788 Naval Air Squadron(788 NAS) was aNaval Air Squadronof the Royal Navy'sFleet Air Armwhich last disbanded during June 1945. The squadron formed at RN Air Section China Bay in Ceylon, in January 1942, as the BritishEastern Fleet's Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Pool,however it lost half its strength during the heavy raids by Japanese carrier-borne aircraft in the April. The squadron regrouped at RNAS Tanga (HMSKilele) in Tanganyika, East Africa to become aFleet Requirements Unitand relocating almost immediately to RN Air Section Port Reitz, in Mombasa, where it remained operational for the next three years.
| 788 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 788 NAS badge | |
| Active | 18 January 1942 - 11 June 1945[1] |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron |
| Role |
|
| Size | Squadron |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Home station | SeeNaval air stationssection for full list. |
| Motto(s) | Toyari saa yote (Swahilifor 'Ready at all hours')[2] |
| Aircraft | SeeAircraft operatedsection for full list. |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge | Blue, over water in base barry wavy of four white and blue two flashes of lightning in saltire white surmounted by a target proper pierced in the bull by an arrow gold flighted white (1944)[2] |
History of 788 NAS
editEastern Fleet's TBR Pool (1942)
edit788 Naval Air Squadron Formed at RN Air Section China Bay which had lodger facilities atRAF China Bay,inBritish Ceylon(now Sri Lanka), on 18 January 1942, as the British Eastern Fleet's Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Pool.[3]On 5 April six of itsFairey Swordfishtorpedo bomberaircraft were shot down byImperial Japanese Navycarrier-borne aircraft,whilst they were flying to collect torpedoes for an attack on the Japaneseaircraft carriers.[2]The remainder of the unit then travelled toEast Africa.[3]
Fleet Requirements Unit (1942 - 1945)
editThe remnants of the Eastern Fleet TBR Pool, relocated to RNAS Tanga (HMSKilele), inTanganyika Territory,East Africa,to regroup, re-equip and to reform as a Fleet Requirements Unit (FRU) on 20 May 1942.[4]On 24 June 1942 the squadron relocated to RN Air Section Port Reitz which had lodger facilities atRAF Port Reitz,Mombasa,Kenyaand started its role as a FRU.[5]Shortages of equipment and lack of re supply led to the unit operating a variety of aircraft withFairey Albacore,abiplanetorpedo bomber,Fairey Fulmar,acarrier-bornereconnaissanceandfighter aircraft,Hawker Sea Hurricane,anavalisedversion of theHawker Hurricanesingle-engine single-seat fighter aircraft,Blackburn Skua,a carrier-baseddive bomber/fighter aircraft andFairey Swordfish,a biplane torpedo bomber.[3]A detached section operated fromRAF Eastleigh,inNairobi,Kenya,between May and November 1943.[2]
1944 saw the squadron receive some new aircraft and it was equipped with fourBoulton Paul Defianttarget tugvariants, twoBristol Beaufighter,a Britishmulti-role aircraftand aSupermarine Walrusamphibiousmaritime patrol aircraft.[3]788 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at RN Air Section Port Reitz, Mombasa, on 11 June 1945.[5]
Aircraft operated
editThe squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including:[6][7]
- Fairey SwordfishItorpedo bomber(February 1942 - June 1944)
- Fairey Albacoretorpedo bomber (February 1942 - March 1944)
- Blackburn Skuacarrier-baseddive bomber/fighter aircraft(May 1942 - January 1944)
- Fairey Swordfish II torpedo bomber (May 1942 - June 1944)
- Fairey FulmarMk.IIreconnaissance/fighter aircraft (May 1942 - July 1944)
- Supermarine Walrusamphibiousmaritime patrol aircraft(May 1942 - June 1945)
- Hawker Sea HurricaneMk IB fighter aircraft (1942)
- Bristol Blenheimlight bomber(1942)
- Hawker HurricaneMk.IIB fighter aircraft (January 1944)
- Boulton Paul DefiantTT Mk Itarget tug(February 1944 - June 1945)
- Bristol BeaufighterMk.IIF night fighter (April 1944 - January 1945)
- Bristol BeaufortMk.Itorpedo bomber(1945)
Naval air stations
edit788 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number ofnaval air stations of the Royal Navy,located overseas:[6][7]
- RN Air Section China Bay(16 February 1942 - 8 May 1942)
- HMSAthene(passage8 May 1942 - 20 May 1942)
- Royal Naval Air Station Tanga (HMSKilele) (20 May 1942 - 24 June 1942)
- RN Air Section Port Reitz(24 June 1942 - 11 June 1945)
- Royal Air Force Eastleigh(Detachment 1 May - 7 November 1943)
- disbanded- 11 June 1945
Commanding Officers
editList ofcommanding officersof 788 Naval Air Squadron with day, month and year of appointment:[3][7]
- Lieutenant CommanderC.A. Kingsley-Rowe,RN,from 16 February 1942
- MajorV.B.G. Cheesman,RM,from 1 May 1942
- LieutenantE.M, Britton, RN, from 7 August 1942
- Lieutenant W.N. Waller, RN, from 25 August 1942
- Lieutenant Commander(A) E.H. Horn,RNVR,from 12 August 1943
- Lieutenant Commander(A) J.A. Ansell, RNVR, from 25 October 1943
- Lieutenant Commander(A) F.G. Hood,SANF(V), from 15 August 1944
- disbanded- 11 June 1945
References
editCitations
edit- ^Sturtivant, Ballance 1994,p. 112.
- ^abcdBallance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016,p. 90.
- ^abcdeWragg 2019,p. 136.
- ^"Tanga".Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day.Retrieved22 January2024.
- ^ab"Port Reitz".Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day.Retrieved22 January2024.
- ^abcBallance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016,p. 91.
Bibliography
edit- Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016).The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm.Air Britain Historians Limited.ISBN978-0-85130-489-2.
- Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994).The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm.Tonbridge,Kent,UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd.ISBN0-85130-223-8.
- Wragg, David (2019).The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945.Cheltenham,Gloucestershire,UK: The History Press.ISBN978-0-7509-9303-6.