739 Naval Air Squadron


739 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy, 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, in 1942. Just under one year later the squadron moved to RNAS Worthy Down, in late 1943 and continued in the role. Roughly one year later the squadron moved again, relocating to RNAS Donibristle in late 1944, disbanding in 1945. It reformed in 1947 and was based at RNAS Culham, with a new role, as the Fleet Air Arm Photographic Trials and Development Unit.

History

Blind Approach Development Unit (1942–1945)

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. Nine months later the squadron moved to RNAS Worthy Down (HMS Kestrel), 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 east of Rosyth, Fife. 739 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 7 March 1945 at RNAS Donibristle, becoming 'C' Flight of 778 Naval Air Squadron.

Photographic Trials and Development Unit (1947–1950)

739 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 1 May 1947 as the Photographic Development Unit, at RNAS Culham (HMS Hornbill), in Berkshire, England. 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 to ensure the Royal Navy was up to date with photographic reconnaissance. It was to have been attached to the CPE at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, but due to hangar shortage had to use nearby RNAS Culham instead.
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.

Aircraft flown

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

Naval air stations

739 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air station of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom:
1942 - 1945
1947 - 1950

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 739 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:
1942 - 1945
1947 - 1950