WW2 and History Collection / Units / Countries U /  United Kingdom / Squadrons / No. 76 Squadron Updated: October 30th, 2016 Units / United Kingdom / Squadrons Unit codes: NM (October 1938 - April 1939) MP (May 1941 - Sepember 1946) No. 76 Squadron History: No. 76 Squadron was formed at Ripon in Yorkshire on September 15th, 1916 as a Home Defence unit with detachments at Copmanthorpe, Helperby and Catterick. The units first aircraft were the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 and Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12. The aircrafts were replaced by the Britsol F.2B in 1918. On June 13th, 1919 the unit was disbanded. On April 12th, 1937 the unit was formed again at RAF Finningley, from B Flight of No. 7 Squadron which was equipped with the Vickers Wellesley. The unit changed to the Handley Page Hampden and the Avro Anson in April 1939. when war broke out, the unit moved to RAF Upper Heyford. Here it was used as an operational training unit until it was merged with No. 7 Squadron to form the No. 16 Operational Training Unit (OTU). Reformed againt at RAF West Raynham on April 30th, 1940, the unit now was equipped with the Handley Page Hampden, but was disbanded again on May 2nd, 1940. The RAF reformed the unit once again on May 1st, 1941 as a Handley Page Halifax bomber squadron at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Here the unit became a part of the No. 4 Group, RAF Bomber Command. In June 1941 the unit moved to RAF Middleton St. George, but returned to RAF Linton-on-Ouse in July 1942. In June 1943 the unit was moved to RAF Holme-on-Spalding. In May 1945 the unit was, along with No. 4 Group, transferred to RAF Transport Command and was equipped with the Douglas Dakota. The unit now was stationed at RAF Broadwell. In September 1945 it moved to India, where it was transformed to No. 62 Squadron at Palam Airport. No. 76 Squadron again was reformed on December 9th, 1953 at RAF Wittering and equipped with Canberra B.2. In November 1955 the unit removed to RAF Weston Zoyland. On December 30th, 1960 the unit was disbanded at RAF Upwood. On May 1st, 2007 No. 76 Squadron was reformed at RAF Linton-on-Ouse by renaming of the Tucano Air Navigation Squadron to No. 76 (Reserve) Squadron. In December 2010 the unit was deactivated and disbanded in May 2011. No. 76 Squadron Personnel Commanding Officer: Major E.M. Murray (September 15th, 1916) Major A.C. Wilson (February 6th, 1918) Squadron Leader E.J. George April 26th, 1937) Squadron Leader N.A. Pearce (July 11th, 1938) Flight Lieutenant L.R. Stewart (April 12th, 1939) Wing Commander D.S. Allan (April 1939) Wing Commander Sydney O. Bufton (April 12th, 1941) Wing Commander Geoffrey T. Jarman (May 28th, 1941) Wing Commande J.J.A. Sutton (September 4th, 1941) Squadron Leader J.T. Bouwens (November 10th, 1941) Wing Commander D.O. Young (December 15th, 1941) Squadron Leader C.C. Calder (July 14th, 1942) Wing Commander Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire (august 5th, 1942 - april 1943) Wing Commander Donald Clarence Smith (April 7th, 1943) Wing Commander D. Iveson (December 22nd, 1943) Wing Commander R.K. Cassels (August 14th, 1944) Wing Commander L.G.A. Whyte (January 24th, 1945) Wing Commander R.K. Cassels (June 14th, 1945) Wing Commander P.A. Nicholas (July 1945) Flight Commanders: A Flight: B Flight: Squadron Leader Francis William Scott Turner (1943) Aircraft used: Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c September 1916 - 1917 Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2e December 1916 - August 1918 Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 September 1916 - August 1918 Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12a December 1916 - August 1918 Airco DH.6 September 1916 - 1917 Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 May 1917 - July 1918 Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12b March 1918 - August 1918 Bristol F2B July 1918 - August 1918 Avro 504K August 1918 - May 1919 Vickers Wellesley April 1937 - April 1939 Handley Page Hampden I March 1939 - April 1940 Avro Anson I March 1939 - April 1940 Handley Page Halifax I May 1941 - March 1942 Handley Page Halifax II October 1941 - April 1943 Handley Page Halifax V February 1943 - February 1944 Handley Page HAlifax III January 1944 - April 1945 Handley Page Halifax VI March 1945 - May 1945 Douglas Dakota IV May 1945 - September 1946 English Electric Canberra B Mk 2 December 1953 - December 1955 English Electric Canberra B Mk 6 December 1955 - December 1960 Embraer EMB 312 Tucano Mk 1 May 2007 - December 2010   © WW2 History Collection, Wilco Vermeer, 2015 - 2016 contact