768 Naval Air Squadron

Last updated

768 Naval Air Squadron
Active13 January 1941 - 16 April 1946
15 December 1948 - 8 March 1949 [1]
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
TypeFleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron
Role
  • Deck Landing Training Squadron
  • Deck Landing Control Officer Training Squadron
Size Squadron
Part of Fleet Air Arm
Insignia
Squadron BadgeAn upright grey clockwork mouse with white wings and red eyes holding white bats, the winding key blue, to represent the squadron's DLCO activities. Wartime unofficial [2]
Identification Markingsindividual letters (1939-1943)
M2A+ & individual letters (all types from March 1943)
B2A+ & individual letters (all types from January 1944)
E2A+ (October 1944)
B2A+ (Seafire from December 1948)
213-214 (Firefly from December 1948) [3] [2]
Tail CodesJR (Firefly from December 1948) [2]
A Sea Hurricane of 768 NAS approaching HMS Argus during 1942 Sea Hurricane 768 NAS approaching HMS Argus.jpg
A Sea Hurricane of 768 NAS approaching HMS Argus during 1942

768 Naval Air Squadron (768 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It last disbanded at HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland, in March 1949, having been formed as a Deck Landing Control Officer Training Squadron, in December 1948, to ensure one American-style signal trained DLCO could be located at every FAA station. It first formed as part of the Deck Landing Training School at HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, in January 1941, as a Deck Landing Training Squadron. Advanced training was in HMS Argus, for which a detachment was maintained at HMS Landrail, RNAS Machrihanish, where it wholly moved to in March 1943. September saw a move to RAF Heathfield, Ayr, followed by a further move to HMS Sanderling, RNAS Abbotsinch in January 1944. Training used escort carriers on the Firth of Clyde and a detachment was maintained at (Heathfield)Ayr throughout this period, with the squadron returning there in July 1945, at this time HMS Wagtail, RNAS Ayr. In August the squadron moved to HMS Corncrake, RNAS Ballyhalbert in Northern Ireland but then in October it joined up with the Deck Landing School at HMS Peewit, RNAS East Haven, Scotland, where it disbanded in April 1946.

Contents

History of 768 NAS

Deck Landing Training Squadron (1941 - 1946)

768 Naval Air Squadron formed as a Deck Landing Training Squadron, on 13 January 1941, at RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor), located near Arbroath in East Angus, Scotland. [4] The squadron was initially equipped with Fairey Swordfish, a biplane torpedo bomber aircraft. Dummy deck landing was trained at RNAS Arbroath, but advanced carrier deck landing training was done on the unique HMS Argus, the Royal Navy aircraft carrier, that was converted from an ocean liner and served as a training ship, via a detachment at RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), located 3 miles (5 km) west of Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The squadron moved there full time on 1 March 1943. [5]

By this time the squadron operated Fairey Fulmar, a British carrier-borne reconnaissance/fighter aircraft, Grumman Martlet, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft, Hawker Sea Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire (hooked), fighter aircraft, alongside the initial Fairey Swordfish. [4]

A Grumman Hellcat landing on HMS Ravager as the batsman makes the all-clear signal Grumman Hellcat landing on HMS Ravager A21287.jpg
A Grumman Hellcat landing on HMS Ravager as the batsman makes the all-clear signal

HMS Argus was joined by the Attacker-class escort carrier, HMS Ravager, by July 1943, giving the DLT school a second deck in the Firth of Clyde and Irish Sea training areas. Other escort carriers also provided decks for the expanding deck landing training programme, during the Second World War. [2] The squadron left RNAS Machrihanish on 29 September and relocated to RAF Heathfield, Ayr, where it received Gumman Hellcat, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft. [3] This was followed shortly later by a move to RNAS Abbotsinch (HMS Sanderling), Paisley, Renfrewshire, [6] where it received Grumman Avenger, an American torpedo bomber, Vought Corsair, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft and later Fairey Firefly, a British carrier-based fighter and anti-submarine aircraft. [3] The squadron also kept a detachment at RAF Heathfield, used as a forward airfield to be near the aircraft carrier training areas.

The squadron saw more moves during 1945, first back to Heathfield, now a Naval Air Station, RNAS Ayr (HMS Wagtail), on 5 July 1945, [3] then across the Irish Sea to RNAS Ballyhalbert (HMS Corncrake), County Down, Northern Ireland, on 28 August, [7] and finally, across to the east coast of Scotland, moving to RNAS East Haven (HMS Peewit), Angus, Scotland, to join up with the Deck Landing School, on 25 October, [8] where it absorbed part of 731 Naval Air Squadron in the November. 768 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at RNAS East Haven on 16 April 1946. [2]

Deck Landing Control Officer Training Squadron (1948 - 1949)

768 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), Derry, Northern Ireland, as a Deck Landing Control Officer Training squadron, on 15 December 1948. [2] It was equipped with eight Supermarine Seafire F Mk XV, a navalised version of a Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft [9] and two Fairey Firefly FR.I, the initial fighter/reconnaissance variant. [10]

The squadron was required to train a number of Deck Landing Control Officers (DLCO) to the new American-style standard, needed so that one DLCO could be located at every FAA station. There was a significant number of FAA pilots who had been trained on the old British style of deck control signals and therefore needed training in the new signals to ensure they were eligible for RN aircraft carrier operations. 768 Naval Air Squadron graduated fifteen DLCOs before it disbanded at RNAS Eglinton on 8 March 1949. [2]

Aircraft operated

The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions: [2]

Fairey Swordfish II Swordfish - Flying Legends 2012 - Duxford (7471201526).jpg
Fairey Swordfish II
Grumman Martlet Grumman F4F Martlet Wildcat Duxford 2008.JPG
Grumman Martlet
Fairey Firefly FR.I Fairey Firefly FR.1 Z2030 Ringway 04.46 edited-2.jpg
Fairey Firefly FR.I

769 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air station of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom: [2]

1941 - 1946

1948 - 1949

Commanding Officers

List of commanding officers of 768 Naval Air Squadron with day, month and year of appointment: [3] [2]

1941 - 1946

1948 - 1949

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<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">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. 86.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 70.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Wragg 2019, p. 130.
  4. 1 2 "Arbroath". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  5. Wragg 2019, p. 129.
  6. "Abbotsinch". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  7. "Ballyhalbert". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  8. "East Haven". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  9. Thetford 1991, p. 341.
  10. Thetford 1991, p. 177.

Bibliography