760 Naval Air Squadron

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760 Naval Air Squadron
760 Naval Air Squadron Badge.gif
760 NAS badge
Active1 April 1940 - 31 December 1942
1 May 1944 - 1 November 1944
10 April 1945 - 23 January 1946 [1]
1989 onwards
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
BranchNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
TypeFleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron
Role
  • No.1 Fleet Fighter Pool
  • Anti-Submarine Operational Training Squadron
  • Naval Air Fighter School
  • Engineering Training Squadron
Size Squadron
Part of Fleet Air Arm
Insignia
Squadron BadgeBlue, upon a bar wavy white in base a griffin rampant gold armed and langued red (2006) [2]
Identification MarkingsW7A+ to W9A+Sea Hurricanes
Y1A+ to Y7A+Corsairs [3]
Hawker Sea Hurricane of the type used by 760 NAS Sea Hurricane - Fly Navy Day 2016 (27670763331).jpg
Hawker Sea Hurricane of the type used by 760 NAS

760 Naval Air Squadron (760 NAS) 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.

Contents

760 Squadron reformed in 1989 at the Air Engineering School at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), providing air engineering training for officers and ratings using old airframes. The school moved to HMS Sultan at Gosport in 1995. It continues as the Engineering Training Squadron of the Royal Navy Air Engineering and Survival School, now equipped with retired Westland Sea King airframes. [4]

History of 760 NAS

Fighter Pool Squadron (1940 - 1942)

Hawker Sea Hurricanes Hawker Sea Hurricanes.jpg
Hawker Sea Hurricanes

760 Naval Air Squadron was formed at RNAS Eastleigh (HMS Raven), in Hampshire, on 1 April 1940, as Fighter Pool No. 1. It was initially equipped with four Blackburn Skua, a carrier-based dive bomber and fighter aircraft, two Blackburn Roc, a naval turret fighter aircraft and one Gloster Sea Gladiator biplane fighter aircraft. Five months later, on 16 September 1940, the squadron relocated to RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) near Yeovil, Somerset. [5] The squadron later acquired Miles Master, an advanced trainer aircraft, Fairey Fulmar, a carrier-based reconnaissance/fighter aircraft, Grumman Martlet, an American carrier based fighter aircraft, Brewster Buffalo, an American fighter aircraft, the British Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft and Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter aircraft, a navalised Hawker Hurricane, from 1940 to 1941. 760 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) on 31 December 1942. [6]

Anti-Submarine Operational Training Squadron (1944)

760 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Inskip (HMS Nightjar), near the village of Inskip, Lancashire, on 1 May 1944, [6] as an Anti-Submarine Operational Training Squadron. [4] The squadron was equipped solely with Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter aircraft. However, this role only lasted for six months and 760 NAS disbanded at RNAS Inskip on 1 November 1944. [6]

760 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 10 April 1945 at RNAS Zeals (HMS Hummingbird), located north of the village of Zeals, in Wiltshire, as part of the Naval Air Fighter School. The squadron was initially equipped with North American Harvard, an American advanced trainer aircraft and Vought Corsair, an American fighter aircraft, and in August 1945, also operated the Grumman Hellcat, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft. On 12 September 1945, 760 NAS moved to RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), situated in Hampshire. Retaining only the North American Harvard, the squadron was then also equipped with Supermarine Seafire fighter aircraft, from October 1945. [6] The squadron moved again on 27 December 1945, it relocated to RNAS Henstridge (HMS Dipper), in Somerset and continued operating with Supermarine Seafire aircraft. [7] However, the move to RNAS Henstridge only lasted one month, with 760 Naval Air Squadron disbanding there on 23 January 1946. [6]

Engineering Training Squadron (1989 - )

Sea King ZA131 at HMS Sultan ZA131 at HMS Sultan (9480370926).jpg
Sea King ZA131 at HMS Sultan

760 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus) in 1989, within the Air Engineering School and utilised Westland Wessex helicopter airframes for training. Prior to RNAS Lee-on Solent closing, the squadron moved to the stone frigate HMS Sultan, in Gosport, Hampshire, in December 1995. [4] It is currently the Engineering Training Squadron, within the Royal Naval Air Engineering & Survival School (RNAESS), [8] equipped with Westland Sea King helicopter airframes for training purposes. [4]

Current role

760 Engineering Training Squadron, is part of Royal Naval Air Engineering & Survival School (RNAESS), based at HMS Sultan, which is located at Gosport in Hampshire. The RNAESS forms part of the Defence School of Aeronautical Engineering, which provides training for aircraft engineering officers and tradesmen across the three British armed forces. The squadron is housed in the Stephenson Hangar at HMS Sultan, where its role is to train Air Engineering personnel in the supervision and administration of aircraft maintenance and line procedures. [8]

Aircraft operated

The squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including: [6]

764 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy and a Royal Navy shore establishment: [6]

Commanding Officers

List of commanding officers of 760 Naval Air Squadron with month and year of appointment: [6]

1940 - 1942

1944

1945 - 1946

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">774 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">782 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">784 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

784 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded in the autumn of 1946. 784 NAS was a Night Fighter Training Squadron which formed at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, in June 1942, moving to HMS Nighthawk, RNAS Drem, East Lothian, in October 1942. Squadron Personnel were also detached to the Naval Air Radio Installation Unit at RAF Christchurch, in 1943 and in the same year, a number of crews were attached to RAF night fighter squadrons, with two officers gained Distinguished Flying Crosses. In 1944, three squadron Flights were attached for service to each of 813, 825 and 835 Naval Air Squadrons, embarked in the escort carriers HMS Campania, HMS Vindex, and HMS Nairana respectively, on convoy protection duties. At the beginning of 1946 the squadron moved to Wales, operating out of HMS Goldcrest II, RNAS Brawdy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">787 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">791 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">794 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">799 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

799 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded during August 1952. It initially formed as a Pool Squadron in South Africa during September 1943, sharing Fairey Albacore aircraft with 798 Naval Air Squadron and providing flying time for aircrew prior to front line squadron assignment, disbanding in June 1944. It reformed in July 1945 as a Flying Check and Conversion Refresher Squadron at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent. Made up of three distinct flights, two of those operated away from Lee-on-Solent with a flight at HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, giving junior officers air experience, and another flight at HMS Dipper providing Supermarine Sea Otter conversion training. By May 1948 the whole unit had moved to HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton. In 1951, 799 Naval Air Squadron relocated to RNAS Machrihanish.

References

Citations

  1. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 78.
  2. Ballance 2016, p. 61.
  3. Wragg 2019, p. 126.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Ballance 2016, p. 62.
  5. "RNAS Eastleigh". www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "760 Naval Air Squadron". www.wings-aviation.ch. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  7. "RNAS Henstridge". www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  8. 1 2 "HMS Sultan". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2023.

Bibliography