736 Naval Air Squadron


736 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. It was most recently recommissioned at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose in June 2013 to fly the BAE Systems Hawk, mainly in the maritime aggressor role, following the disbandment of the Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit and operated up until March 2022. It initially formed as the School of Air Combat in May 1943 at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton. In September 1943 it moved to HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, where it became the Fighter Combat School and it created an independent 'B' Flight for fighter affiliation work between March and September 1945. 736 Naval Air Squadron moved to HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose in February 1950 as the Naval Air Fighter School in the 52nd Training Air Group, but disbanded in August 1952. Immediately the following day, the squadron reformed at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose out of 702 Naval Air Squadron as an Advanced Jet Flying School and in November 1953 it moved to HMS Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth. 736 Naval Air Squadron disbanded there in March 1965, but what was left became 764 Naval Air Squadron ‘B’ Flight. The squadron reformed the same day at Lossiemouth from 809 Naval Air Squadron as a Jet Strike Training Squadron. 1966. In March 1967, its aircraft were part of the group that bombed and set on fire the supertanker SS Torrey Canyon aground and leaking crude oil on Seven Sisters rocks off Cornwall. The squadron disbanded in February 1972.
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History

Fighter Combat School (1943–1952)

736 Naval Air Squadron formed as the School of Air Combat at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Somerset, England, on 24 May 1943. It was equipped with Supermarine Seafire, a navalised version of the Supermarine Spitfire single-seat single-engine fighter aircraft and was tasked with teaching the latest techniques to experienced naval fighter leaders.
In September the squadron moved to RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture), Cornwall, England, and it became the Fighter Combat School, part of the School of Naval Air Warfare. The squadron received Miles Master, an advanced trainer aircraft, and Fairey Barracuda, a British carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber, which enabled a TBR flight to be created providing a TBR Air Strike Course and an Air Instructors Course.
In March 1945 the squadron took 787 Naval Air Squadrons ’Y’ Flight and formed its own ’B’ Flight for affiliation work, equipped with Supermarine Seafire aircraft. ‘B’ Flight embarked in for Malta and gave training on gyro gunsight tactics to the 11th Carrier Air Group, working up in the Mediterranean Sea prior to their sailing to Ceylon to join the British Pacific Fleet. The Flight returned to RNAS Woodvale (HMS Ringtail II), Merseyside, in June. Here it continued operating with Supermarine Seafire, but also used Bristol Beaufighter a British multi-role aircraft and a de Havilland Dominie short-haul airliner. It moved to RNAS Fearn (HMS Owl), Scottish Highlands, in July, returning to RNAS Woodvale in August, with the Flight disbanding in September.
736 Naval Air Squadron moved RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk), Cornwall, as the Naval Air Fighter School within the 52nd Training Air Group on 1 February 1950. It was now equipped with Hawker Sea Fury, a British carrier-based fighter-bomber aircraft. It was split in half to enable 738 Naval Air Squadron to be formed, however it disbanded on 25 August 1952, its remaining Hawker Sea Fury aircraft going to 738 NAS.

Advanced Jet Flying School (1952–1965)

736 Naval Air Squadron reformed the following day as an Advanced Jet Flying School out of 702 Naval Air Squadron, still as part of the Naval Air Fighter School at RNAS Culdrose. It was initially equipped with Gloster Meteor T.7, a two-seat trainer variant of the F.4 jet fighter, and Supermarine Attacker, a British single-seat naval jet fighter.
The squadron relocated with the NAFS to RNAS Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar), Moray, Scotland in November 1953. Here it was tasked with providing pilots experience in jet aircraft and it received de Havilland Sea Vampire T.22, a two-seat trainer for Royal Navy, and Hawker Sea Hawk, a British single-seat jet day fighter, with the Gloster Meteor and Supermarine Attacker aircraft being withdrawn. March 1955 saw the Hawker Sea Hawk aircraft transferred to 738 Naval Air Squadron and the squadron focused on converting American trained pilots to British aircraft and practices, flying practice for HMS Fulmar based pilots and train a number of pilots up to Air Warfare Instructors.
A reorganisation in 1958 resulted in 736 Naval Air Squadron becoming a Hawker Sea Hawk flying school and the de Havilland Sea Vampire aircraft were withdrawn from the squadron. The course consisted army co-operation and low-level navigation. Photographic reconnaissance flying and interception using AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles was also included, as was ground attack flying, which involved AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-surface missile firing, rocket guns and bombs.
Mid 1959 saw the squadron start to receive Supermarine Scimitar, a single-seat naval strike fighter. It remained operational until 26 March 1965 when it was disbanded, and its aircraft were passed onto 764B Flight.

Jet Strike Training Squadron (1965–1972)

On the same day at RNAS Lossiemouth, 809 Naval Air Squadron was downgraded to second line status and redesignated 736 Naval Air Squadron, equipped with Blackburn Buccaneer S.1, a British carrier-capable attack aircraft, and tasked as a Jet Strike Training Squadron. The S.1 were partially replaced by Blackburn Buccaneer S.2, various improvements and a more powerful engine over the S.1, from May 1966, using aircraft and aircrews from the recently disbanded 700B Flight in order to train aircrews for the aircraft.
Still based at RNAS Lossiemouth, from 1967 onwards the unit shared a pool of aircraft with 803 NAS, the Buccaneer HQ and weapons trials unit. With the decision to transfer all the RN's Buccaneers to the RAF, 736 NAS took on the extra task of training RAF crews. To cope with this, several Buccaneer S.1s were taken out of storage to increase the numbers of aircraft available, and a number of RAF aircrew who had previously served exchange tours with FAA Buccaneer squadrons were posted to 736 NAS as instructors. After a few accidents due to engine problems the S.1s were withdrawn from service in 1970. In 1971 the RAF stood up their own operational conversion unit to take over the training of both their own and the dwindling number of RN aircrews.
In 1967 736 Naval Air Squadron ) used RNAS Brawdy (HMS Goldcrest), as a base to attack and bomb the oil tanker from, which had struck Pollard's Rock on West end of the Seven Stones between the Cornish mainland and the Isles of Scilly on 18 March, in an attempt to release and burn off its residual cargo of oil.
736 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 25 February 1972 at RNAS Lossiemouth.

Fleet Requirements Unit (2013–2022)

736 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 7 June 2013, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Tim Flatman. Operating the Fleet Air Arm's British Aerospace Hawk T1/T1A twin-seat fast-jet aircraft, the squadron replaced the Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit, acting as the Royal Navy's Adversary squadron. In 2014 the squadron's aircraft began to be re-painted in its new markings and the first aircraft to receive the new look was XX240.
After the squadron reformed it supported numerous exercises within the UK and overseas. These overseas exercises included 'Cougar 14' and 'Cougar 16' where the squadron operated in Albania and Deep Blue 2 in 2016 when the squadron operated from Gibraltar.
The Hawk's role was to be replaced by the Air Support to Defence Operational Training programme which would have provided aggressor training to all three British armed services, however the project was cancelled in March 2019. The Royal Navy announced that the squadron was to disband after a final fly past on 22 March 2022.
The squadron decommissioned on 31 March 2022 after its aircraft departed Culdrose the week before.

Aircraft operated

The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions:

Naval air stations and other airbases

736 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy and airbases overseas:
1943-1952
1952-1965
1965 - 1972
  • Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth, Moray,
  • disbanded -
2013 - 2022
  • Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, Cornwall,
  • Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset,
  • * Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth, Moray,
  • * Tirana, Albania,
  • * RNAS Prestwick, South Ayrshire,
  • * RNAS Prestwick, South Ayrshire,
  • * Royal Air Force Gibraltar, Gibraltar,
  • * Tirana, Albania,
  • * RNAS Prestwick, South Ayrshire,
  • disbanded -

736B Flight

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 736 Naval Air Squadron, with date of appointment:
1943 - 1952
  • Lieutenant Commander R.E. Gardner,, RNVR, from 24 May 1943
  • Lieutenant Commander D.R. Curry, DSC, RN, from 17 August 1944
  • Lieutenant Commander P.D. Gick,, RN, from 8 February 1945
  • Lieutenant Commander S.P. Luke, RN, from 3 August 1945
  • Lieutenant Commander D.B. Law, DSC, RN, from 6 January 1946
  • Lieutenant Commander W. Stuart, DSC, RNVR, from 16 April 1946
  • Lieutenant Commander J.G. Baldwin, DSC, RN, from 24 April 1947
  • Lieutenant Commander M.F. Fell,, RN, from 21 October 1947
  • Lieutenant Commander P.J.P. Leckie, RN, from 5 September 1949
  • Lieutenant P.B. Stuart, RN, 1 February 1950
  • Lieutenant Commander P.M. Austin, RN, from 17 October 1950
  • Lieutenant Commander P.H. London, DSC, RN, 24 March 1952
  • disbanded - 25 August 1952
1952 - 1965
  • Lieutenant Commander N. Perrett, RN, from 26 August 1952
  • Lieutenant Commander P.H. London, DSC, RN, from 1 December 1952
  • Lieutenant Commander A.R. Rawbone,, RN, from 20 April 1953
  • Lieutenant Commander W.D.D. MacDonald, RN, from 20 October 1954
  • Lieutenant Commander R. Bellamy, RN, from 16 July 1956
  • Lieutenant Commander L.E.A. Chester-Lawrence, RN, from 12 December 1957
  • Lieutenant Commander J.D. Baker, RN, from 2 September 1958
  • Lieutenant Commander A. Mancais, RN, from 2 May 1960
  • Lieutenant Commander P.G. Newman, RN, from 9 October 1961
  • Lieutenant Commander J.A.D. Ford, RN, from 10 January 1963
  • Lieutenant Commander J. Worth, RN, from 12 December 1963
  • disbanded - 26 March 1965
1965 - 1972
  • Lieutenant Commander W.H.C. Watson, RN, from 26 March 1965
  • Lieutenant Commander M.J.A. Hornblower, RN, from 28 June 1965
  • Lieutenant Commander J.F. Kennett, RN, from 31 July 1965
  • Lieutenant Commander J.D.H.B. Howard, RN, from 15 February 1967
  • Lieutenant Commander D.P. Mears, RN, from 23 October 1968
  • Lieutenant Commander R. Wren, RN, from 16 February 1970
  • Lieutenant Commander L.A. Wilkinson, RN, from 16 December 1970
  • disbanded - 25 February 1972
2013 - 2022
  • Lieutenant Commander T.D. Flatman, RN, from 7 June 2013
  • Lieutenant Commander B.D. Issitt, RN, from 9 December 2015
  • Lieutenant Commander M. Deavin, RN, from July 2018
  • Lieutenant Commander J. Flintham, RN, from April 2020
  • disbanded - 31 March 2022

736B Flight

List of commanding officers of B Flight, 736 Naval Air Squadron, with date of appointment:
  • Lieutenant Commander R.E. Bibby, DSO, RNVR, from 1 March 1945
  • Lieutenant Commander L.G.C. Reece, DSC, RNZNVR, from 26 July 1945
  • disbanded - 26 September 1945