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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art World War One Squadrons UK and Commonwealth  No.74 Sqn |
[UP] - No.10 Naval Sqn - No.11 Sqn - No.139 Sqn - No.15 Sqn - No.201 Sqn - No.203 Sqn - No.205 Sqn - No.208 Sqn - No.209 Sqn - No.201 Sqn - No.22 Sqn - No.25 Sqn - No.28 Sqn - No.3 Sqn - No.30 Sqn - No.32 Sqn - No.4 Sqn AFC - No.45 Sqn - No.46 Sqn - No.54 Sqn - No.56 Sqn - No.6 Sqn - No.60 Sqn - No.62 Sqn - No.64 Sqn - No.65 Sqn - No.69 Sqn - No.73 Sqn - No.74 Sqn - No.8 Sqn - No.84 Sqn - Royal Aircraft Establishment - Royal Flying Corps |
No.74 Sqn
Country : UK
Founded : 1st July 1917
Codes : , GM, JH, 4D, ZP,
| No.74 Sqn Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings |
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Dawn Dog Fight, Mick Mannock VC by Graeme Lothian. High above the trenches in April 1918, 74 Squadron engage the famed JG 1 led by the renowned ace baron von Richthofen in his distinctive bright red DR 1. Edward Mick mannock flying a SE5.a diving down top engage another Fokker Dr1 as the red baron flies past momentarily catching each others eyes. The new CO of 74 squadron, major Grid Caldwell MC (bar) New Zealands top ace can be seen above entering the dog fight. But it would be Mannock who would go on to great fame. with 61 confirmed victories and to win the VC, DSO (bar) and MC (bar) After 74 squadron he replaced Billy Bishop of CO 85 Squadron on the 3rd July 1918, scoring 46 victories in the Se5.a He was killed by ground fire near Lestram, France on the 26th July 1918. his Victoria Cross being gazetted on the 18th July 1919. The red baron CO of the Richthofen's Flying circus didn't survive the month, also killed by ground fire on the 21st April, he was buried by the Allies with full military honours. |
Grid Caldwell by Graeme Lothian. Grid Caldwell, the top New Zealand Ace with 25 victories in his SE5A of 74 Squadron, is shown taking off from his home airfield during the Great War. Keith Logan (Grid Caldwell) was born 16th October 1895. At the outbreak of World War One, Caldwell joined the territorial army. He attempted to enlist with the New Zealand expeditionary force destined for Gallipoli but was refused. In October 1915 he paid the sum of £100 to join the first class of the New Zealand Flying School. In January 1916 Grid Caldwell arrived in England and was commissioned into the Royal Flying Corps in April that year. In July 1916 he was posted to No.8 Squadron, flying BE2Cs and Ds on observation duty. It was on 18th September 1916 his first aerial victory was scored, shooting down a Roland CII. He transferred to 60 Squadron in November and flew Nieuport 17 fighters and was promoted to Captain in February 1917. During this period he scored further victories, shooting down Albatros Scouts, and on 17th September was awarded the Military Cross. In October 1917 he was posted back to England as an instructor. In March 1918, promoted to Major, he was given command of 74 Squadron RAF flying SE5As. The squadron under his command was credited with 140 aircraft destroyed and 85 out of control. This tally was scored in the last eight months of the war with the loss of only 15 pilots killed or taken prisoner. During his wartime flying, he had fought dogfights with German aces Werner Voss and Herman Becker, and he once survived a mid-air collision, bringing his badly damaged aircraft to ground level, jumping out before it crashed. He was credited with 11 aircraft destroyed, 3 shared destroyed or captured and 10 out of control, and 1 further shared out of control. During World War Two he was station commander at Woodbourne and later Wigram and posted to India in 1944. After the war he was made commander of the British Empire. He retired from the RNZAF in 1956, and sadly died of cancer in Auckland on 28th November 1980. |
Major Edward Mannock by Ivan Berryman. Despite having sight in just one eye, Major Edward Mick Mannock was to become one of the most decorated and celebrated aces of World War 1, bringing down an official 61 enemy aircraft in just eighteen months before himself being brought down in flames by enemy ground fire. He was reluctant to add shared kills to his tally, so his actual total of victories is recorded at 73. His decorations include the VC, DSO and 2 Bars, MC and Bar and he is depicted here diving on enemy aircraft in SE5a D278 of 74 Sqn in April, 1918. |
The Tenacious Grid Caldwell by Ivan Berryman. New Zealand's highest scoring ace, with 25 victories to his credit, proved himself to be an extraordinary and resourceful leader. Whilst on a routine patrol in September 1918, Keith Logan 'Grid' Caldwell's 74 Sqn SE5a was involved in a mid-air collision with another SE5a, the impact breaking one of Caldwell's struts and destroying the aerodynamics of his aircraft, which promptly dropped 1,000 ft and went into a flat spin. Incredibly, Caldwell climbed from the cockpit of his stricken machine and held the broken strut together with his left hand whilst keeping his right hand on the joystick, somehow steering his wayward fighter out of danger and over friendly territory. With no hope of a safe landing, the Kiwi jumped clear of the SE5a just a second or so before it impacted with the ground. Astounded British soldiers in a nearby trench saw Caldwell stand, dust himself off and walk casually toward them. He returned to his unit and continued flying until the end of the war. |
No.74 Sqn
I fear no man
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Hurricane of 56 Squadron was shot down by mistake by No. 74 Squadron and Pilot Officer M L Halton-Harrop of 56 sqd was killed on the 6th September 1939
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View No.74 Sqn RAF SignaturesAces for : No.74 Sqn RAF A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking the pilots name. Name Victories Info Adolf Gysbert Malam 35.00 John Connell Freeborn 13.50 The signature of John Connell Freeborn features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
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