List of Fleet Air Arm groups

Last updated May 04, 2024

This is a list of all the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm groups that were either formed or planned. There were Carrier Air Groups which administered squadrons which operated on carriers and Training Air Groups which administered squadrons that operated from land bases.

Carrier air groups

The Fleet Air Arm squadrons, embarked on the Fleet and Light Fleet aircraft carriers, were placed into Air Groups to align with US Navy policy, once World War II in Europe had ended, to support operations in the Pacific War against the Japanese, in 1945. They were designed with 100% spare groups for Fleet carriers, and 50% spare groups for Light Fleet carriers.^[1]

The carrier air groups were divided up based on the aircraft carrier class and using a standardised strength approach of Fleet Air Arm squadrons and aircraft type. Nine of the twenty two groups planned formed up on the 30 June 1945 based on available squadrons, however, one formed as a spare in August 1945, and a number did form post-World War II, or were reactivated at a later date.^[2]

Carrier air group	Aircraft carrier type	Group strength	Date of formation
1st Carrier Air Group	Illustrious-class fleet carrier	2 x Corsair squadrons of 15 aircraft each 1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft	June 1945
2nd Carrier Air Group		2 x Corsair squadrons of 15 aircraft each 1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft	June 1945
3rd Carrier Air Group		2 x Corsair squadrons of 15 aircraft each 1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft	August 1945
4th Carrier Air Group		2 x Corsair squadrons of 15 aircraft each 1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft	not formed
5th Carrier Air Group		2 x Corsair squadrons of 15 aircraft each 1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft	not formed
6th Carrier Air Group		2 x Corsair squadrons of 15 aircraft each 1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft	not formed
7th Carrier Air Group	Implacable-class fleet carrier	2 x Seafire squadrons of 24 aircraft each 1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft 1 x Firefly of 15 aircraft	June 1945
8th Carrier Air Group		2 x Seafire squadrons of 24 aircraft each 1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft 1 x Firefly squadron of 15 aircraft	June 1945
9th Carrier Air Group		2 x Seafire squadrons of 24 aircraft each 1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft 1 x Firefly squadron of 15 aircraft	not formed
10th Carrier Air Group		2 x Seafire squadrons of 24 aircraft each 1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft 1 x Firefly squadron of 15 aircraft	not formed
11th Carrier Air Group	HMS Indomitable	2 x Hellcat squadrons of 24 aircraft each 1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft 1 x Firefly squadron of 12 aircraft	June 1945
12th Carrier Air Group	HMS Indomitable	2 x Hellcat squadrons of 24 aircraft each 1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft 1 x Firefly squadron of 12 aircraft	not formed
13th Carrier Air Group	Colossus-class light fleet carrier	1 x Corsair squadron of 21 aircraft 1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft	June 1945
14th Carrier Air Group		1 x Corsair squadron of 21 aircraft 1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft	June 1945
15th Carrier Air Group		1 x Corsair squadron of 21 aircraft 1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft	June 1945
16th Carrier Air Group		1 x Corsair squadron of 21 aircraft 1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft	June 1945
17th Carrier Air Group		1 x Corsair squadron of 21 aircraft 1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft	not formed
18th Carrier Air Group		1 x Corsair squadron of 21 aircraft 1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft	not formed
19th Carrier Air Group		1 x Seafire squadron of 21 aircraft 1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft	not formed
20th Carrier Air Group		1 x Seafire squadron of 21 aircraft 1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft	not formed
21st Carrier Air Group		1 x Seafire squadron of 21 aircraft 1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft	not formed
22nd Carrier Air Group		1 x Seafire squadron of 21 aircraft 1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft	not formed

World War II - 1945

1st Carrier Air Group - formed on 30 June 1945. It was based on the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious for service in the British Pacific Fleet and comprised 849 Naval Air Squadron flying the Grumman Avenger torpedo bombers, 1834 Naval Air Squadron and 1836 Naval Air Squadron flying the Vought Corsair fighter. It was disbanded on 8 September 1945 when Victorious returned to the United Kingdom.^[2]
2nd Carrier Air Group - formed on 30 June 1945. It was based on the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable for service in the British Pacific Fleet and contained 848 Naval Air Squadron flying the Avenger, 1841 Naval Air Squadron and 1842 Naval Air Squadron flying the Corsair. It was disbanded on 31 October 1945 when Formidable returned to the United Kingdom.^[3]
3rd Carrier Air Group - formed on 2 August 1945. It was a spare air group for the British Pacific Fleet based at Nowra. It was formed too late for service in the war, and it contained 854 Naval Air Squadron flying the Avenger with 1843 Naval Air Squadron and 1845 Naval Air Squadron flying the Corsair. It was disbanded on 20 October 1945, and its personnel returned to the United Kingdom onboard a merchant ship.^[3]
7th Carrier Air Group - formed on 30 June 1945. It was based on the aircraft carrier HMS Indefatigable for service in the British Pacific Fleet and contained 820 Naval Air Squadron flying the Avenger, 887 Naval Air Squadron and 894 Naval Air Squadron flying the Supermarine Seafire fighter and 1770 Naval Air Squadron flying the Fairey Firefly torpedo bomber. It was disbanded in March 1946.^[3]
8th Carrier Air Group - formed on 30 June 1945. It was based on the aircraft carrier HMS Implacable for service in the British Pacific Fleet and contained 828 Naval Air Squadron flying Avengerss 801 Naval Air Squadron and 880 Naval Air Squadron flying the Seafire and 1771 Naval Air Squadron flying the Firefly. It was disbanded in April 1946, but some of its squadrons disbanded earlier.^[3]
11th Carrier Air Group - formed on 30 June 1945. It was based on the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable for service in the British Pacific Fleet and contained 857 Naval Air Squadron flying the Avenger, 1839 Naval Air Squadron and 1844 Naval Air Squadron flying the Grumman Hellcat. It was disbanded on 30 November 1945.^[3]
13th Carrier Air Group - formed on 30 June 1945. It was based on the aircraft carrier HMS Vengeance for service in the British Pacific Fleet and contained 812 Naval Air Squadron flying the Fairey Barracuda and 1850 Naval Air Squadron flying the Corsair. It was disbanded in August 1946.^[3]
14th Carrier Air Group - formed on 30 June 1945. It was based on the aircraft carrier HMS Colossus for service in the British Pacific Fleet and contained 827 Naval Air Squadron flying the Fairey Barracuda and 1846 Naval Air Squadron flying the Corsair. It was disbanded on 23 July 1946.^[4]
15th Carrier Air Group - formed on 30 June 1945. It was based on the aircraft carrier HMS Venerable for service in the British Pacific Fleet and contained 814 Naval Air Squadron flying the Fairey Barracuda and 1851 Naval Air Squadron flying the Corsair. It was disbanded in 1947.^[3]
16th Carrier Air Group - formed on 30 June 1945. It was based on the aircraft carrier HMS Glory for service in the British Pacific Fleet and contained 837 Naval Air Squadron flying the Fairey Barracuda and 1831 Naval Air Squadron flying the Corsair. It was disbanded in 1947.^[3]

During World War II the creation of a 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 12th and 22nd Carrier Air Group also was planned. The surrender of Japan rendered these new carrier air groups unnecessary, and they were never formed.^[2] However, the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st were formed post-war, with 18 and 19 allocated to the Royal Canadian Navy, and 21 a Royal Australian Navy Air Group^[5]

Post World War II

17th Carrier Air Group - was intended to be formed for a Colossus-class aircraft carrier, with 824 Naval Air Squadron operating Barracuda aircraft and 1835 Naval Air Squadron equipped with Corsair aircraft. The formation never happened following V-J Day. Instead it was active three times, 1947 to 1949, 1949 to 1950 and in 1952. Initially at the shore base RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet) for HMS Theseus, then solely Theseus, formed of Hawker Sea Fury aircraft with 807 Naval Air Squadron and Firefly aircraft with 810 Naval Air Squadron. Third time at RNAS Hal Far for HMS Ocean, formed of Sea Fury aircraft with 802 Naval Air Squadron and Firefly aircraft with 825 Naval Air Squadron.^[6]

20th Carrier Air Group - was intended to be formed for a Colossus-class aircraft carrier, with 816 Naval Air Squadron operating Barracuda aircraft and 805 Naval Air Squadron equipped with Seafire aircraft. However, it eventually formed at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), in March 1946, for HMS Ocean. At this point 816 NAS had swapped its Barracudas for Fireflys. After operating in the Mediterranean, the group disbanded upon returning to Lee-on Solent, in July 1948. It reformed the same year as a Royal Australian Navy Air Group for HMAS Sydney.^[6]

Royal Canadian Navy

18th Carrier Air Group - was intended to be formed for a Colossus-class aircraft carrier, with 822 Naval Air Squadron operating Barracuda aircraft and 1855 Naval Air Squadron equipped with Corsair aircraft. This never happened due to the end of the war with Japan. It was reallocated to the RCN, and formed at Dartmouth on the 15 May 1947.^[6]

19th Carrier Air Group - was initially allocated to the Royal Canadian Navy and was formed at Dartmouth in May 1947. It was made up of 803 Naval Air Squadron, operating Seafires, and 825 Naval Air Squadron which was equipped with Fireflys.^[6]

Royal Australian Navy

20th Carrier Air Group - Initially a Royal Navy group, it reformed on the 28 August 1948 at RNAS Eglinton, with 805 Naval Air Squadron (Seafires) and 816 Naval Air Squadron (Fireflys), as a RAN air group, for HMAS Sydney. In June 1951, the group disbanded at Nowra.^[6]

21st Carrier Air Group - was intended to be formed for a Colossus-class aircraft carrier, with 817 Naval Air Squadron operating Barracuda aircraft and 806 Naval Air Squadron equipped with Seafires, in 1946. It eventually formed at RNAS St Merryn as a RAN Air Group in March 1950, made up of 808 Naval Air Squadron equipped with Sea Fury aircraft and 817 Naval Air Squadron, operating with Firefly aircraft, for HMAS Sydney.^[7]

Not formed

4th Carrier Air Group - was planned to be formed for the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious for service in the British Pacific Fleet. It was to comprise 846 Naval Air Squadron operating the Avenger, 1837 Naval Air Squadron and 1853 Naval Air Squadron equipped with the Corsair. The plan to form was cancelled following the Japanese surrender^[1]
5th Carrier Air Group - was planned to be formed as a spare group for an Illustrious-class aircraft carrier. It was to be made up of 852 Naval Air Squadron operating the Avenger, 1832 Naval Air Squadron and 1838 Naval Air Squadron equipped with the Corsair. The plan to form was cancelled following V-J Day.^[1]
6th Carrier Air Group - was planned to be formed as a spare group for an Illustrious-class aircraft carrier. It was to consist of 853 Naval Air Squadron operating the Avenger, 882 Naval Air Squadron and 1830 Naval Air Squadron equipped with the Corsair. Planned to depart the United Kingdom in January 1946, when 882 NAS re-equipped from Wildcat aircraft. The plan to form was cancelled following V-J Day.^[1]
9th Carrier Air Group - was planned to be formed as a spare group for an Implacable-class aircraft carrier. It was to consist of 802 Naval Air Squadron and 899 Naval Air Squadron equipped with the Supermarine Seafire, 851 Naval Air Squadron with Avenger and a planned 1773 Naval Air Squadron with the Firefly. The formation was cancelled following V-J Day.^[8]
10th Carrier Air Group - was planned to be formed as a spare group for an Implacable-class aircraft carrier. It was to be made up of 883 Naval Air Squadron and 1833 Naval Air Squadron equipped with the Supermarine Seafire, 856 Naval Air Squadron with Avenger and a planned 1775 Naval Air Squadron with Fireflys. The plan was cancelled following V-J Day.^[8]
12th Carrier Air Group - was planned to be formed as a spare group for the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable. It was to contain 845 Naval Air Squadron with Avenger aircraft, 881 Naval Air Squadron and 885 Naval Air Squadron with Hellcat aircraft and a planned 1774 Naval Air Squadron with Firefly aircraft. This was cancelled following V-J Day.^[8]
22nd Carrier Air Group - was planned to be formed in service for a Colossus-class aircraft carrier. It was to be formed of 818 Naval Air Squadron operating Barracuda aircraft and 884 Naval Air Squadron equipped with Seafire aircraft. The formation never happened following V-J Day.^[7]

Training air groups

50th Training Air Group - formed at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) on 13 May 1948. Administered second line units at Yeovilton including 700 Naval Air Squadron (until August 1949), 767 Naval Air Squadron (until January 1952) and 799 Naval Air Squadron (until December 1951). It was disbanded during January 1952.^[9]
51st Training Air Group - Formed at RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet) during May 1946. Administered second line units at Eglinton such as 718 Naval Air Squadron and 719 Naval Air Squadron. It was disbanded on 13 November 1946.^[9]
51st Miscellaneous Air Group - Formed at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus) during July 1948. Administered 771 Naval Air Squadron and 783 Naval Air Squadron at Lee-on-Solent. Disbanded during 1950.^[9]
52nd Training Air Group - Formed at RNAS Eglinton. Administered 718, 794 and 795 Naval Air Squadrons at Eglinton. Disbanded during March 1947. Reformed at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk) on 1 February 1950. Administered 736 and 738 Naval Air Squadrons. Disbanded there on 16 August 1951.^[9]
53rd Training Air Group - formed at Eglinton on 14 June 1950. Administered 719 and 737 Naval Air Squadrons. Disbanded there on 31 January 1952.^[9]

Related Research Articles

The 7th Carrier Air Group was an aircraft carrier air group of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was formed in June 1945, at HMS Nabthorpe, a Royal Navy Mobile Operatioral Naval Air Base (MONAB) at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Station Schofields at Schofields, New South Wales, in Australia. The group was initially embarked on HMS Indefatigable (R10).

The 8th Carrier Air Group was an aircraft carrier air group of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was formed in June 1945, for service in the British Pacific Fleet, until disbanding the following year, in April 1946. The group was embarked on HMS Implacable (R86).

The 14th 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 July 1946. The group was embarked on HMS Colossus (R15).

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).

HMS Nabthorpe was a Royal Navy Mobile Naval Operating Air Base (MONAB) at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Station Schofields at Schofields, New South Wales. HMS Nabthorpe was also known as MONAB III and Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Schofields.

736 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was most recently recommissioned at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose in June 2013 to fly the BAE Systems Hawk, mainly in the maritime aggressor role, following the disbandment of the Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit (FRADU) and operated up until March 2022. It initially formed as the School of Air Combat in May 1943 at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton. In September 1943 it moved to HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, where it became the Fighter Combat School and it created an independent 'B' Flight for fighter affiliation work between March and September 1945. 736 Naval Air Squadron moved to HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose in February 1950 as the Naval Air Fighter School in the 52nd Training Air Group, but disbanded in August 1952. Immediately the following day, the squadron reformed at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose out of 702 Naval Air Squadron as an Advanced Jet Flying School and in November 1953 it moved to HMS Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth. 736 Naval Air Squadron disbanded there in March 1965, but what was left became 764 Naval Air Squadron ‘B’ Flight. The squadron reformed the same day at Lossiemouth from 809 Naval Air Squadron as a Jet Strike Training Squadron. 1966. In March 1967, its aircraft were part of the group that bombed and set on fire the supertanker SS Torrey Canyon aground and leaking crude oil on Seven Sisters rocks off Cornwall. The squadron disbanded in February 1972.

812 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was active between 1933 and 1956, and saw service in both World War II and the Korean War.

737 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially active during 1943 as an amphibious Bomber Reconnaissance Training Squadron. Reactivated in 1944 it operated as an ASV Training Unit until 1945. It was active again between 1949 and 1957. From 1959 it was the Anti-Submarine Warfare school at RNAS Portland. It operated Westland Wessex HAS.3 rescue helicopters from their land base at RNAS Portland, Dorset.

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.

706 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Established as a fighter and torpedo-bomber training unit in Australia at the end of World War Two, it was briefly reformed as a helicopter squadron in the early 1950s, before becoming a helicopter training unit in 1962, and operating until 1998.

719 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It initially formed in 1944 as a Fighter Air Firing Training Squadron, at HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, within the School of Air Combat, but at the start of 1945 it disbanded into 794 Naval Air Squadron. The squadron reformed in 1946 at HMS Owl, RNAS Fearn, as a Strike Training Squadron, before moving to HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, where it became an Anti-submarine Training Squadron, disbanding there in 1949. The squadron reformed the following year at HMS Gannet as the Naval Air Anti-submarine School and remained there becoming the Naval Anti-Submarine Operational Flying School, eventually disbanding in 1959. However, in 1960, the squadron reformed, again at HMS Gannet, as the Joint Anti-submarine School Flight, this time operating helicopters. 719 Naval Air Squadron was granted first line status on 5 October 1961 and renumbered to 819 Naval Air Squadron.

721 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). 721 Naval Air Squadron formed at HMS Gadwall, RNAS Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the beginning of March 1945, as a Fleet Requirements Unit for the British Pacific Fleet. Initially equipped with Vultee Vengeance target tugs, it arrived at HMS Nabaron, RNAS Ponam, Admiralty Islands in May 1945, and commenced operations towing targets. The squadron moved to HMS Nabsford, RNAMY Archerfield, Brisbane, Australia, during October and then relocated to Hong Kong at the beginning of 1946, moving to HMS Nabcatcher, RNAS Kai Tak, where it eventually disbanded at the end of 1947.

731 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). 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, commissioned as HMS Peewit, known as Royal Naval Air Station East Haven, in Scotland, as part of the Deck Landing Training School there.

744 Naval Air Squadron is a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially active in 1943, based in Nova Scotia. A second 744 NAS was formed, in early 1944, in Northern Ireland, for Merchant Aircraft Carrier training, meaning the first iteration was re-designated 754 NAS. The squadron's primary focus turned to Anti-submarine warfare training, which then further developed into trialing new submarine detection technology, ending in 1956. In 2018 it reformed as the Mission Systems and Armament Test and Evaluation Squadron.

768 Naval Air Squadron 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.

777 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, which formed as a Fleet Requirements Unit in West Africa during the Second World War. Throughout most of 1943, the squadron was responsible for the air defence of Sierra Leone. It disbanded at HMS Spurwing, RNAS Hastings, Sierra Leone, during December 1944. The squadron reformed in May 1945, from 'B' Flight of 778 Naval Air Squadron, as a Carrier Trials Unit operating aboard HMS Pretoria Castle, and using shore bases at HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, and HMS Peregrine, RNAS Ford in England, and HMS Wagtail, RNAS Ayr, in Scotland. 777 Naval Air Squadron number was assigned to the aircraft collection at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in April 2006.

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.

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.

798 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded in March 1946. It formed at RNAS Lee-on-Solent, in October 1943, to provide advanced conversion courses, it initially operated with various single and twin-engined aircraft. Twin-engined aircraft broke away to become 762 Naval Air Squadron during March 1944. It had a detachment at RNAS Stretton for operational training for new Fairey Barracuda squadrons, but returned to HMS Daedalus at the beginning of August. The unit’s role changed slightly during 1945, providing refresher training, including Fleet Air Arm ex-Prisoners of War at RNAS Halesworth. The squadron moved to RNAS Hinstock, although operated out of its satellite RNAS Peplow, during November 1945.

References

Citations

1 2 3 4 Ballance 2016, p. 305.
1 2 3 Wragg 2019, p. 202.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Wragg 2019, p. 203.
↑ "14th CAG". Archived from the original on 7 April 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
↑ Ballance 2016, p. 307-308.
1 2 3 4 5 Ballance 2016, p. 307.
1 2 Ballance 2016, p. 308.
1 2 3 Ballance 2016, p. 306.
1 2 3 4 5 Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 439.

Bibliography

Ballance, Theo (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air-Britain. ISBN 978-0-85130-489-2.
Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
Wragg, David (2019). The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-9303-6.

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[FOOTNOTEBallance2016305-1] 1 2 3 4 Ballance 2016, p. 305.

[FOOTNOTEWragg2019202-2] 1 2 3 Wragg 2019, p. 202.

[FOOTNOTEWragg2019203-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Wragg 2019, p. 203.

[4] "14th CAG". Archived from the original on 7 April 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2009.

[FOOTNOTEBallance2016307-308-5] Ballance 2016, p. 307-308.

[FOOTNOTEBallance2016307-6] 1 2 3 4 5 Ballance 2016, p. 307.

[FOOTNOTEBallance2016308-7] 1 2 Ballance 2016, p. 308.

[FOOTNOTEBallance2016306-8] 1 2 3 Ballance 2016, p. 306.

[FOOTNOTESturtivantBallance1994439-9] 1 2 3 4 5 Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 439.

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