768 Naval Air Squadron


768 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. It last disbanded at HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland, in March 1949, having been formed as a Deck Landing Control Officer Training Squadron, in December 1948, to ensure one American-style signal trained DLCO could be located at every FAA station. It first formed as part of the Deck Landing Training School at HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, in January 1941, as a Deck Landing Training Squadron. Advanced training was in HMS Argus, for which a detachment was maintained at HMS Landrail, RNAS Machrihanish, where it wholly moved to in March 1943. September saw a move to RAF Heathfield, Ayr, followed by a further move to HMS Sanderling, RNAS Abbotsinch in January 1944. Training used escort carriers on the Firth of Clyde and a detachment was maintained at Ayr throughout this period, with the squadron returning there in July 1945, at this time HMS Wagtail, RNAS Ayr. In August the squadron moved to HMS Corncrake, RNAS Ballyhalbert in Northern Ireland but then in October it joined up with the Deck Landing School at HMS Peewit, RNAS East Haven, Scotland, where it disbanded in April 1946.

History

Deck Landing Training Squadron (1941–1946)

768 Naval Air Squadron formed as a Deck Landing Training Squadron, on 13 January 1941, at RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor), located near Arbroath in East Angus, Scotland. The squadron was initially equipped with Fairey Swordfish, a biplane torpedo bomber aircraft. Dummy deck landing was trained at RNAS Arbroath, but advanced carrier deck landing training was done on the unique, the Royal Navy aircraft carrier, that was converted from an ocean liner and served as a training ship, via a detachment at RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), located 3 miles west of Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The squadron moved there full time on 1 March 1943.
By this time the squadron operated Fairey Fulmar, a British carrier-borne reconnaissance/fighter aircraft, Grumman Martlet, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft, Hawker Sea Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire, fighter aircraft, alongside the initial Fairey Swordfish.
HMS Argus was joined by the,, by July 1943, giving the DLT school a second deck in the Firth of Clyde and Irish Sea training areas. Other escort carriers also provided decks for the expanding deck landing training programme, during the Second World War. The squadron left RNAS Machrihanish on 29 September and relocated to RAF Heathfield, Ayr, where it received Gumman Hellcat, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft. This was followed shortly later by a move to RNAS Abbotsinch (HMS Sanderling), Paisley, Renfrewshire, where it received Grumman Avenger, an American torpedo bomber, Vought Corsair, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft and later Fairey Firefly, a British carrier-based fighter and anti-submarine aircraft. The squadron also kept a detachment at RAF Heathfield, used as a forward airfield to be near the aircraft carrier training areas.
The squadron saw more moves during 1945, first back to Heathfield, now a Naval Air Station, RNAS Ayr, on 5 July 1945, then across the Irish Sea to RNAS Ballyhalbert (HMS Corncrake), County Down, Northern Ireland, on 28 August, and finally, across to the east coast of Scotland, moving to RNAS East Haven (HMS Peewit), Angus, Scotland, to join up with the Deck Landing School, on 25 October, where it absorbed part of 731 Naval Air Squadron in the November. 768 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at RNAS East Haven on 16 April 1946.

Deck Landing Control Officer Training Squadron (1948–1949)

768 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), Derry, Northern Ireland, as a Deck Landing Control Officer Training squadron, on 15 December 1948. It was equipped with eight Supermarine Seafire F Mk XV, a navalised version of a Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft and two Fairey Firefly FR.I, the initial fighter/reconnaissance variant.
The squadron was required to train a number of Deck Landing Control Officers to the new American-style standard, needed so that one DLCO could be located at every FAA station. There was a significant number of FAA pilots who had been trained on the old British style of deck control signals and therefore needed training in the new signals to ensure they were eligible for RN aircraft carrier operations. 768 Naval Air Squadron graduated fifteen DLCOs before it disbanded at RNAS Eglinton on 8 March 1949.

Aircraft operated

The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions:

Naval air stations

769 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air station of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom:
1941 - 1946
1948 - 1949

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 768 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:
1941 - 1946
  • Lieutenant Commander V.C. Grenfell, RN, from 13 January 1941
  • Lieutenant Commander F.D.G. Jennings, RN, from 26 June 1941
  • not identified 3 July 1941
  • Lieutenant N.G. Hallett, RN, from 28 September 1941
  • Lieutenant J.C.M. Harman, RN, from 1 November 1941
  • Lieutenant P.B. Jackson, RN, from 15 March 1942
  • Lieutenant Commander D.M. Brown, RNVR, from 29 December 1942
  • Lieutenant Commander D.J.W. Williams, RN, from 1 March 1943
  • Lieutenant Commander J.S. Bailey, RN, from 8 July 1943
  • Lieutenant Commander I.M. Brown,, RNVR, from 29 October 1944
  • Lieutenant Commander R. Pridham-Wippell, RN, from 1 November 1945
  • Lieutenant N.A. Bartlett, RN, from 10 January 1946
  • disbanded - 16 April 1946
1948 - 1949
  • Lieutenant D.G. MacQueen,, RN, from 15 December 1948
  • disbanded - 8 March 1949
Note: Abbreviation signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.