| 1833 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 1833 NAS badge | |
| Active | 1943–45 1947–57 [1] |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Motto(s) | In caelo regimus "We rule the skies" |
1833 Naval Air Squadron (1833 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm between 1943 and 1945 and then again from 1947 to 1957.
The squadron was first formed on 15 July 1943 at the US Naval Air Station at US Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island under the command of Lt Cdr (A) H A Monk and with a complement of 10 aircraft. [2] Equipped with the American Chance Vought F4U-1 known as the Corsair I in British service the squadron moved to the US Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine in August 1943 before shipping back to the United Kingdom in October 1943 on board the escort carrier HMS Trumpeter. [3] While at Brunswick the squadron was re-equipped with an upgraded version of the Corsair, the F4U-1D or Corsair II. [2] The squadron formed part of 15 Naval Fighter Wing under the command of Lt Cdr R J Cork succeeded upon Cork's death in March 1944 by Lt Cdr A M Tritton, the other squadrons being 1830 Squadron and 1831 Squadron. [4] In December 1943 the decision was made to increase the complement of squadrons to 14 aircraft and to achieve this 1831 Squadron was disbanded with its pilots being distributed to the other two squadrons. [3] The wing was assigned to HMS Illustrious and landed on Illustrious on 27 December 1943. On 30 December 1943 Illustrious sailed for the Indian Ocean to join the British Pacific Fleet.
In March 1944 Lt Cdr Monk was posted away and replaced as commanding officer by Lt Cdr N S Hanson RNVR. [2] From May 1944 the squadron took part in several operations including Operation Cockpit, Operation Transom, Operation Crimson, Operation Robson, Operation Outflank, Operation Meridian and Operation Iceberg. [5] [6] In August 1944 the size of the squadron was enlarged again, to 18, with 1838 Squadron from HMS Victorious being disbanded to provide the additional personnel and aircraft. [7]
During Operation Iceberg, Illustrious was damaged by a Japanese Kamikaze attack and the damage sustained resulted in Illustrious being withdrawn from combat operation in May 1945. The personal of the two fighter squadrons were retained on-board, although the aircraft were disembarked in Australia, until the ship returned to the UK in June 1945. [8] The following month both squadrons were disbanded. [2]
The squadron was awarded three battle honours; Okinawa 1945, [9] Palemberg 1945 [10] and Sapeng 1944. [11]
In 1947 the squadron was reformed at HMS Gamecock near Bramcote, Warwickshire as one of the first four units of the RNVR Air Branch. [12] Initially equipped with piston-engined aircraft such as the Supermarine Seafire and the Hawker Sea Fury, [13] latterly the squadron was equipped with jet aircraft, the de Havilland Sea Vampire and the Supermarine Attacker. [14] The move to jet aircraft required the squadron to move to RAF Honiley, close to Bramcote, as the facilities at Bramcote were unsuitable for jet aircraft. [15] The squadron was disbanded in March 1957 along with the rest of the RNVR Air Branch. [16]
The 15th Carrier Air Group was an aircraft carrier air group of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed in June 1945, for service in the British Pacific Fleet, until disbanding in March 1947. The group was embarked on the Colossus-class aircraft carrier, HMS Venerable (R63).
709 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded during January 1946. It formed in September 1944 within the School of Naval Air Warfare as the Ground Attack School using both the British Supermarine Seafire and the American Grumman Hellcat fighter aircraft for training. The squadron spent its whole sixteen month existence based at HMS Vulture, Royal Naval Air Station St. Merryn.
715 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm created on 15 July 1936 to serve as a catapult flight of the Fleet Air Arm of the RAF. It was elevated to squadron status at the end of 1937, before being disbanded on 21 January 1940. It was re-formed on 17 August 1944 to operate as the Fighter Wing of the School of Air Combat, before being disbanded for good on 31 March 1946, and absorbed into 736 Naval Air Squadron.
731 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was active between 1943 and 1945 and its sole role throughout its formation was a Deck Landing Control Officer training squadron. Through this role the squadron pilots were nicknamed 'Clockwork Mice'. It was based out of the purpose built airbase, RNAS East Haven , located near Carnoustie, in Scotland, as part of the Deck Landing Training School there.
732 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed from a requirement for an Operational Training Unit, for Fleet Air Arm pilots flying the Vought Corsair, between 1943 and 1944, at Brunswick, Maine, United States. In 1945, it was reformed, for a brief period, as a Night Fighter Training Squadron, operating out of RNAS Drem, East Lothian, Scotland. Notably equipped with six Avro Anson flying classrooms, amongst other aircraft.
748 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed, at RNAS St Merryn, as a Fighter Pool Squadron, before becoming No. 10 Naval Operational Training Unit. The squadron moved to RNAS Henstridge in February 1944 and then onto RNAS Yeovilton in the March. In September 1944, 748 NAS moved to RNAS Dale, in Wales, remaining for just under twelve months, before moving back to RNAS St Merryn in August 1945, where it disbanded in February 1946. During its existence, the squadron was equipped with numerous aircraft and various marks, operated by the Fleet Air Arm.
749 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was active from 1941 through to 1945, formed as a Observer Training Squadron, part of No.1 Observer School at RNAS Piarco, located 30 km (19 mi) east of Downtown Port of Spain, adjacent to the town of Piarco, on the island of Trinidad.
753 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was active as an Observer Training Squadron from 1939 to 1946 as part of No. 2 Observer School, forming out of the School of Naval Co-operation RAF, in May 1939. Initially at RNAS Lee-on-Solent, the squadron moved to RNAS Arbroath just over one year later in August 1940, following a German bombing attack on the air station. It spent four years operating out of Arbroath, before relocating again, this time to RNAS Rattray, where the squadron disbanded in August 1946.
754 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was active as an Observer Training Squadron from 1939 to 1944 as part of No.2 Observer School, forming out of the School of Naval Co-operation, in May 1939. It initially operated out of RNAS Lee-on-Solent, however, after the Naval Air Station was attacked and bombed, it then moved to RNAS Arbroath, in September 1940. Here, it provided training for Observers and also Air Gunners and where four years later, in March 1944, it disbanded. The squadron then briefly reformed as a Training Squadron, as part of No. 1 Naval Air Gunners School, when 744 Naval Air Squadron was re-designated 754 Naval Air Squadron, in June 1944, at RN Air Section Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, untildisbanding again, in March 1945.
756 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron, operating from March 1941, out of RNAS Worthy Down, in Hampshire, England. TAG training was provided until the No. 2 School was ready in Canada, opening on the 1 January 1943, and 756 NAS disbanded in December 1942. The squadron reformed at RNAS Katukurunda, in Sri Lanka, in October 1943, as a Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance pool. During 1944 and 1945, the squadron undertook a number of detachmemts on different types of Royal Navy aircraft carriers, with it disbanding in December 1945.
757 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was first formed as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron in 1939, operating out of RNAS Worthy Down, but after three months it went into abeyance, only to reform again in the same role, at the same location, in 1941 and operating until 1942. It then reformed as a Fighter Pool Squadron & Operational Training Unit at RNAS Puttalam, in Sri Lanka, in 1943. After a brief spell at RNAMY Tambaram, in India, the squadron finally disbanded at RNAS Katukurunda, in Sri Lanka, at the beginning of 1946.
758 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron, from 1939 and 1941, renumbered from 759 Naval Air Squadron, operating out of RNAS Eastleigh. It moved to RNAS Arbroath, in 1940, disbanding there the following year. The squadron reformed at RNAS Donibristle, in 1942, as a Beam Approach School. Moving to RNAS Hinstock, it was known as the Naval Advanced Instrument Flying School. It provided instrument courses, utilising a large number of Oxford aircraft, with detachments sent to the specialised flying schools at RNAS Crail, RNAS East Haven, RNAS Fearn and RNAS Yeovilton. 'X' and 'Y' Rover Flights supplemented the detachments, 'Z' Flight was on calibration work and evolving homing and landing capabilities, with the squadron disbanding in 1946, at RNAS Peplow, into 780 Naval Air Squadron.
761 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was formed at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, as the Advanced Training Squadron of the Fleet Fighter School, in 1941. The squadron moved to HMS Dipper, RNAS Henstridge, in 1943, as part of the No. 2 Naval Air Fighter School. It remained at HMS Dipper and in this role, until January 1946, when the squadron disbanded.
762 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, in March 1942 as an Advanced Flying Training School. Almost immediately the squadron relocated to HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, but before the end of the year, it was back at HMS Heron. The squadron disbanded nine months later.
765 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed at RNAS Lee-on-Solent, in May 1939, as a Seaplane School and Pool squadron. The squadron moved to RNAS Sandbanks, in August 1940, where it undertook the Seaplane Flying Training Course Part I. Lieutenant Commander Wilson was appointed as dual officer in charge of the air base, and Commanding officer of 765 NAS. By the middle of 1943, dedicated Seaplane Training schools ended and the squadron disbanded in the October. 765 NAS reformed at RNAS Charlton Horethorne, in early February 1944, as a Travelling Recording Unit. The squadron moved to RNAS Lee-on-Solent in March, before moving to RNAS Worthy Down on one month later during April, then in May it moved to RNAS Stretton, were it remained during June.
767 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed as a Deck Landing Squadron in 1939, when 811 Naval Air Squadron was renumbered 767 NAS, at RNAS Donibristle. A detachment went to Hyeres de la Palyvestre in the south of France, enabling training in fairer conditions. While here, the squadron took on an operational mission, with a bombing attack on the Italian port of Genoa. With the fall of France the squadron evacuated to Algeria, where it split. Part went to Malta, forming 830 Naval Air Squadron, the other part to HMS Ark Royal, with personnel returning to the UK via Gibraltar. The squadron regrouped at RNAS Arbroath and moved to the Deck Landing School at RNAS East Haven in 1943.
791 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded at Sembawang in June 1947. It formed as an Air Target Towing Unit, at HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, in Scotland, in October 1940. It operated various types of aircraft for target towing duties, used to support air gunnery training and practice. The squadron disbanded in December 1944, at Arbroath. It reformed at RNAS Trincomalee, in British Ceylon,, in November 1945, as a Fleet Requirements Unit. The squadron moved to RNAS Sembawang, in Singapore, in December 1945, ferried via the escort carrier, HMS Smiter. It also operated a Communications Flight and an Air-Sea Rescue Flight, as well as undertaking anti Mosquito spraying duties.
794 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded in March 1947. The squadron formed as an Air Target Towing Squadron, at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, during August 1940, although operated target tug aircraft out of the satellite, RNAS Haldon. In April 1943 it provided a detachment at RAF Warmwell as an air firing unit and three months later the squadron relocated to RNAS Angle and became the Naval Air Firing Unit. Further moves followed in quick succession, to HMS Goldcrest, RNAS Dale, in September, HMS Dipper, RNAS Henstridge, in November and HMS Heron II, RNAS Charlton Horethorne in December and by which time the squadron was designated No. 1 Naval Air Firing Unit, but disbanded in June 1944. The squadron reformed at HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, in January 1945, as the School of Air Firing and later in the year was tasked to support the newly-formed Ground Attack School. It moved to HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, during August, and at this point had three flights providing courses for aerial warfare, airstrike and aerial reconnaissance.
