Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2006 14:52:28 GMT 12
Both Geoff Bentley's excellent book RNZAF: A Short History and NZ Wings April 1987 have details of the 14 Sqn and 75 Sqn flags in the 1950's.
These flags are not their offiical Standards, nor Pennants nor Ensigns, but it seems more a social flag of the squadrons.
No. 14 Squadron was then flying Vampires, and their flag was white with a black bat on it.
No. 75 Squadron's flag was red with a yellow circle. After 75 had stolen 14's flag and kept it for a length, the tables turned and 14 Sqn took their own and the 75 Sqn flag on their tour to Cyprus.
When they returned it three years later, via the editor of a major Wellington newspaper for maximum publicity value, it had an additional inscription on the red background of the eigth countries it had been to with its kidnapper squadron.
This sounds just like the japes of the inter-squadron rivalry and mascot kidnappings in later years, and it's great fun. I was wondering though, where are those two falgs now?
Are they in the Wigram or more appropriate Ohakea Museum?
And, did/do other squadrons have their own personal flags like these?
Has anyone got coloured photos of these flags?
Ir similar stories of the kidnapping of flags, mascots and other squadron possessions by other squadrons?
These flags are not their offiical Standards, nor Pennants nor Ensigns, but it seems more a social flag of the squadrons.
No. 14 Squadron was then flying Vampires, and their flag was white with a black bat on it.
No. 75 Squadron's flag was red with a yellow circle. After 75 had stolen 14's flag and kept it for a length, the tables turned and 14 Sqn took their own and the 75 Sqn flag on their tour to Cyprus.
When they returned it three years later, via the editor of a major Wellington newspaper for maximum publicity value, it had an additional inscription on the red background of the eigth countries it had been to with its kidnapper squadron.
This sounds just like the japes of the inter-squadron rivalry and mascot kidnappings in later years, and it's great fun. I was wondering though, where are those two falgs now?
Are they in the Wigram or more appropriate Ohakea Museum?
And, did/do other squadrons have their own personal flags like these?
Has anyone got coloured photos of these flags?
Ir similar stories of the kidnapping of flags, mascots and other squadron possessions by other squadrons?
