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787 Naval Air Squadron

787 Naval Air Squadron (787 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded in January 1956. It formed in March 1941, at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, out of 804 Naval Air Squadron as a Fleet Fighter Development Unit. Almost every type of fighter was received by the squadron for testing and evaluation for naval use. A move to RAF Duxford in June 1941 saw it become the Naval Air Fighting Development Unit, attached to the Royal Air Force's Air Fighting Development Unit. The squadron undertook rocket projectile test, continuous development of fighter tactics and even helping Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadrons in evading fighter attack. Post Second World War it continued its trials task and also undertook Rebecca radar trials and ASH, US-built air-to-surface-vessel radar trials.

787 Naval Air Squadron
787 NAS badge
Active5 March 1941 - 16 January 1956[1]
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeFleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron
Role
  • Naval Air Fighting Development Unit
SizeSquadron
Part ofFleet Air Arm
AircraftSee Aircraft operated section for full list.
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Commander Stanley Orr, DSC & Two Bars, AFC
Insignia
Squadron BadgePer fess blue and barry wavy of four white and blue, a key wards uppermost gold and a sword proper hilted gold in saltire (1952)[2]
Identification Markingsno markings (up to 1943)
Y0A+ (from 1943)[3]
Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6 ‘WV797 - J-491’, wearing Suez markings, saw service with 787 NAS. On display at the Midland Air Museum, Coventry Airport, UK

History of 787 NAS

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787 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), in Somerset, England, on 5 March 1941 and tasked as a Fleet Fighter Development Unit.[3] The unit formed out of 804 Naval Air Squadron and was initially equipped with five Gloster Sea Gladiator, a British biplane fighter aircraft and three Fairey Fulmar, a British carrier-borne reconnaissance and fighter aircraft.[2] As different types of fighter aircraft were introduced for service the squadron tested and evaluated them for naval use.[3] It would test the aircraft’s capabilities, enabling it to devise tactics for use against enemy aircraft,[2] and part the role was comparative testing of captured aircraft, for example the squadron contrasted a Fairey Fulmar Mk.II against a Fiat CR.42 Falco, an Italian sesquiplane fighter aircraft, and a Grumman Martlett Mk I, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft, against a Messerschmitt Bf 109E, a German fighter aircraft.[3]

 
Gloster Sea Gladiator 'N5517', an example of the type used initially by 787 NAS

On 18 June 1941, 787 NAS moved to RAF Duxford, in Cambridgeshire, to become the Naval Air Fighting Development Unit, attached to the RAF's Air Fighting Development Unit.[2] During January 1943 the squadron began development around the use of rocket projectiles with naval aircraft, forming a ‘Z’ Flight which operated out off RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture) and conducted trials at the Treligga Range,[3] under the code-name 'Glowworm'.[2] The RAF's Air Fighting Development Unit moved to RAF Wittering, in Cambridgeshire, and 787 NAS moved with it on 26 March 1943. It received new fighter aircraft acquiring Vought Corsair an American carrie-borne fighter aircraft, Fairey Firefly, a British carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft, and Grumman Hellcat, an American carrier-based fighter aircraf, but was also now equipped with TBR aircraft: Fairey Barracuda a British carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber and Grumman Avenger, an American torpedo bomber.[3]

The squadron formed ‘Y’ Flight at RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor), in Angus, Scotland, in June 1944, which was known as the Fighter Affiliation Unit and which was equipped with Supermarine Seafire, a navalised version of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft, and a small number of Bristol Blenheim, light bomber aircraft, with the latter being used as target aircraft.[2] The flight travelled around, visiting various operational squadrons, demonstrating fighter tactics and in particular to the TBR units, defensive flying.[3] July 1944 saw the disbandment of ‘Z’ Flight, however, ‘Y’ Flight continued into 1945,[2] based firstly at RNAS Burscough (HMS Ringtail) in Lancashire from August 1944 through to November with a variety of different aircraft,[4] then moving briefly to RNAS Ballyhalbert (HMS Corncrake), in County Down, Northern Ireland, for two weeks mid-February 1945, before relocating to RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.[5] where it disbanded (becoming 'B' Flight of 736 Naval Air Squadron at RN Air Section Speke on 1 March 1945).[2]

 
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Grumman Hellcat (Frame number FN327) at RAF Wittering

As well in March, 787 Naval Air Squadron moved to RAF Tangmere, in West Sussex, the new home of Air Fighting Development Unit, which then become the Air Fighting Development Squadron of the Central Fighter Establishment, while 787 Naval Air Squadron became the Air Support Development Section of the Naval Air Fighting Development Unit. It again formed an ‘X’ Flight, this time at RAF Odiham, in Hampshire and was equipped with three Grumman Hellcat fighter aircraft and an Avro Anson, a multi-role aircraft, this Flight undertook Rebecca radar trails.[3] The squadron also had a detachment at RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine), West Sussex, starting on 29 April 1945.[6] It was formed of five Fairey Firefly for trials with ASH, an American air-to-surface vessel (ASV) radar. After VE Day the squadron was intended to deploy 'X' Flight to the Far East, however, the plan was cancelled following V-J Day.[3]

Following a short spell at RAF Westhampnett, in West Sussex, from July, 787 Naval Air Squadron then moved to RAF West Raynham, in Norfolk, in November, where it absorbed 746 Naval Air Squadron on 30 January 1946. The squadron continued its trials role in the years following the Second World War, successively flying de Havilland Sea Hornet, a twin-engine fighter aircraft, Hawker Sea Fury, a carrier-based fighter aircraft, de Havilland Sea Vampire, a jet fighter, Supermarine Attacker, a jet fighter, Westland Wyvern, a carrier-based multi-role strike aircraft and Hawker Sea Hawk, a jet day fighter, before disbanding in January 1956.[2]

Aircraft operated

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787 Naval Air Squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions. There are around seventy different marks of aircraft known to have been operated by the squadron:[7][8]

 
Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk 1B
 
Fairey Fulmar
 
Supermarine Seafire F.XVII
 
Vought Corsair
 
Fairey Firefly FR.1
 
Hawker Sea Fury FB.11
 
Supermarine Attacker FB.2
 
Westland Wyvern S.4

787X Flight

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  • Avro Anson Mk I multi-role aircraft (March - May 1945)
  • Grumman Hellcat F. Mk. I fighter aircraft (March - May 1945)

787Y Flight

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  • Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV light bomber (May 1944 - February 1945)
  • de Havilland Dominie short-haul airliner (May 1944 - February 1945)
  • Supermarine Seafire Mk Ib fighter aircraft (June - October 1944)
  • Supermarine Seafire L Mk IIc fighter aircraft (June - October 1944)
  • Supermarine Seafire Mk III fighter aircraft (May 1944 - February 1945)

787Z Flight

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  • Fairey Fulmar Mk.I reconnaissance/fighter aircraft (April 1943 - )
  • Fairey Fulmar Mk.II reconnaissance/fighter aircraft (January 1944)
  • Hawker Hurricane Mk.IV fighter aircraft (June - November 1943)
  • Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk IA fighter aircraft (May 1943 - June 1944)
  • Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk IIc fighter aircraft (November 1943 - )
  • Fairey Swordfish I torpedo bomber (March 1943 - June 1944)
  • Fairey Swordfish II torpedo bomber (January 1943 - )
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Buildings at the former RAF West Raynham

787 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force stations in Scotland, Wales and England:[2][8]

787X Flight

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787Y Flight

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787Z Flight

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Commanding Officers

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List of commanding officers of 787 Naval Air Squadron with day, month and year of appointment:[7][8]

  • Lieutenant Commander B.H.M. Kendall RN, from 5 March 1941 (Commander 1 October 1944)
  • Lieutenant Commander(A) R.E. Bibby, DSO, RNVR, from 12 November 1944
  • Lieutenant Commander G.R. Callingham, RN, from 5 September 1945
  • Commander R.A. Kilroy, DSC, RN, from 6 May 1946
  • Lieutenant Commander P.E.I. Bailey, RN, from 3 December 1946
  • Commander R.J.H. Stephens, RN, from 11 February 1947
  • Commander E.A. Shaw, RN, from 21 April 1948
  • Lieutenant Commander B.H.C. Nation, RN, from 16 May 1950
  • Lieutenant Commander W.I. Campbell, RN, from 24 September 1951
  • Lieutenant Commander R.L. Eveleigh, RN, from 7 January 1953
  • Lieutenant Commander S.G. Orr, DSC & Two Bars, AFC, RN, from 4 March 1953
  • Lieutenant Commander R.E. Bourke, RAN, from 15 August 1953
  • Lieutenant Commander P.J. Hutton, RN, from 8 October 1953
  • Lieutenant Commander R.D. Taylor, RN, from 1 January 1954 (KIFA 19 March 1954)
  • Lieutenant Commander R.E. Bourke, RAN, from 20 March 1954
  • Lieutenant Commander R.A. Shilcock, RN, from 24 July 1954
  • disbanded - 16 January 1956

787X Flight

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  • Lieutenant(A) R.J. Srurges, RNVR, from 1 March 1945
  • disbanded - 4 June 1945

787Y Flight

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  • Lieutenant Commander(A) R.E. Bibby, DSO, RNVR, from 28 July 1944
  • disbanded - 1 March 1945

787Z Flight

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  • Lieutenant(A) G. Hamilton-Bates, RNVR, from 15 January 1943 (Lieutenant Commander 30 September 1943)
  • Lieutenant(A) T.G. Davison, RNVR, from 6 June 1944
  • disbanded - 1 July 1944

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 111.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 89.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wragg 2019, p. 136.
  4. ^ "Squadrons at Ringtail - Images of Burscough". Images of Burscough and surrounding areas including HMS Ringtail. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Ballyhalbert". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Ford". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 90.
  8. ^ a b c "787 Naval Air Squadron". www.wings-aviation.ch. Retrieved 25 January 2024.

Bibliography

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