No. 75 Wing RAAF
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=No. 75 Wing RAAF
|image=File:No. 7 Squadron RAAF Beaufort crew (AWM NEA0090).JPG
|image_size=300px
|alt=Four men in summer military uniforms with forage caps in front of a Bristol Beaufort bomber
|caption=Beaufort crew of No. 7 Squadron, which operated under the control of No. 75 Wing in 1943–44
|dates=1943–44
|country=Australia
|branch=Royal Australian Air Force
|role=Air defence; anti-shipping
|size=Two–three flying squadrons
|command_structure=North-Eastern Area Command
|battles=World War II
|notable_commanders=
|aircraft_fighter=P-40 Kittyhawk
|aircraft_attack=A-31 Vengeance
|aircraft_bomber=Bristol Beaufort
}}
No. 75 Wing was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) wing that operated during World War II. It was formed in October 1943 at Townsville, Queensland, under North-Eastern Area Command. The wing soon deployed to Horn Island to take control of RAAF units based there and at Thursday Island and Cape York Peninsula. Responsible for air defence and maritime patrol in the Torres Strait, No. 75 Wing's flying units operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighters, Bristol Beaufort reconnaissance bombers, and A-31 Vengeance dive bombers. The wing was disbanded in August 1944.
History
No. 75 Wing was raised on 13 October 1943 at Garbutt in Townsville, Queensland, under the command of Wing Commander (later Group Captain) Edgar Bruce Courtney.Royal Australian Air Force, No. 75 Wing, pp. 3, 23{{cite web|url=http://clik.dva.gov.au/history-library/part-3-order-battle/ch-2-order-battle-air-force/s-2-headquarters|title=Order of Battle – Air Force – Headquarters|publisher=Department of Veterans' Affairs|access-date=22 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805221733/http://clik.dva.gov.au/history-library/part-3-order-battle/ch-2-order-battle-air-force/s-2-headquarters|archive-date=5 August 2017|url-status=dead}} On formation it had a staff of ten, including three officers.Royal Australian Air Force, No. 75 Wing, p. 3 The wing was responsible for RAAF units at Horn Island, Thursday Island, and Higgins Field on Cape York Peninsula.Odgers, [https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1070556--1-.pdf Air War Against Japan, pp. 113–116]RAAF Historical Section, Bomber Units, p. 71 An advance party departed Garbutt for Horn Island on 21 October, and the wing headquarters was fully established there six days later. The same month, No. 84 Squadron, based at Horn Island and recently converted from CAC Boomerangs to P-40 Kittyhawks, was transferred from the control of No. 72 Wing (headquartered at Merauke, New Guinea) to No. 75 Wing.
File:Kitthawks 84 Sqn RAAF in flight over Thursday Island 1943.jpg
Other units at Horn Island included No. 28 Operational Base Unit, which had been located there since being formed in May 1942;RAAF Historical Section, Introduction, Bases, Supporting Organisations, pp. 18–19 No. 112 Mobile Fighter Sector Headquarters (formerly No. 12 Mobile Fighter Sector Headquarters);RAAF Historical Section, Radar Units, p. 148 and a detachment of No. 7 Squadron (headquartered at Townsville), operating Bristol Beaufort reconnaissance bombers.RAAF Historical Section, Bomber Units, pp. 23–24Odgers, [https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1070558--1-.pdf Air War Against Japan, p. 141] No. 33 Operational Base Unit, formed at Townsville in April 1943, established itself at Higgins Field on 23 October.RAAF Historical Section, Introduction, Bases, Supporting Organisations, pp. 23–24 No. 1 Repair and Salvage Unit was also headquartered at Higgins, but maintained a detachment on Thursday Island.RAAF Historical Section, Maintenance Units, pp. 81–82 No. 23 Air Stores Park, based on Thursday Island, was responsible for logistical support of No. 75 Wing units.RAAF Historical Section, Logistics Units, p. 7
No. 84 Squadron had been responsible for air defence in the Torres Strait since arriving at Horn Island in April 1943, and No. 7 Squadron for anti-shipping duties. A Beaufort of No. 7 Squadron was credited with shooting down a Japanese "Jake" seaplane during a patrol west of Horn Island on 11 November.RAAF Historical Section, Bomber Units, p. 24 The Beauforts undertook their first bombing and strafing mission from Horn Island against targets in Dutch New Guinea on 27 November.Royal Australian Air Force, No. 75 Wing, p. 6Odgers, [https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1070555--1-.pdf Air War Against Japan, p. 98] By the end of the year, No. 75 Wing headquarters had a strength of 144 staff, including twenty-three officers, and one de Havilland DH.84.Royal Australian Air Force, No. 75 Wing, p. 8 According to George Odgers, "Although the Merauke and Horn Island squadrons had relatively slight contact with the enemy in 1943 they fulfilled a very useful purpose in conjunction with the North-Western Area squadrons in securing the flank of MacArthur's forces".Odgers, [https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1070556--1-.pdf Air War Against Japan, pp. 117]
File:Flt Lt E.B. Courtney RAAF 1940 (AWM SUK15174)a.JPG
In February 1944, No. 75 Wing headquarters moved from Horn Island to Higgins Field, where it was soon joined by No. 7 Squadron and another unit now under the wing's control, No. 23 Squadron.Royal Australian Air Force, No. 75 Wing Headquarters, p. 13Royal Australian Air Force, Northern Area and North-Eastern Area Headquarters, pp. 706, 709 The advance party from No. 75 Wing headquarters left Horn Island on 7 February, and the main party departed for Higgins by air and sea eleven days later.Royal Australian Air Force, No. 75 Wing, p. 11 No. 7 Squadron moved to Higgins between 3 and 26 March, and No. 23 Squadron between 13 and 31 March.Royal Australian Air Force, No. 75 Wing, p. 13 On 19 March, No. 112 Fighter Control Unit was re-formed at Horn Island as No. 32 Zone Filter Centre under No. 75 Wing. By the end of the month, wing headquarters staff numbered 121, including twenty officers, and the DH.84 had been augmented by a Supermarine Walrus.Royal Australian Air Force, No. 75 Wing, p. 14
On 11 March 1944, No. 84 Squadron was hurriedly redeployed to North-Western Area to replace the Supermarine Spitfires of No. 1 Wing, which had been despatched to Perth in response to a feared Japanese naval attack. No attack took place, and No. 84 Squadron returned to Horn Island less than two weeks later.Odgers, [https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1070557--1-.pdf Air War Against Japan, pp. 136–139]RAAF Historical Section, Fighter Units, p. 86 On 17 May, the squadron departed Horn Island for Townsville, and was subsequently reduced to cadre. No. 7 Squadron continued operations in the Dutch East Indies from Higgins, generally in conjunction with other forces such as B-25 Mitchells from North-Western Area, before its tasking was reduced in August pending transfer to No. 71 Wing in New Guinea. No. 23 Squadron was equipped with A-31 Vengeance dive bombers and undertook army-cooperation duties out of Higgins until being declared non-operational in June.Royal Australian Air Force, Northern Area and North-Eastern Area Headquarters, p. 795 That month, a squadron leader from North-Eastern Area Command arrived at No. 75 Wing headquarters to investigate Vengeance accidents and unserviceability; on departure his Vengeance crash-landed on the beach at Princess Charlotte Bay and the crew had to be rescued by an aircraft of No. 9 Squadron.Royal Australian Air Force, No. 75 Wing, p. 22 No. 23 Squadron was subsequently re-equipped with B-24 Liberator heavy bombers and transferred to North-Western Area.[https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1070730--1-.pdf Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 245]
By the end of July 1944, No. 75 Wing headquarters strength was sixty-three staff, including eighteen officers, and a DH.84.Royal Australian Air Force, No. 75 Wing, p. 26 The wing ceased operations on 21 August, still under Courtney's command, and was disbanded four days later.Royal Australian Air Force, No. 75 Wing, p. 27 Its remaining units then became the direct responsibility of North-Eastern Area headquarters.Royal Australian Air Force, Northern Area and North-Eastern Area Headquarters, p. 830
Notes
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References
- {{cite book|author=RAAF Historical Section|year=1995|title=Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 5 – Radar Units|location=Canberra| publisher=Australian Government Publishing Service| isbn=0-644-42797-3}}
- {{cite book|author=RAAF Historical Section|year=1995|title=Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 6 – Logistics Units|location=Canberra| publisher=Australian Government Publishing Service| isbn=0-644-42798-1}}
- {{cite book|author=Royal Australian Air Force|title=Operations Record Book: Northern Area and North-Eastern Area Headquarters|series=RAAF Unit History Sheets|date=1941–45|publisher=National Archives of Australia |location=Canberra|url=http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1359521}}
- {{cite book|author=Royal Australian Air Force|title=Operations Record Book: No. 75 Wing|series=RAAF Unit History Sheets|date=1943–44|url=http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1360070|publisher=National Archives of Australia|access-date=22 June 2016|archive-date=1 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701085036/http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1360070|url-status=dead}}
{{Military units and formations of the Royal Australian Air Force}}
Category:Military units and formations established in 1943
Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1944