No.7 Squadron
Role: Fighter-pilot training

Founded 23 December 1949 at Soerabaja (Biak), Indonesia, with 6 Catalinas from OVTS. The aircraft were used for maritime patrol. The unit was disbanded 1 February 1951 when its aircraft were handed over to 321 sqn at Biak.
7 sqn was reformed 4 July 1955 at Biak, with some fourteen Firefly FR.4 and FR.5 aircraft. It performed naval reconnaissance and target tug roles. The Fireflys were withdrawn in Autumn 1961. The unit disbanded 15 January 1962, but reformed again 15 October 1962 at Valkenburg, as the second MLD helicopter sqn. This time equipped with eight (I)UH-1. Flights of 2 helicopters were detached to Biak and Hato. The sqn acquired the SH-3Js from 8 sqn late in 1968, which were used for SAR until withdrawn in 1972. In late 1973 the unit moved to de Kooij, alongside 860 sqn. Conversion to the Westland UH-14A Lynx started in 1977, later augmented and then replaced by the SH-14 variant. The sqn currently provides a helicopter SAR service for the Netherlands.

Air Bases:

Base	Duration
Soerabaja	23 December 1949 to 1 February 1951
Biak	4 July 1955 to 15 January 1962
Valkenburg	15 October 1962 to late 1973
De Kooij	late 1973 to Present

Aircraft Used:

Type	Qty	Service	Badge	Example Serials
Catalina	1+	23 Dec 1949 - 1 Feb 1951
Firefly FR.4/5	1+	4 July 1955 - Autumn 1961		16-44
(I)UH-1	1+	15 Oct 1962 - 1977		227/V, 228/V,225/K
SH-34J	1+	late 1968 - 1972
Lynx	1+	1977 - Present		261/K, 265/K

Unit Insignia:

Figure 1

References:

• To be added