The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force (RAF), the world's first independent air force.
The Sopwith Pup is a British single-seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good manoeuvrability, the aircraft proved very successful. The Pup was eventually outclassed by newer German fighters, but it was not completely replaced on the Western Front until the end of 1917. The remaining Pups were relegated to Home Defence and training units. The Pup's docile flying characteristics also made it ideal for use in aircraft carrier deck landing and takeoff experiments and training.
Calshot Spit is a one-mile long sand and shingle bank, near the village of Calshot, located on the southern bank of the open end of Southampton Water, on the south coast of England.
Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent,, is a former Royal Naval Air Station located near Lee-on-the-Solent in Hampshire, approximately 4 miles (6.44 km) west of Portsmouth, on the coast of the Solent.
835 Naval Air Squadron was a former squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm originally formed in February 1942 as a torpedo bomber and reconnaissance unit flying Fairey Swordfish. In June 1943, six Sea Hurricanes were added to the squadron as a fighter flight. The composite unit exchanged the Hurricanes in September 1944 for Grumman Wildcats, serving on until 1 April 1945, when the squadron disbanded.
Calshot is a coastal village in Hampshire, England, at the west corner of Southampton Water where it joins the Solent.
702 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded in August 2014. It was last based at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset and earlier at HMS Osprey, RNAS Portland, Dorset. As a training squadron it trained all ground and air crew for the sister front-line maritime Lynx unit, 815 Naval Air Squadron. It initially formed during July 1936 as a Catapult Flight for the 2nd Battle Squadron based at RAF Mount Batten and routinely embarking in RN ships such as, HMS Nelson, HMS Rodney and HMS Resolution. By 1939 it was known as 702 Naval Air Squadron but disbanded in January 1940.
The Seaplane Experimental Station, formerly RNAS Felixstowe, was a British aircraft design unit during the early part of the 20th century.
Royal Air Force Calshot or more simply RAF Calshot was initially a seaplane and flying boat station, and latterly a Royal Air Force marine craft maintenance and training unit. It was located at the end of Calshot Spit in Southampton Water, Hampshire, England, at grid reference SU487024. It was the main seaplane/flying boat development and training unit in the UK, with the landing area sheltered by the mainland, to the west, north and east, and the Isle of Wight, a few miles away to the south on the other side of the Solent, where seaplanes and flying boats were mass-produced by Saunders-Roe. It closed in 1961. Much of the former base has been preserved, with most of the site now being occupied by the Calshot Activities Centre.
The Sopwith Bat Boats were British flying boats designed and built from 1912 to 1914. A single-engined pusher biplane, the Bat Boat was the first successful flying boat and amphibious aircraft built in the United Kingdom, with examples used by the Royal Navy and by Greece and Germany.
703 Naval Air Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy was formed as a long-range catapult squadron on 3 March 1942 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent. During the Cold War, it was reformed as an experimental trials unit, and then as a helicopter training squadron. Since 2003, the squadron has formed the Royal Naval wing of the Defence Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Barkston Heath.
RNAS Kingsnorth was a First World War Royal Navy air station for airships, initially operating as an experimental and training station, it later moved on to large scale production of airships. It also provided anti-submarine patrols. A number of experimental and prototype blimps were designed and tested there and until 1916, it was the lead airship training establishment in the Royal Naval Air Service.
HMS Daedalus II was a British Royal Navy air station and training establishment between 1940 and 1946. The name applied to four different locations with the United Kingdom at various times during the Second World War. The establishment was formed to free up space at RNAS Lee-on-Solent .
Royal Naval Air Station Lawrenny Ferry(RNAS Lawrenny Ferry, also known as HMS Daedalus II) is a former Royal Naval Air Station located near Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire, Wales. It was operational between 1941 and 1946, being used by the Royal Navy, 1941 - 1943 and then put into a Care & Maintenance status.
746 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded in January 1946. It formed initially as the Naval Night Fighter Interception Unit, in November 1942 at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent. It moved to R. N. Air Section Ford in December to join the RAF Fighter Interception Unit. The squadron came under the control of the Naval Fighter Direction Centre at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, in 1943 and was tasked with the development of tactics and analysis of the experiences of pilots from the carrier squadrons. It moved to RAF Wittering in May 1944, with a detachment at RAF Defford for radar development duties. In October the squadron returned to R. N. Air Section Ford and in January 1945, deployed 'A' flight to HMS Sparrowhawk, RNAS Hatston to provide ADDL, carrier deck landing training. 746 Naval Air Squadron became the Naval Night Fighter Development Squadron in May 1945, evaluating aircraft and their equipment, while detachments of pairs of aircraft were deployed aboard escort carriers after 'A' flight became an operational sub-unit.
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.
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 J.B. 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.
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.
Royal Air Force Pembroke Dock, or more simply RAF Pembroke Dock, was a Royal Air Force Seaplane and Flying boat station located at Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The Royal Navy contingent left in 1926 with the Royal Air Force occupying the site from 1 January 1930. During the initial stages of the Second World War, it became the home of two Dutch flying boats and their squadron personnel as well as hosting RAF, Fleet Air Arm, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force and United States naval aircrews.
British Army (1913–14) 
Royal Navy (1914–18)