Wellingtons were subsequently barred from approaching the shores of
Germany by day. On this occasion a force of 22 Wellingtons, six from No. 37 and the remainder
from Nos. 9 and 149 Squadrons, were pounced upon by Bf109's and 110's, which made beam
attacks; to these tactics the Wellingtons had no reply owing to their limited fields of fire. In this
operation No. 37 lost five of its six aircraft. A direct outcome of this air battle was the decision to fit
Wellingtons with armour plate and self-sealing fuel tanks.

In November 1940, by which time it had flown many more operations in Northern Europe - the
great majority of them night-bombing operations, No. 37 moved to the Middle East to support
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Allied operations in that region for the remainder of the war. On the 2 October 1945 the
Squadron moved to Palestine but returned to Egypt in December where it was disbanded on 31
st
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March 1946. On 15 April 1946, No. 214 Squadron at Fayid was renumbered No. 37 which flew
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Lancasters until it was disbanded again on 1 April 1947. It reformed again in Palestine on 14 th
September 1947 flying Lancasters in the Maritime Reconnaissance role until May 1948 when it
moved to Malta. In August 1953 No. 37 converted to Shackletons and in August 1957 it moved to
Aden where it flew patrols until it disbanded on the 7 September 1967.
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The squadrons Motto was "Wise without eyes". The crest a hawk hooded, belled and fessed,
wings elevated and addorsed. This crest is indicative of the duties of blind flying.
Authority:

HM King George VI, April 1943.