733 Naval Air Squadron


733 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. It was active between January 1944 and December 1947, entirely in Ceylon, as a Fleet Requirements Unit, based mainly at R.N. Air Section China Bay, which became HMS Bambara, RNAS Trincomalee, China Bay, Ceylon. The squadron initially formed at R.N. Air Section Minneriya, at RAF Minnerya, Ceylon, two weeks after an advance party arrived there, remaining for three months after formation before relocating.

History

Fleet Requirement Unit (1944–1947)

733 Naval Air Squadron formed as a Fleet Requirements Unit for the British Eastern Fleet on 1 January 1944 at R.N. Air Section Minnerya, where the Admiralty had lodger facilities for an RN squadron at the Royal Air Force heavy bomber airfield at RAF Minnerya, located in Hingurakgoda, Ceylon. On 25 March 1944, the squadron relocated to R.N. Air Section China Bay, located in China Bay in eastern Ceylon, where the RN had lodger facilities at RAF China Bay, bringing along a varied example of aircraft used by the FAA, including Grumman Avenger, an American torpedo bomber, Miles Martinet target tug aircraft, Grumman Wildcat, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft, Bristol Beaufighter, a British multirole combat aircraft, Fairey Swordfish, a biplane torpedo bomber and Fairey Barracuda a British torpedo and dive bomber.
The squadron’s roles included radar calibration, which required pilots to fly at a specific height and speed, notably, one pilot was tasked to fly halfway to Singapore and back at. The squadron acquired other aircraft during its existence including Boulton Paul Defiant, a night fighter converted to target tug variant, Stinson Reliant, a liaison and training aircraft, a de Havilland Mosquito bomber variant, Vought Corsair, an American carrier-based fighter-bomber, Vultee Vengeance, an American dive bomber and Supermarine Seafire, a navalised version of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft.
The squadron took some Beech Expeditor, an American trainer, [Military Military transport aircraft|transport aircraft|transport] and utility aircraft from 742 Naval Air Squadron, when it disbanded during August. Initially using Supermarine Walrus, an amphibious maritime patrol aircraft, and later on Supermarine Sea Otter, an amphibious air-sea rescue aircraft, an Air Sea Rescue Flight was added around the beginning of 1946. The squadron disbanded on 31 December 1947 at RNAS Trincomalee, RAF China Bay had been transferred to the Admiralty, on 15 November 1944 and renamed RNAS Trincomalee.

Aircraft flown

733 Naval Air Squadron has flown a number of different aircraft types, including:

Naval air stations

733 Naval Air Squadron operated from a couple of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, overseas:

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 733 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment: