Summary
741 Naval Air Squadron (741 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded during November 1947. It was initially active, between March 1943 and March 1945 as an Observer Training Squadron at HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, Scotland, as part of the No. 2 Observer Training School.[3] It reformed at HMS Vulture, RNAS St. Merryn, England, as an Operational Flying Training Unit in August 1946.[4]
| 741 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 March 1943 - 19 March 1945 12 August 1946 – 25 November 1947[1] |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron |
| Role |
|
| Size | Squadron |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Garrison/HQ | RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor) RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture) |
| Insignia | |
| Identification Markings | A3A+ Swordfish S2A+, S3A+ & S5A+ Firefly & Seafire 100-111 Seafire 204-253 Firefly 151-153 Harvard[2] |
| Tail Codes | JB Seafire, Firefly & Harvard |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Fairey Swordfish |
| Fighter | Fairey Firefly Supermarine Seafire |
| Trainer | North American Harvard |
History of 741 NAS edit
Observer Training School (1943 - 1945) edit
741 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor) as an Observer Training Squadron, as part of No. 2 Observer Training School, on 1 March 1943.[3] It was equipped with Fairey Swordfish, a British biplane torpedo bomber aircraft. The squadron was tasked with training the students up to 'Wings' standard. Upon completion they were then passed them to 753 Naval Air Squadron to complete their training.[2] 741 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor), on 19 March 1945.[3]
Operational Flying Training Unit (1946 - 1947) edit
741 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 12 August 1946, at RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture), Cornwall, England, as an Operational Flying Training unit.[4] It was equipped with Fairey Firefly FR.I, a carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft, and a few Supermarine Seafire L Mk III, a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. From January 1947 it took over the task of Operational Flying School Part II and by autumn 1947 the squadron’s role was Part II (Strike) Operational Flying Course.[2] 741 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture) on 25 November 1947.[4]
Aircraft flown edit
The squadron has flown a number of different aircraft types, including:[3][4][2]
- Fairey Swordfish[5] I torpedo bomber (March 1943 - March 1945)
- Fairey Swordfish II torpedo bomber (March 1943 - March 1945)
- Fairey Firefly FR.I fighter/reconnaissance aircraft (August 1946 - November 1947)
- Supermarine Seafire L Mk.III fighter aircraft (February - November 1947)
- North American Harvard III advanced trainer aircraft (September - November 1947)
edit
741 Naval Air Squadron operated from a couple of naval air station of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom:[3][4]
1943 - 1945
- Royal Naval Air Squadron ARBROATH (HMS Condor) (1 March 1943 - 19 March 1945)
- disbanded - (19 March 1945)
1946 - 1947
- Royal Naval Air Station ST MERRYN (HMS Vulture) (12 August 1946 - 25 November 1947)
- disbanded - (25 November 1947)
Commanding Officers edit
List of commanding officers of 741 Naval Air Squadron with date, month and year of appointment: [6][2]
1943 - 1944
- Lieutenant Commander(A) O.H. Cantrill, RNVR, from 1 March 1943
- Lieutenant Commander(A) R. McA. Stratton, RNVR, from 17 March 1944
- disbanded - 19 March 1945
1946 - 1947
References edit
Citations edit
- ^ Sturtivant, Ballance 1994, p. 64.
- ^ a b c d e Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 47.
- ^ a b c d e "Arbroath". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "St Merryn". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ Thetford 1991, p. 139.
- ^ "741 NAS Fleet Air Arm". www.wings-aviation.ch. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
Bibliography edit
- Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. 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.
- Thetford, Owen (1991). British Naval Aircraft since 1912. London, UK: Putnam Aeronautical Books, an imprint of Conway Maritime Press Ltd. ISBN 0-85177-849-6.