Fighter Combat School (1943 - 1952) edit

736 Naval Air Squadron formed as the School of Air Combat at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Somerset, England, on 24 May 1943. It was equipped with Supermarine Seafire, a navalised version of the Supermarine Spitfire single-seat single-engine fighter aircraft and was tasked with teaching the latest techniques to experienced naval fighter leaders.^[3]

In September the squadron moved to RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture), Cornwall, England, and it became the Fighter Combat School, part of the School of Naval Air Warfare.^[5] The squadron received Miles Master, an advanced trainer aircraft, and Fairey Barracuda, a British carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber, which enabled a TBR flight to be created providing a TBR Air Strike Course and an Air Instructors Course.^[3]

In March 1945 the squadron took 787 Naval Air Squadrons ’Y’ Flight and formed its own ’B’ Flight for affiliation work, equipped with Supermarine Seafire aircraft. ‘B’ Flight embarked in HMS Colossus for Malta and gave training on gyro gunsight tactics^[3] to the 11th Carrier Air Group, working up in the Mediterranean Sea prior to their sailing to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to join the British Pacific Fleet. The Flight returned to RNAS Woodvale (HMS Ringtail II), Merseyside, in June. Here it continued operating with Supermarine Seafire, but also used Bristol Beaufighter a British multi-role aircraft and a de Havilland Dominie short-haul airliner. It moved to RNAS Fearn (HMS Owl), Scottish Highlands, in July, returning to RNAS Woodvale in August,^[1] with the Flight disbanding in September.^[3]

736 Naval Air Squadron moved RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk), Cornwall, as the Naval Air Fighter School within the 52nd Training Air Group on 1 February 1950. It was now equipped with Hawker Sea Fury, a British carrier-based fighter-bomber aircraft. It was split in half to enable 738 Naval Air Squadron to be formed, however it disbanded on 25 August 1952, its remaining Hawker Sea Fury aircraft going to 738 NAS.^[1]

Advanced Jet Flying School (1952 - 1965) edit

736 Naval Air Squadron reformed the following day as an Advanced Jet Flying School out of 702 Naval Air Squadron, still as part of the Naval Air Fighter School (NAFS) at RNAS Culdrose. It was initially equipped with Gloster Meteor T.7, a two-seat trainer variant of the F.4 jet fighter, and Supermarine Attacker, a British single-seat naval jet fighter.^[6]

The squadron relocated with the NAFS to RNAS Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar), Moray, Scotland on November 1953. Here it was tasked with providing pilots experience in jet aircraft and it received de Havilland Sea Vampire T.22, a two-seat trainer for Royal Navy, and Hawker Sea Hawk, a British single-seat jet day fighter, with the Gloster Meteor and Supermarine Attacker aircraft being withdrawn. March 1955 saw the Hawker Sea Hawk aircraft transferred to 738 Naval Air Squadron and the squadron focused on converting American trained pilots to British aircraft and practices, flying practice for HMS Fulmar based pilots and train a number of pilots up to Air Warfare Instructors.^[1]

A reorganisation in 1958 resulted in 736 Naval Air Squadron becoming a Hawker Sea Hawk flying school and the de Havilland Sea Vampire aircraft were withdrawn from the squadron. The course consisted army co-operation and low-level navigation. Photographic reconnaissance flying and interception using AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles was also included, as was ground attack flying, which involved AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-surface missile firing, rocket guns and bombs.^[1]

Mid 1959 saw the squadron start to receive Supermarine Scimitar, a single-seat naval strike fighter. It remained operational until 26 March 1965 when it was disbanded, and its aircraft were passed onto 764B Flight.^[6]

Jet Strike Training Squadron (1965 - 1972) edit

On the same day at RNAS Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar), 809 Naval Air Squadron was downgraded to second line status and redesignated 736 Naval Air Squadron,^[7] equipped with Blackburn Buccaneer S.1, a British carrier-capable attack aircraft, and tasked as a Jet Strike Training Squadron. The S.1 were partially replaced by Blackburn Buccaneer S.2, various improvements and a more powerful engine over the S.1, from May 1966,^[4] using aircraft and aircrews from the recently disbanded 700B Flight (the Buccaneer S.2 Intensive Flying Trials Unit) in order to train aircrews for the aircraft.^{[citation needed]}

Still based at RNAS Lossiemouth, from 1967 onwards the unit shared a pool of aircraft with 803 NAS, the Buccaneer HQ and weapons trials unit. With the decision to transfer all the RN's Buccaneers to the RAF, 736 NAS took on the extra task of training RAF crews. To cope with this, several Buccaneer S.1s were taken out of storage to increase the numbers of aircraft available, and a number of RAF aircrew who had previously served exchange tours with FAA Buccaneer squadrons were posted to 736 NAS as instructors. After a few accidents due to engine problems the S.1s were withdrawn from service in 1970. In 1971 the RAF stood up their own operational conversion unit (237 OCU) to take over the training of both their own and the dwindling number of RN aircrews.^{[citation needed]}

In 1967 736 Naval Air Squadron (along with 800 Naval Air Squadron)) used RNAS Brawdy (HMS Goldcrest), as a base to attack and bomb the oil tanker SS Torrey Canyon from,^[8] whch had struck Pollard's Rock on West end of the Seven Stones between the Cornish mainland and the Isles of Scilly on 18 March, in an attempt to release and burn off its residual cargo of oil.^[9]

736 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 25 February 1972 at RNAS Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar).^[4]

Fleet Requirements Unit (2013 - 2022) edit

736 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 7 June 2013, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Tim Flatman. Operating the Fleet Air Arm's British Aerospace Hawk T1/T1A twin-seat fast-jet aircraft, the squadron replaced the Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit (FRADU), acting as the Royal Navy's Adversary squadron.^[4] In 2014 the squadron's aircraft began to be re-painted in its new markings and the first aircraft to receive the new look was XX240.^{[citation needed]}

After the squadron reformed it supported numerous exercises within the UK (including Joint Warrior, which is held in Scotland) and overseas. These overseas exercises included 'Cougar 14' and 'Cougar 16' where the squadron operated in Albania and Deep Blue 2 in 2016 when the squadron operated from Gibraltar.^{[citation needed]}

The Hawk's role was to be replaced by the Air Support to Defence Operational Training (ASDOT) programme which would have provided aggressor training to all three British armed services, however the project was cancelled in March 2019.^[10] The Royal Navy announced that the squadron was to disband after a final fly past on 22 March 2022.^[11][12] The squadron decommissioned on 31 March 2022 after its aircraft departed Culdrose the week before.^[13]

The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions:^[4][6]

• Supermarine Seafire Mk Ib fighter aircraft (May 1943 - August 1944)
• Fairey Barracuda Mk II torpedo bomber (September 1943 - July 1945)
• Miles Master II advanced trainer aircraft (September 1943 - July 1945)
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk Va fighter aircraft (March - August 1944)
• Supermarine Seafire F Mk III fighter aircraft (April - August 1944)
• Vought Corsair Mk III fighter-bomber (June - August 1944)
• Grumman Avenger Mk.II torpedo bomber (February - July 1945)
• North American Harvard III advanced trainer aircraft (June 1945 - November 1949)
• Fairey Firefly FR.I fighter/reconnaissance aircraft (January 1946 - February 1950)
• Supermarine Seafire F Mk 46 fighter aircraft (January - December 1946)
• Supermarine Seafire F Mk XVII fighter aircraft (January 1946 - April 1951)
• Supermarine Seafire F Mk III fighter aircraft (February - October 1946)
• Miles Martinet TT.I target tug (February 1946 - February 1950)
• Supermarine Seafire F Mk XV fighter aircraft (April 1946 - June 1948)
• Blackburn Firebrand T.F. IV strike fighter (March 1948)
• Fairey Firefly FR.4 fighter/reconnaissance aircraft (March 1948)
• Fairey Firefly T.1 training aircraft (July 1948 - February 1950)
• Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 fighter-bomber (May 1949 - August 1952)
• de Havilland Sea Hornet F.20 fighter aircraft (February 1950 - June 1951)
• Hawker Sea Fury T.20 training aircraft (March 1950 - August 1952)
• Hawker Sea Fury F.10 fighter aircraft (August 1950 - September 1951)
• Gloster Meteor T.7 jet trainer aircraft (August 1952 - May 1954)
• Supermarine Attacker F.1 jet fighter aircraft (August 1952 - August 1954)
• Supermarine Attacker FB.1 jet fighter-bomber (September 1952 - July 1954)
• Supermarine Attacker FB.2 jet fighter-bomber (May 1953 - August 1954)
• de Havilland Sea Vampire T.22 jet trainer aircraft (November 1953 - July 1954, October 1954 - November 1958)
• Hawker Sea Hawk F.1 jet day fighter (July 1954 - March 1955)
• Hawker Sea Hawk F.2 jet day fighter (July 1954 - March 1955, March 1957 - July 1958)
• Hawker Sea Hawk FB.3 jet fighter bomber (July 1954 - March 1955, May 1958 - September 1959)
• Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.4 jet fighter-ground attack (May - June 1957, December 1958 - July 1959)
• de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.21 jet fighter bomber (October - December 1957)
• Hawker Hunter T.8 jet trainer aircraft (July - November 1958, March - July 1965)
• Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6 jet fighter-ground attack (October 1958 - July 1960)
• Hawker Sea Hawk FB.5 jet fighter bomber (March - September 1959)
• Supermarine Scimitar F.1 naval strike fighter (May 1959 - March 1965)
• Blackburn Buccaneer S.1 maritime strike aircraft (March 1965 - December 1970)
• Blackburn Buccaneer S.2 maritime strike aircraft (May 1966 - February 1972)
• Blackburn Buccaneer S.2b maritime strike aircraft (January - March 1971)
• BAe Hawk T.1 advanced trainer aircraft (June 2013 - March 2022)

736 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy and airbases overseas:^[4]

1943-1952

• Royal Naval Air Station YEOVILTON (HMS Heron) (24 May - 2 September 1943)
• Royal Naval Air Station ST MERRYN (HMS Vulture) (2 September 1943 - 1 February 1950)
• Royal Naval Air Station CULDROSE (HMS Seahawk) (1 February 1950 - 25 August 1952)
• disbanded - (25 August 1952)

1952-1965

• Royal Naval Air Station CULDROSE (HMS Seahawk) (26 August 1952 - 4 November 1953)
• Royal Naval Air Station LOSSIEMOUTH (HMS Fulmar) (4 November 1953 - 20 August 1962)
  • Royal Naval Air Station BRAWDY (HMS Goldcrest) (detached) (25 June - 2 July 1960)
  • Royal Naval Air Station YEOVILTON (HMS Heron) Detachment (29 May - 9 June 1961)
  • Royal Naval Air Station YEOVILTON (HMS Heron) Detachment eight aircraft (24 May - 8 June 1962)
• Royal Naval Air Station YEOVILTON (HMS Heron) (20 - 31 August 1962)
• Farnborough (31 August - 10 September 1962)
• Royal Naval Air Station LOSSIEMOUTH (HMS Fulmar) (10 September 1962 - 26 March 1965)
• disbanded - (26 March 1965)

1965 - 1972

• Royal Naval Air Station LOSSIEMOUTH (HMS Fulmar) (26 March 1965 - 25 February 1972)
• disbanded - (25 February 1972)

2013 - 2022

• Royal Naval Air Station CULDROSE (HMS Seahawk) (7 June 2013 - 31 March 2013)
• Royal Naval Air Station YEOVILTON (HMS Heron) ('A' Flight) (7 June 2013 - 31 March 2013)
  • Royal Naval Air Station LOSSIEMOUTH (HMS Fulmar) Detachment (28 - 31 January 2014)
  • Tirana Detachment three aircraft (September 2014)
  • Prestwick Detachment five aircraft (5 - 16 October 2014, 2 - 23 April 2015)
  • RNAS Prestwick Detachment three aircraft (11 - 25 April 2016)
  • RAF Gibraltar Detachment three aircraft (1 - 15 July 2016)
  • Tirana Detachment three aircraft (28 September - 9 October 2016)
  • RNAS Prestwick Detachment four aircraft (7 October 2016)
• disbanded - (31 March 2013)

736B Flight edit

• R. N. Air Section SPEKE (1 - 11 March 1945)
• HMS Colossus (11 - 20 March 1945)
• Royal Naval Air Station HAL FAR (HMS Falcon) (20 March - 28 June 1945)
• Royal Naval Air Station WOODVALE (HMS Ringtail II) (28 June - 20 July 1945)
• Royal Naval Air Station FEARN (HMS Owl) (20 July - 17 August 1945)
• Royal Naval Air Station WOODVALE (HMS Ringtail II) (17 August - 26 September 1945)
• disbanded - (26 September 1945)

List of Commanding Officers of 736 Naval Air Squadron with date, month and year of appointment:^[14][4]

1943 - 1952

• Lieutenant Commander(A) R.E. Gardner, DSC, RNVR, from 24 May 1943
• Lieutenant Commander D.R. Curry, DSC, RN, from 17 August 1944
• Lieutenant Commander P.D. Gick, DSC & Bar, RN, from 8 February 1945
• Lieutenant Commander(A) S.P. Luke, RN, from 3 August 1945
• Lieutenant Commander D.B. Law, DSC, RN, from 6 January 1946
• Lieutenant Commander W. Stuart, DSC, RNVR, from 16 April 1946
• Lieutenant Commander J.G. Baldwin, DSC, RN, from 24 April 1947
• Lieutenant Commander M.F. Fell, DSO, DSC, RN, from 21 October 1947
• Lieutenant Commander P.J.P. Leckie, RN, from 5 September 1949
• Lieutenant P.B. Stuart, RN, 1 February 1950
• Lieutenant Commander P.M. Austin, RN, from 17 October 1950
• Lieutenant Commander P.H. London, DSC, RN, 24 March 1952
• disbanded - 25 August 1952

1952 - 1965

• Lieutenant Commander N. Perrett, RN, from 26 August 1952
• Lieutenant Commander P.H. London, DSC, RN, from 1 December 1952
• Lieutenant Commander A.R. Rawbone, AFC, RN, from 20 April 1953
• Lieutenant Commander W.D.D. MacDonald, RN, from 20 October 1954
• Lieutenant Commander R. Bellamy, RN, from 16 July 1956
• Lieutenant Commander L.E.A. Chester-Lawrence, RN, from 12 December 1957 (KiFA 6 August 1958)
• Lieutenant Commander J.D. Baker, RN, from 2 September 1958
• Lieutenant Commander A. Mancais, RN, from 2 May 1960
• Lieutenant Commander P.G. Newman, RN, from 9 October 1961
• Lieutenant Commander J.A.D. Ford, RN, from 10 January 1963
• Lieutenant Commander J. Worth, RN, from 12 December 1963
• disbanded - 26 March 1965

1965 - 1972

• Lieutenant Commander W.H.C. Watson, RN, from 26 March 1965 (KiFA 25 June 1965)
• Lieutenant Commander M.J.A. Hornblower, RN, from 28 June 1965
• Lieutenant Commander J.F. Kennett, RN, from 31 July 1965
• Lieutenant Commander J.D.H.B. Howard, RN, from 15 February 1967
• Lieutenant Commander D.P. Mears, RN, from 23 October 1968
• Lieutenant Commander R. Wren, RN, from 16 February 1970
• Lieutenant Commander L.A. Wilkinson, RN, from 16 December 1970
• disbanded - 25 February 1972

2013 - 2022

• Lieutenant Commander T.D. Flatman, RN, from 7 June 2013
• Lieutenant Commander B.D. Issitt, RN, from 9 December 2015
• Lieutenant Commander M. Deavin, RN, from July 2018^[15]
• Lieutenant Commander J. Flintham, RN, from April 2020^[16]
• disbanded - 31 March 2022^[13]

736B Flight edit

• Lieutenant Commander(A) R.E. Bibby, DSO, RNVR, from 1 March 1945
• Lieutenant Commander(A) L.G.C. Reece, DSC, RNZNVR, from 26 July 1945
• disbanded - 26 September 1945

Citations edit

Bibliography edit