No. 37 Squadron RAF

No. 37 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron of the First and Second World Wars.

History
No. 37 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at RFC Orfordness, Suffolk, on 15 April 1916 but ceased to exist a month later. In September of that year, it was re-formed, with its headquarters at Woodham Mortimer, in Essex. It responsibilities included defending London against aerial attack. Operating out of aerodromes along the East Anglian coast they flew against German Zeppelins, bringing down the L48 on 17 June 1917.

The squadron became part of the new Royal Air Force in 1918 and in March 1919 moved to Biggin Hill and in July 1919 it was renumbered as No. 39 Squadron RAF.

In April 1937, the squadron was re-formed as No. 37 (Bomber) Squadron from a nucleus provided by No. 214 Squadron RAF. By the outbreak of World War II its equipment consisted of Vickers Wellington bombers.

In November 1940, the squadron moved to the Middle East where it stayed for the remainder of the war. On 2 October 1945 the Squadron moved to Palestine but returned to Egypt in December where it was disbanded on 31 March 1946. On 15 April 1946, No. 214 Squadron RAF at Fayid was renumbered No. 37 which flew Avro Lancaster bombers until it was disbanded again on 1 April 1947. It reformed again in Palestine on 14 September 1947, once again flying Lancasters. In May 1948, at the time of the British withdrawal from Palestine, the squadron moved to Malta. In August 1953 the squadron converted to Avro Shackleton bombers and in August 1957 it moved to Aden where it remained until it disbanded on 7 September 1967.