739 Naval Air Squadron

739 Naval Air Squadron (739 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, which disbanded during 1950. It was formed as the Blind Approach Development Unit for the Fleet Air Arm, operating with Fairey Fulmar and Fairey Swordfish aircraft, at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), in 1942. Just under one year later the squadron moved to RNAS Worthy Down (HMS Kestrel), in late 1943 and continued in the role. Roughly one year later the squadron moved again, relocating to RNAS Donibristle (HMS Merlin) in late 1944, disbanding in 1945. It reformed in 1947 and was based at RNAS Culham (HMS Hornbill), with a new role, as the Fleet Air Arm Photographic Trials and Development Unit.

739 Naval Air Squadron
Active15 December 1942 - 7 March 1945
1 May 1947 - 12 July 1950[1]
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeFleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron
Role
  • Blind Approach Development Unit
  • Photographic Trials and Development Unit
SizeSquadron
Part ofFleet Air Arm
AircraftSee Aircraft flown section for full list.
de Havilland Sea Hornet F Mk 20 of 728 NAS, examples of the type used by 739 NAS

History of 739 NAS

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Blind Approach Development Unit (1942 - 1945)

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739 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), situated near Lee-on-the-Solent in Hampshire, approximately four miles west of Portsmouth, on the 15 December 1942, as the Blind Approach Development Unit. It was initially equipped with one Fairey Swordfish, a biplane torpedo bomber and one Fairey Fulmar, a carrier-borne reconnaissance/fighter aircraft.[2] Nine months later the squadron moved to RNAS Worthy Down (HMS Kestrel), 3.5 miles (6 km) north of Winchester, Hampshire, England, on 14 September 1943, gaining Avro Anson a British twin-engine, multi-role training aircraft and Airspeed Oxford also a British two-engine training aircraft. It remained at RNAS Worthy Down for around one year before moving again. On 5 October 1944 the squadron relocated to RNAS Donibristle (HMS Merlin), located 2.7 miles (4.3 km) east of Rosyth, Fife.[3] 739 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 7 March 1945 at RNAS Donibristle,[2] becoming 'C' Flight of 778 Naval Air Squadron.[4]

Photographic Trials and Development Unit (1947 - 1950)

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739 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 1 May 1947 as the Photographic Development Unit,[4] at RNAS Culham (HMS Hornbill), in Berkshire, England.[5] The squadron was equipped with de Havilland Sea Mosquito TR.33, a navalised de Havilland Mosquito for Royal Navy use as a torpedo bomber. Its role was to work alongside the Royal Air Force’s Central Photographic Establishment (CPE) to ensure the Royal Navy was up to date with photographic reconnaissance.[4] It was to have been attached to the CPE at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, but due to hangar shortage had to use nearby RNAS Culham (HMS Hornbill) instead.[6]

The squadron was also equipped with Avro Anson, a multi-role training aircraft and a de Havilland Dominie short-haul airliner and a Hawker Sea Fury fighter-bomber aircraft and a de Havilland Sea Hornet a navalised version of the de Havilland Hornet twin-engine fighter aircraft, were acquired for camera installation and evaluation. It had become the Strategic Reconnaissance Photographic Development Unit by 1950, however, in the July 739 Naval Air Squadron disbanded and became the Photographic Flight of 703 Naval Air Squadron.[4]

Aircraft flown

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The squadron has flown a number of different aircraft types, including:[4]

 
Fairey Swordfish
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739 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air station of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom:[3][4]

1942 - 1945

1947 - 1950

Commanding Officers

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List of commanding officers of 739 Naval Air Squadron with date, month and year of appointment:[4]

1942 - 1945

  • Lieutenant(A) J.G. Smith, RN, from 15 December 1942 (Lieutenant Commander 1 November 1944)
  • Lieutenant Commander(A) G. Bennett, DSC, RN, from 17 January 1945
  • disbanded - 7 March 1945

1947 - 1950

  • Lieutenant B.A. MacCaw, DSC, RN, from 1 May 1947
  • Lieutenant P.S. Cole, DSC, RN, from 23 November 1949
  • disbanded - 12 July 1950

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Sturtivant, Ballance 1994, p. 63.
  2. ^ a b Wragg 2019, p. 121.
  3. ^ a b "Worthy Down". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 46.
  5. ^ "Culham". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Military airfields in Oxfordshire" (PDF). static1.squarespace.com/. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b Thetford 1991, p. 139.
  8. ^ Thetford 1991, p. 402.
  9. ^ Thetford 1991, p. 397.
  10. ^ Thetford 1991, p. 100.
  11. ^ Thetford 1991, p. 107.
  12. ^ Thetford 1991, p. 103.

Bibliography

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