1770 Naval Air Squadron

Last updated

1770 Naval Air Squadron
1770 Naval Air Squadron Badge.gif
Squadron badge
Active10 September 1943 - 30 September 1945 [1]
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchNaval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
Type Two-seat fighter squadron
Role Fighter Squadron
Sizetwelve aircraft
Part of Fleet Air Arm
Home stationSee Naval air stations section for full list.
Motto(s)Videre est vincere
(Latin for 'To see is to conquer')
Engagements World War II
Battle honours
  • Norway 1944
  • East Indies
  • Palembang 1945
  • Okinawa 1945
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Major V.B.G. Cheesman, DSO , MBE , DSC , RM [2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge DescriptionBlue, issuant from a base barry wavy of four white and blue a trident gold on the centre tine a firefly lambent proper (1943) [3]
Identification Markingssingle letters
5A+
4A+
270-281 (March 1945)
single letters (August 1945)
Fin Carrier Code S (March 1945)
Aircraft flown
Fighter Fairey Firefly

1770 Naval Air Squadron (1770 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), on 10 September 1943, as a two-seat Fighter Squadron and embarked on HMS Indefatigable in May 1944. It took part in several attacks on the German Battleship Tirpitzand other operations in Norwegian waters before sailing for the Far East. In 1945, as part of the British Pacific Fleet, the squadron took part in attacks on Sumatra, Sakishima Gunto and Formosa. It disembarked to Australia in June 1945 and then disbanded on 30 September 1945 at RNAS Maryborough (HMS Nabstock), Queensland, Australia.

Contents

History

Two-seater Fighter Squadron (1943-1945)

A Fairey Firefly of 1770 Naval Air Squadron awaiting the signal to take off from the flight deck of HMS Indefatigable The Royal Navy during the Second World War A27170.jpg
A Fairey Firefly of 1770 Naval Air Squadron awaiting the signal to take off from the flight deck of HMS Indefatigable

1770 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Somerset, on 10 September 1943 as a two-seater fighter squadron, led by Lieutenant Commander(A) I.P. Godfrey, RNVR. It was equipped with twelve Fairey Firefly I, a carrier-borne fighter, anti-submarine and reconnaissance aircraft. [3]

During the middle of December the squadron flew north to the Orkney Islands. Initially based at RNAS Grimsetter (HMS Robin), near Kirkwall, Mainland. Major V.B.G. Cheesman, DSO, MBE, DSC, RM took command and it then moved the short distance to RNAS Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk), in the middle of February 1944. [4]

The squadron embarked in the newly completed Implacable-class aircraft carrier, HMS Indefatigable, in May 1944. It took part in operations against the German battleship Tirpitz in July, as part of Operation Mascot, where it attacked German auxiliary vessels and shore-based gun positions. [3]

More sorties were later conducted off Norway, along with another attack on the Tirpitz, before Indefatigable sailed along with the squadron for the Far East, and subsequently joined the British Pacific Fleet. [4]

During April 1945, the squadron was part of the attacks on the Japanese-held oil refineries situated at Palembang on the Dutch East Indies island of Sumatra. It also operated over the Sakishima Islands between March and May 1945, and later against Formosa, the main island of Taiwan. [3]

1770 Naval Air Squadron disembarked to RNAS Schofields (HMS Nabthorne), New South Wales, Australia, in June, where it became part of the 7th Carrier Air Group, but it disbanded, shortly after the Second World War ended, on 30 September 1945. [4]

Aircraft flown

1770 Naval Air Squadron flew only one aircraft type: [3]

Battle honours

The battle honours awarded to 1770 Naval Air Squadron are:

Assignments

1770 Naval Air Squadron was assigned as needed to form part of a number of larger units: [9]

1770 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom, a number overseas, and a Royal Navy fleet carrier: [4] [3]

A Fairey Firefly of 1770 Naval Air Squadron, on board HMS Indefatigable, on the aircraft's return from an air strike on a Japanese oil refinery, on Sumatra The Royal Navy during the Second World War A27167.jpg
A Fairey Firefly of 1770 Naval Air Squadron, on board HMS Indefatigable, on the aircraft's return from an air strike on a Japanese oil refinery, on Sumatra

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 1770 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment. [4] [3]

Note: Abbreviation (A) signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR. [10]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Sturtivant, Ballance 1994, p. 338.
  2. ↑ Max Arthur (17 June 1999). "Obituary: Major V. B. G. Cheesman". Independent. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 277.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Wragg 2019, p. 190.
  5. ↑ "Norway 1940-45". britainsnavy.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  6. ↑ "East Indies 1940-45". britainsnavy.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  7. ↑ "Palembang 1945". britainsnavy.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  8. ↑ "Okinawa 1945". britainsnavy.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  9. ↑ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 305.
  10. ↑ Wragg 2019, p. 257.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.