778 Naval Air Squadron


778 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. During the Second World War the squadron was a Service Trials Unit initially based at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, England before moving to HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, Angus, Scotland on 6 July 1940. The squadron tested all types of aircraft that could be used by the Royal Navy. Key to this was testing new types for deck landing on aircraft carriers. Such aircraft included various types of Supermarine Seafires, Grumman Hellcats, Grumman Martlets, Grumman Avengers, and Vought Corsairs. The squadron was reformed on 5 November 1951 with Douglas Skyraider AEW.1 but was disbanded on 7 July 1952 to form the basis of 849 Naval Air Squadron.

History

Service Trials Unit (1939-1948)

778 Naval Air Squadron formed on 28 September 1939 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), Hampshire. The Squadron’s role was as a Service Trials Unit Squadron. This task included the evaluation and testing of tactics, the approval of all front line aircraft types, the equipment, including armaments, such as flame floats and aerial mines. It was later tasked with approving new aircraft carrier catapult and arrester systems. Essentially new aircraft went via the squadron for approval for future Fleet Air Arm use and this included some Royal Air Force and experimental aircraft. The squadron initially operated with Blackburn Roc, a naval turret fighter aircraft, Blackburn Skua, a carrier-based dive bomber and fighter aircraft, Fairey Swordfish, a biplane torpedo bomber and Supermarine Walrus, an amphibious biplane. Fairey Albacore, a biplane torpedo bomber and Fairey Fulmar, a carrier-based reconnaissance and fighter aircraft were added soon after.
The squadron moved to RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor), Angus, Scotland, on 6 July 1940. enabling the unit to utilise the new Dummy Deck there also equipped with arrestor cable. While at HMS Condor the squadron first received Grumman Martlet, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft, and Hawker Sea Hurricane, a navalised version of the Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft. The following couple of years at HMS Condor saw Fairey Barracuda, a British carrier-borne torpedo/dive bomber, Vought Chesapeake, an American carrier-based dive bomber, Vought Kingfisher, an American catapult-launched observation floatplane and Supermarine Seafire, a navalised version of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft, arrive.
778 NAS moved to RNAS Crail (HMS Jackdaw), Fife, Scotland, on 5 March 1943. On 26 July 1943, 'B' Flight was formed for deck trials aboard, a converted armed merchant cruiser to escort carrier of the Royal Navy, and this Flight eventually became 777 Naval Air Squadron, in 1945. The deck trials were to support development work on aircraft carrier equipment, including flight deck lighting and beam approach trials.
The squadron returned RNAS Arbroath on 15 August 1944. It received Grumman Avenger, an American torpedo bomber, Vought Corsair, a carrier-based fighter aircraft, Blackburn Firebrand, a strike fighter and Fairey Firefly, a carrier-based fighter and anti-submarine aircraft. On 7 March 1945, 'C' Flight was formed out of the disbanded 739 Naval Air Squadron, to undertake blind approach trials. Then in August that year the squadron moved south, relocating to RNAS Gosport (HMS Siskin), Hampshire, England, on 9 August and in the October it absorbed 707 Naval Air Squadron, taking on its radar trials.
778 Naval Air Squadron moved to RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine), Sussex, England, on 3 January 1946. Here it absorbed 777 Naval Air Squadron, adding Carrier Trials Unit to its tasks. February 1947 saw Hawker Sea Fury, a British carrier-based fighter aircraft, tested by the Intensive Flying Development Flight, and later, the squadron moved to nearby RAF Tangmere, Sussex, on 18 July, due to runway repairs. May 1948 saw the squadron move again when it returned to RNAS Lee-on-Solent. 778 Naval Air Squadron disbanded, into 703 Naval Air Squadron, on 16 August 1948.

Airborne Early Warning (1951-1952)

778 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk), Cornwall, England, on 5 November 1951 as the Airborne Early Warning squadron. It was equipped with four Douglas Skyraider AEW.1, an American single-seat attack aircraft. This was the AD-4W aircraft, a three-seat airborne early warning variant, which were acquired by the Royal Navy through the Mutual Defense Assistance Act. These aircraft were introduced into the Fleet Air Arm by the squadron, led by Lieutenant J.D. Treacher, RN.
Following an exhaustive training approach it was decided to organise the unit into a first-line squadron. 778 Naval Air squadron disbanded on 7 July 1952, and became 849 Naval Air Squadron.

Aircraft operated

The squadron operated a number of different aircraft types. There are around seventy-eight different marks of aircraft known to have been operated by the squadron between 1939 & 1952:

Naval air stations

778 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air station of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom, a Royal Navy Fleet Carrier, a Royal Navy Escort Carrier and a Royal Air Force station:
1939 - 1948
1951 - 1952

778B Flight

B Flight, 778 Naval Air Squadron, operated from a number of naval air station of the Royal Navy and an armed merchant cruiser:
  • Royal Naval Air Station Crail, Fife,
  • Royal Naval Air Station Crail, Fife,
  • HMS Pretoria Castle
  • * Royal Naval Air Station Crail, Fife,
  • Royal Naval Air Station Crail, Fife,
  • HMS Pretoria Castle
  • * Royal Naval Air Station Arbroath, Angus,
  • became 777 Naval Air Squadron

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 778 Naval Air Squadron, with date of appointment:
1939 - 1948
  • [Lieutenant commander (Royal Navy)| Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant Commander] R.A. Kilroy, RN, from 28 September 1939
  • Lieutenant Commander J.P.G. Bryant, RN, from 22 April 1940
  • Lieutenant Commander A.J. Tillard, RN, from 6 January 1941
  • Lieutenant Commander H.P. Bramwell,, RN, from 21 July 1941
  • Lieutenant Commander H.J.F. Lane, RN, from 1 March 1943
  • Lieutenant Commander P.B. Schofield, RN, from 25 April 1944
  • Lieutenant Commander E.M. Britton, RN, from 5 February 1945
  • Lieutenant Commander M.A. Lacayo, RN, from 1 October 1945
  • Lieutenant Commander R.H.P. Carver, DSC, RN, from 3 July 1946
  • Lieutenant Commander F.R.A. Turnbull,, RN, from 16 January 1948
  • disbanded - 16 August 1948
1951 - 1952

778B Flight

Commanding officer of B Flight, 778 Naval Air Squadron, with date of appointment:
Note: Abbreviation signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.