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751 Naval Air Squadron
751 Naval Air Squadron
	751 NAS badge
Active	24 May 1939 - 2 May 1944; 22 September 1945 - 31 October 1945; 1 March 1947 - 30 September 1947; 3 December 1951 - 1 May 1958
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Type	Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron
Role	Observer Training Squadron; Trials Unit; Naval Air Radio Warfare Unit;
Size	Squadron
Part of	Fleet Air Arm
Home station	See Naval air stations section for full list.
Aircraft	See Aircraft operated section for full list.
Insignia
Squadron Badge	White, in base barry wavy of four blue and white overall a lightning flash in pale gold in front of two arrows in saltire points downward black (1956)
Identification Markings	W9A+ to A4A+; AA4A+ to AA5A+ (1943); 385-388 & 810-815 (January 1956); 680-688 (March 1958)

751 Naval Air Squadron (751 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was initially active as an Observer Training Squadron from 1939 to 1944 as part of No.1 Observer School. 751 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine) in May 1939. Ford was attacked and bombed, in August 1940, and the following day the squadron relocated to RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor).^[3] Twelve months later it moved to RNAS Dundee (HMS Condor II), remaining there until disbanding at Dundee in May 1944.

In 1945 it had a brief existence as a Trials Unit, at RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail),^[4] followed by another short reformation, during 1947, this time at RAF Watton. The squadron reformed for a second longer spell at Watton, from 1951, remaining there for the next six years, before moving to RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk), in September 1957. During this period the squadron went on frequent detachments, on exercises,^[1] however, it eventually disbanded at RNAS Culdrose in May 1958 when it was renumbered as 831 Naval Air Squadron^[5]

History

Observer Training (1939 - 1944)

751 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine), in West Sussex, on 24 May 1939, as an Observer Training Squadron and being part of No.1 Observer School. The squadron was equipped with Supermarine Walrus, a biplane amphibious aircraft.

On 18 August 1940, a formation of Junkers Ju 87, or 'Stuka', dive bombers, attacked RNAS Ford as part of a large Luftwaffe force attacking airfields around Hampshire and Sussex. twenty-eight personnel were killed and seventy-five wounded in the raid, which also destroyed seventeen aircraft, damaged twenty-six more and caused significant infrastructure damage.

The following day, 751 Naval Air Squadron moved from RNAS Ford to RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor),^[3] in East Angus, Scotland, then as part of the No.2 Observer Training School. The squadron remained at RNAS Arbroath for around twelve months, before moving to the satellite station and Seaplane base at RNAS Dundee (HMS Condor II), Dundee, Angus, on 13 August 1941, operating as a Seaplane Observer Training Squadron and continuing to use Supermarine Walrus aircraft. The squadron disbanded at Dundee on 2 May 1944.^[6]

Trials Unit (1945)

751 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), close to Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, on the 22 September 1945, as a Trials Unit when 846 Naval Air Squadron disbanded and re-numbered as 751 Naval Air Squadron.^[4] The squadron was equipped with Grumman Avenger Mk.II, an American torpedo bomber aircraft, however, the unit only lasted just over one month and it disbanded on the 31 October 1945 at Machrihanish.^[5]

Naval Air Radio Warfare Unit (1947)

751 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RAF Watton, located 9 mi (14 km) southwest of East Dereham, Norfolk, England, on the 1 March 1947. It operated Avro Anson, a British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft, and Airspeed Oxford, a twin-engine monoplane aircraft. The squadron was active for six months, disbanding on the 30 September 1947.^[5]

Naval Air Radio Warfare Unit (1951 - 1958)

Four years later, 751 Naval Air Squadron reformed, again at RAF Watton, on the 3 December 1951, remaining there for around the next six years until 27 September 1957 when the squadron moved to RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk), located near Helston on the Lizard Peninsula of Cornwall, England.

While at Watton, it participated in four separate aircraft carrier deployments, between August 1953 and November 1957. From the 31 August to the 2 October 1953, a detachment was embarked in the lead ship of her class, the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, operating with Grumman Avenger ECM.6 aircraft. In 1955, between the 19 February and the 15 March, a detachment spent the time operating from another lead ship of her class, the light aircraft carrier HMS Centaur, again with Grumman Avenger ECM.6. In June 1955, a detachment spent approximately two weeks, from the 7 to the 23, deployed to the Centaur-class light fleet aircraft carrier, HMS Bulwark, again operating the Grumman Avenger ECM.6. In November 1957, the squadron saw an approximate one week deployment, aboard the Audacious-class aircraft carrier, HMS Eagle.

751 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 1 May 1958 when it was renumbered as 831 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk).^[5]

Aircraft operated

751 Naval Air Squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including:^[5]^[1]

Supermarine Walrus amphibious maritime patrol aircraft (May 1939 - May 1944)
Avro Anson Mk I multi-role training aircraft (March 1947 - September 1947, February 1953 - August 1955)
Airspeed Oxford I training aircraft (March 1947 - September 1947)
Fairey Firefly I fighter aircraft (March - September 1947)
Supermarine Seafire F Mk XV fighter aircraft (July 1947 - September 1947)
de Havilland Mosquito FB Mk. VI fighter-bomber (April 1952 - February 1953)
de Havilland Mosquito PR Mk 34 photo-reconnaissance (May 1952 - November 1954)
de Havilland Sea Mosquito TR Mk 33 torpedo bomber (March 1952 - June 1953)
Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 fighter-bomber (August 1952 - March 1956)
Fairey Firefly AS.Mk 6 anti-submarine aircraft (September 1952 - March 1956)
Grumman Avenger AS4 torpedo bomber (December 1952 - April 1958)
Grumman Avenger ECM.6 torpedo bomber (November 1954 - April 1958)
Grumman Avenger AS5 torpedo bomber (May 1955 - December 1955)
de Havilland Sea Venom ECM.21 electronic countermeasure aircraft (June 1957 - May 1958)

Naval air stations and aircraft carriers / Royal Air Force stations

751 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, in Scotland and England, a number of Royal Navy aircraft carriers and a Royal Air Force station in England:^[5]^[1]

1939 - 1944

Royal Naval Air Station Ford (HMS Peregrine) (24 May 1939 - 19 August 1940)
Royal Naval Air Station Arbroath (HMS Condor) (19 August 1940 - 13 August 1941)
Royal Naval Air Station Dundee (HMS Condor II) (13 August 1941 - 2 May 1944)
disbanded - (2 May 1944)

1945

Royal Naval Air Station Machrihanish (HMS Landrail) (22 September 1945 - 31 October 1945)
disbanded - (31 October 1945)

1947

Royal Air Force Watton (1 March 1947 - 30 September 1947)
disbanded - (30 September 1947)

1951 - 1958

Royal Air Force Watton (3 December 1951 - 27 September 1957)
- HMS Illustrious (Detachment 31 August 1953 - 2 October 1953)
- HMS Centaur (Detachment 19 February 1955 - 15 March 1955)
- HMS Bulwark (Detachment 7 - 23 June 1955)
- Royal Naval Air Station Hal Far (HMS Falcon) (Detachment 30 January - 20 February 1956)
- Valkenburg (Detachment two aircraft 1 - 15 October 1956)
- R. N. Air Section Gibraltar (Detachment three aircraft 31 January - 28 February 1957)
- Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar) (Detachment two aircraft 30 May - 6 June 1957)
- Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar) (Detachment four aircraft 2 - 11 September 1957)
- Royal Naval Air Station Brawdy (HMS Goldcrest) (Detachment two aircraft 11 - 19 September 1957)
Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose (HMS Seahawk) (27 September 1957 - 1 May 1958)
- Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar) (Detachment two aircraft 5 - 3 November 1957)
- HMS Eagle (Detachment three aircraft 14 - 23 November 1957)
- Royal Naval Air Station Hal Far (HMS Falcon) (Detachment four aircraft 'B' Flight) (19 February - 20 March 1958)
became - 831 Naval Air Squadron (1 May 1958)

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 751 Naval Air Squadron with month and year of appointment:^[5]^[1]

1939 - 1944

Lieutenant Commander(A) J.H. Sender, RN, from 24 May 1939
Lieutenant Commander(A) F. Leach, RNVR, from 1 February 1941
Lieutenant Commander(A) H. Jones, RNVR, from 1 December 1941
Lieutenant Commander D.H. Angel, RN, from 5 May 1943
Lieutenant Commander T.E. Sargent, , RNVR, from 2 February 1944
disbanded - 2 May 1944

1945

unknown (September - October 1945)

1947

Lieutenant R.F.J. Forty, RN, from 1 March 1947
disbanded - 30 September 1947

1951 - 1958

Lieutenant Commander P. Winter, , RN, from 3 December 1951
Lieutenant Commander G.R. Woolsteon, RN, from 25 March 1952
Lieutenant Commander W.J. Cooper, RN, from 26 June 1954
Lieutenant Commander J.T. Williams, RN, from 16 July 1956
Lieutenant Commander W.J. Hanks, RN, from 24 March 1958
became - 831 Naval Air Squadron

References

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Ballance 2016, p. 55.
^ Wragg 2019, p. 124.
^ ^a ^b "RNAS Ford". www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
^ ^a ^b "846 NAS". fleetairarmarchive.net. Archived from the original on 19 June 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "751 Naval Air Squadron". www.wings-aviation.ch. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
^ "RNAS Dundee". www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

Bibliography

Ballance, Theo (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.
Wragg, David (2019). The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-9303-6.