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The aircraft of 32nd  F.D.S.  flew under

the Command of the Koninklijke Lucht-

macht, as  part of  the 2nd Allied Tacti-

cal Air Force (2 ATAF). 

Picture below shows  the ex-Portugue-

se  5307 (serial no. 51-5180) in whole,

painted  as the  ‘52-5385’.     A “Sabre” 

with this  serial  number, actually  was

flying with the 32nd Squadron.

This photo was taken at the  M.L.M.  in

the nineteen eighties.                   

Kodak Color photo.

When, after W.W. II, the tension between Russia (the ‘Warsaw Pact’ countries) and the West (the ‘NATO’ countries) grew higher, the  U.S.

gouvernment decided to establish also an American fighter squadron in Holland and vliegbasis Soesterberg was chosen as the location.

The brand new base was called “Camp New Amsterdam”.

And so on November 16, 1954 the base was officially opened.

The first aircraft that flew in, came from U.S. 512th Fighter Day Squadron at RAF Manston in England, equipped with F-86F “Sabres”.

In July of 1955, the 512th F.D.S. was at full strength, equipped with sixteen of these North American F-86F “Sabre”-jets.

On September 8 1955 the Squadron was designated as 32nd Fighter Day Squadron, beacause of the ties this deactivated unit had with

Holland in World War II. 

(The 32nd Persuit Squadron was originally based at Kelly Field in Texas since 1939. By the end of 1946 this squadron was disbanded). 

The Squadron’s Insignia, consisting of the head of a hungry  wolfhound on a green  background,  was designed  in 1942 in the famous

Walt Disney Studios.

32nd Fighter Squadron

Originally the “Sabres” of the 512th Fighter Day Squadron were flying with a yellow band around the nose and three diagonal bands on the tail (blue, yellow and red) and yellow wingtips.

With the 32nd F.D.S., these coloured bands on the tail changed into green and the nose-tip became green too (see pictures below).

512th F.D.S.

32nd F.D.S.

This  ex-Portuguese  “Sabre” (5307)

was standing  at the M.L.M. at Kamp

Zeist, nearby Soesterberg.  It shows

the colour sceme of the F-86F’s from

the 32nd F.D.S.  The nose-tips  were

painted  green and on  the tail three

green bands  (between white linings

were visible (below).

In reality, these  “Sabres”  were not

painted grey  like the one in the pic-

ture, but were overall silver.

All pictures made by Cor Vermolen

unless noted otherwise.