755 Naval Air Squadron
Active24 May 1939 - 31 October 1944
24 March 1945 - 31 October 1945[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeFleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron
Role
  • Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron
  • Communications Squadron
Part ofFleet Air Arm
Insignia
Identification MarkingsX2A+
W6A+[2] (1943)[3]
Westland Lysander IIIa 'V9367-MA-B', was built in Canada and was used by the RCAF as a target tug, an example of the type used by 755 NAS

755 Naval Air Squadron (755 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was first formed as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron from 1939 to 1944. Initially operating out of RNAS Worthy Down the squadron also had a brief, roughly two month stint, at RNAS Jersey, which was cut shorter than anticipated by the German occupation of France and the danger this posed to the Channel Islands. It then briefly reformed as a Communications Squadron at RNAS Colombo, Sri Lanka, during 1945.

History of 755 NAS

Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron (1939 - 1944)

Percival P-31C Proctor IV, seen in RAF markings. An example of the type used by 755 NAS

755 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Worthy Down (HMS Kestrel), 3.5 miles (6 km) north of Winchester, Hampshire, England, on 24 May 1939, as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron.[4] It was initially equipped with Osprey and Shark III aircraft, however, various marks of Proctor (Ia, II, IIa, III and IV) were also operated from November 1939.[5]

The squadron moved to the short lived RNAS Jersey on the 11 March 1940 taking its assembly of Proctor, Osprey and Shark aircraft. In early March the Admiralty had taken over Jersey Airport, located at St Peter, Jersey, Channel Islands, to use as a Naval air station. However, due to the German occupation of France and the proximity to the Channel Islands, the Government concluded the Islands weren't defendable and 755 NAS moved back to Worthy Down on the 31 May 1940.[6]

The squadron stopped using Osprey at the beginning of 1941, but from July onwards it was also equipped with Lysander TT.III and flew these alongside the Proctor and Shark during the next couple of years. In the October of 1943, the squadron swapped it's Shark for Seamew I aircraft and for the following twelve months 755 NAS TAG training, flew Lysander, Proctor and Seamew until disbanding, at RNAS Worthy Down, on the 31 October 1944.[5]

Communications Squadron (1945)

Beech C-45 in United States markings, an example of the Expeditor II used by 755 NAS

755 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Colombo Racecourse (HMS Bherunda), in the Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka, on the 24 March 1945, as a Communications Squadron. It was equipped with Expeditor C.2 aircraft, which it operated throughout its existence. The squadron disbanded at Colombo on the 31 October 1945.[5]

Aircraft flown

755 Naval Air Squadron has flown a number of different aircraft types, including:[5][3]

Naval Air Stations

755 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, in England, the Channel Islands and overseas in Sri Lanka:

Commanding Officers

List of commanding officers of 755 Naval Air Squadron with month and year of appointment and end:[5]

1939 - 1944

1945

References

Citations

  1. ^ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 74.
  2. ^ Wragg 2019, p. 125.
  3. ^ a b Ballance 2016, p. 57.
  4. ^ "RNAS Worthy Down". www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e "755 Naval Air Squadron". www.wings-aviation.ch. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  6. ^ "RNAS Jersey". www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2023.

Bibliography


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