757 Naval Air Squadron


757 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. It was first formed as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron in 1939, operating out of RNAS Worthy Down, but after three months it went into abeyance, only to reform again in the same role, at the same location, in 1941 and operating until 1942. It then reformed as a Fighter Pool Squadron & Operational Training Unit at RNAS Puttalam, in Sri Lanka, in 1943. After a brief spell at RNAMY Tambaram, in India, the squadron finally disbanded at RNAS Katukurunda, in Sri Lanka, at the beginning of 1946.

History

Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron (1939)

757 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Worthy Down (HMS Kestrel), north of Winchester, Hampshire, on 24 May 1939, as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron. It was initially equipped with Hawker Osprey, a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft, used in the fighter and reconnaissance role by the Royal Navy and Blackburn Shark II, a carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber aircraft, however, the squadron went into abeyance on the 15 August 1939.

Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron (1941-1942)

757 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Worthy Down, on 6 March 1941, again as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron. From March the squadron was equipped with Hawker Nimrod II, a British carrier-based single-engine, single-seat biplane fighter aircraft, and Blackburn Skua Mk II, a carrier-based dive bomber and fighter aircraft, however, from May 1941, it flew only Blackburn Skua. In April 1942, it replaced these with Westland Lysander III, a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft and continued to operate with these until disbanding at RNAS Worthy Down on 1 December 1942.

Fighter Pool Squadron & Operational Training Unit (1943-1946)

757 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Puttalam, in Sri Lanka, as a Fighter Pool Squadron & Operational Training Unit, on 20 October 1943. It was equipped with various marks of Vought Corsair, an American fighter aircraft, Grumman Hellcat, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft, Grumman Wildcat, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft, and Supermarine Seafire, a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire adapted for operation from an aircraft carrier.
The squadron provided pilots with Deck Landing Training, with aircraft carrier deck landing training carried out on a number of Royal Navy escort carriers. On 5 and 6 November 1944,, an, supported 757 Naval Air Squadron deck landing training. The following April, in 1945, between 14 and 20, another Attacker-class escort carrier,, was the supporting carrier and this was followed by, also an Attacker-class escort carrier, over 29 and 30 June. From the 9 to 14 July 1945,, a, was next to support the carrier deck landing training.
On 15 July 1945, 757 Naval Air Squadron moved to RNAS/RNAMY Tambaram (HMS Valluru), in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The squadron remained at Tambaram for the next four months, before moving to RNAS Katukurunda (HMS Ukussa), located near the town of Kalutara in Sri Lanka, on 12 November 1945. On 29 January 1946, 757 Naval Air Station disbanded at RNAS Katukurunda.

Aircraft operated

757 Naval Air Squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including:

Naval air stations and aircraft carriers

757 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy in England and overseas in Sri Lanka and India, and some deployments in Royal Navy Escort aircraft carriers for Deck Landing Training :
1939
1941 - 1942
1943 - 1946

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 757 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:
1939
  • [Lieutenant commander (Royal Navy)| Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant Commander] V.J. Somerset-Thomas, RN, from 24 May 1939
  • disbanded - 15 August 1939
1941 - 1942
1943 - 1946
  • Lieutenant Commander G.W. Parrish,, RNVR, from 2 October 1943
  • Lieutenant Commander R.W. Durrant, DSC, RNZNVR, from 18 June 1945
  • Lieutenant J.C.S. Wright, RN, from 1 August 1945
  • Lieutenant Commander F. W. Baring, RNVR, from 24 November 1945
  • disbanded - 29 January 1946
Note: Abbreviation signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.