755 Naval Air Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 24 May 1939 - 31 October 1944 24 March 1945 - 31 October 1945 [1] |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Navy |
Type | Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron |
Role |
|
Size | Squadron |
Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
Aircraft | See Aircraft operated section for full list. |
Insignia | |
Identification Markings | X2A+ W6A+ [2] (1943) [3] |
755 Naval Air Squadron (755 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was first formed as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron from 1939 to 1944. Initially operating out of HMS Kestrel, RNAS Worthy Down, the squadron also had a brief, roughly two month stint, at RNAS Jersey, which was cut shorter than anticipated by the German occupation of France and the danger this posed to the Channel Islands. It then briefly reformed as a Communications Squadron at HMS Bherunda, RNAS Colombo Racecourse, Sri Lanka, during 1945.
755 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Worthy Down (HMS Kestrel), 3.5 miles (6 km) north of Winchester, Hampshire, England, on 24 May 1939, as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron. [4] It was initially equipped with Hawker Osprey, a navalised carrier-borne version of the Hawker Hart light bomber, performing in the fighter and reconnaissance roles and Blackburn Shark Mk III, a torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, however, various marks of Percival Proctor (Ia, II, IIa, III and IV), a deck landing and radio trainer aircraft, were also operated from November 1939. [5]
The squadron moved to the short lived RNAS Jersey on the 11 March 1940 taking its assembly of Percival Proctor, Hawker Osprey and Blackburn Shark aircraft. In early March the Admiralty had taken over Jersey Airport, located at St Peter, Jersey, Channel Islands, to use as a Naval air station. However, due to the German occupation of France and the proximity to the Channel Islands, the Government concluded the Islands weren't defendable and 755 Naval Air Squadron moved back to RNAS Worthy Down on 31 May 1940. [6]
The squadron stopped using Hawker Osprey at the beginning of 1941, and from July onwards it was also equipped with Westland Lysander TT.III, a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft, converted to a target tug and flew these alongside the Percival Proctor and Blackburn Shark aircraft during the next couple of years. In October 1943, the squadron swapped it's Blackburn Shark for Curtiss Seamew I, an observation floatplane and for the following twelve months 755 Naval Air Squadron provided Telegraphist Air Gunner training, with Westland Lysander, Percival Proctor and Curtiss Seamew until disbanding, at RNAS Worthy Down, on 31 October 1944. [5]
755 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Colombo Racecourse (HMS Bherunda), in the Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 24 March 1945, as a Communications Squadron. It was equipped with Beech Expeditor C.2, a twin-engined trainer, transport and utility aircraft, which it operated in the communications role throughout its existence. 755 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at RNAS Colombo Racecourse on 31 October 1945. [5]
755 Naval Air Squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including: [5] [3]
755 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, in England, the Channel Islands and overseas in Sri Lanka: [3]
1939 - 1944
1945
List of commanding officers of 755 Naval Air Squadron with month and year of appointment and end: [5] [3]
1939 - 1944
1945
792 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and was originally formed at RNAS St Merryn in August 1940 as an Air Target Unit, equipped with six Blackburn Skuas. The squadron disbanded in 1945 and merged with 794 Naval Air Squadron. 792 Squadron reformed at RNAS Culdrose in 1948 as a Night Fighter Training Unit. It was initially equipped with Fairey Firefly NF.1s and Avro Ansons. They were later replaced with Sea Hornets shortly before the squadron disbanded again in August 1950.
778 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. During the Second World War the squadron was a Service Trials Unit (STU) initially based at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, England before moving to HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, Angus, Scotland on 6 July 1940. The squadron tested all types of aircraft that could be used by the Royal Navy. Key to this was testing new types for deck landing on aircraft carriers. Such aircraft included various types of Supermarine Seafires, Grumman Hellcats, Grumman Martlets, Grumman Avengers, and Vought Corsairs. The squadron was reformed on 5 November 1951 with Douglas Skyraider AEW.1 but was disbanded on 7 July 1952 to form the basis of 849 Naval Air Squadron.
752 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Formed in May 1939, at RNAS Ford as an Observer Training Squadron, it was active through to 1945 as part of No. 1 Observer School. Ford was attacked in August 1940 and the squadron moved to RNAS Lee-on-Solent for a one month stay. From November 1940, through to disbandment in October 1945, it operated at RNAS Piarco , 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 RAF, in May 1939. It initially operated out of HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, however, after the Naval Air Station was attacked and bombed, it then moved to north to HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, Angus, Scotland, 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 Air Gunner 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, until disbanding 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 May to August 1939, out of RNAS Worthy Down, in Hampshire, England. It was later reformed again as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron, operating from March 1941, out of RNAS Worthy Down. TAG training was provided until the No. 2 School was ready in Canada, opening on 1 January 1943, and 756 Naval Air Squadron 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, then 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.
759 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was created on November 1, 1939, and was disbanded on December 24, 1969. It was initially intended as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron but became a Fighter School and Pool Squadron in 1939, at RNAS Eastleigh. It operated out of RNAS Yeovilton from 1940 to 1946, as part of the Naval Air Fighter School. In 1943 a detachment operated out of RNAS Angle, working with 794 NAS and known as the Naval Air Firing Unit. It was again the Naval Air Fighter School upon reformation in 1951 and disbandment in 1954, firstly at RNAS Culdrose and then moving to RNAS Lossiemouth, in 1953. The squadron reformed again, this time at RNAS Brawdy in 1963, as the Naval Advanced Flying Training School, before finally disbanding in 1969.
760 Naval Air Squadron is a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. The squadron first formed in April 1940 as No.1 Fleet Fighter Pool with a variety of aircraft types before standardising in 1941 on the Hawker Sea Hurricane. In this role it disbanded in December 1942. In May 1944 760 NAS briefly reformed as an Anti-Submarine Operational Training Squadron before disbanding into 766 Naval Air Squadron in November. Reformed again as part of No.1 Naval Air Fighter School in April 1945 it converted fighter pilots to the Vought Corsair and then the Supermarine Seafire until 23 January 1946 when it disbanded.
764 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It initially formed in April 1940, at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, as an Advance Seaplane Training Squadron. The Squadron moved to RAF Pembroke Dock in July 1940, and later to HMS Daedalus II, RNAS Lawrenny Ferry in October 1941 and remaining there until the Squadron disbanded in November 1943. It reformed at HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, in February 1944, as the User Trials Unit, however, the squadron was decommissioned for the second time in September 1945. 764 Naval Air Squadron reformed again, at HMS Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth, in May 1953, where it became an Advanced Training Unit. It moved to HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, in September 1953, where it received its first jet aircraft. In November 1954 the Squadron disbanded.
770 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It last disbanded at HMS Nighthawk, RNAS Drem in October 1945. 770 Naval Air Squadron initially formed as a Deck Landing Training Squadron at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, in November 1939. Embarked in HMS Argus, and operated from the aircraft carrier and Hyeres la Palyvestre in the south of France, until it disbanded in May 1940. It reformed at HMS Merlin, RNAS Donibristle, on New Year’s Day 1941, as a Fleet Requirements Unit out of 771 Naval Air Squadron’s 'X' Flight. It moved to HMS Jackdaw, RNAS Crail, in June 1941, then two and half years later it moved to HMS Jackdaw II, RNAS Dunino in January 1944, before finally moving to HMS Nighthawk in July.
772 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded during September 1995. 772 Naval Air Squadron formed as a Fleet Requirements Unit out of 'Y' Flight from 771 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Lee-on-Solent in September 1939. While the headquarters remained there, floatplanes were operated out of RNAS Portland, however, mid 1940 saw the whole squadron move north to RNAS Campbeltown and roughly twelve months afterwards the short distance to RNAS Machrihanish. The unit moved to RNAS Ayr in July 1944 and became the Fleet Requirements Unit School. In January 1946 the squadron moved to RNAS Burscough in Lancashire, before moving to RNAS Anthorn in Cumberland, in May. It became the Northern Fleet Requirements Unit upon moving to RNAS Arbroath, in June 1947, but disbanded into 771 Naval Air Squadron in October. 772 Naval Air Squadron reformed as a Helicopter Support Squadron at RNAS Portland in September 1974. In September 1977 the squadron took over responsibility for a number of Ships' Flights of Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. The squadron was used to reform 848 Naval Air Squadron for the Falklands Task Force in 1982, with the Ships' Flights absorbed into 847 Naval Air Squadron. In August 1982 it took on the Anti-Submarine Warfare Flight from 737 Naval Air Squadron and between 1983 - 1985 a Search and Rescue Flight operated out of RNAS Lee-on-Solent.
774 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded in August 1945. 774 Naval Air Squadron formed at HMS Kestrel, RNAS Worthy Down, in November 1939 as an Armament Training Squadron for Observers and TAGs. Aircraft were assigned from storage and a couple of other naval air squadrons. It moved a week later to RAF Aldergrove, and was attached to No.3 Bombing and Gunnery School. In July 1940 it moved to HMS Fieldfare, RNAS Evanton, and then in September to HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, Throughout the next few years, the older aircraft were withdrawn and replaced with newer types and variants. 774 NAS moved to HMS Merganser, RNAS Rattray in October 1944, where it became a target-towing unit.
780 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose in November 1949. 780 Naval Air Squadron formed at HMS Raven, RNAS Eastleigh as a Conversion Course Unit, in October 1939, to train experienced civilian pilots in naval flying. It moved to HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, in October 1940, and later, its role had changed to converting pilots to Fairey Barracuda aircraft. It spent a year at RNAS Charlton Horethorne, before returning to HMS Daedalus and disbanded, early 1945. In March 1946, the squadron reformed at HMS Godwit, RNAS Hinstock, as the Naval Advanced Flying School, to give flying instructors' courses, and later provided Instrument Flying Training. In December, the squadron moved to HMS Jackdaw, RNAS Crail, then in March 1947 moved to HMS Merlin, RNAS Donibristle, and in May to HMS Seahawk as the first resident unit.
781 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded at the end of March 1981. Planned as a Reserve Amphibious Bomber Reconnaissance squadron, it formed as a Communications Unit in March 1940 and operated a large variety of aircraft. It provided a Bristol Beaufighter conversion course which eventually became 798 Naval Air Squadron and also had a ‘B’ Flight at Heathrow and then Heston aerodromes before becoming 701 Naval Air Squadron. After the Allied invasion of Normandy the squadron flew to various Royal Navy units on the continent and established an ‘X’ Flight based in France and then Germany. In July 1945 the squadron disbanded into 782 Naval Air Squadron although the ‘X’ Flight was moved to 799 Naval Air Squadron.
782 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It initially formed in October 1939 as an Armament Training Squadron but disbanded in November to provide personnel for 774 Naval Air Squadron. In December 1940 it reformed at HMS Merlin, RNAS Donibristle, as the Northern Communications Squadron, providing links between the Naval Air Stations in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Shetland and Orkney islands. It finally disbanded in October 1953.
787 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded in January 1956. It formed in March 1941, at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, out of 804 Naval Air Squadron as a Fleet Fighter Development Unit. Almost every type of fighter was received by the squadron for testing and evaluation for naval use. A move to RAF Duxford in June 1941 saw it become the Naval Air Fighting Development Unit, attached to the Royal Air Force's Air Fighting Development Unit. The squadron undertook rocket projectile test, continuous development of fighter tactics and even helping Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadrons in evading fighter attack. Post Second World War it continued its trials task and also undertook Rebecca radar trials and ASH, US-built air-to-surface-vessel radar trials.
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.