1820 Naval Air Squadron

Inactive flying squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm February 2018 February 2018 1820 Naval Air Squadron 1820 Naval Air Squadron Badge.png 200px Squadron badge 1944 16 December 1944Sturtivant Ballance 1994 341 UK Dive-bomber squadron Dive bomber nine aircraft Fleet Air Arm See Naval air stations section for full list. Home station Lieutenant Commander(A) H.I.A. Swayne, GBR 100% , DSC, RN Blue, in sinister chief a cloud proper issuant towards dexter base two lightning flashes and a rapier white. Wartime unofficialBallance Howard Sturtivant 2016 281 Squadron Badge Description 1A+ 4A+ (August 1944) Identification Markings Curtiss Helldiver 1820 Naval Air Squadron (1820 NAS), also referred to as 1820 Squadron, is an inactive Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The squadron was established at Naval Air Station Brunswick in Maine, in April 1944 and subsequently joined Arbiter D31 6 in July. Throughout its operational period, the squadron exclusively utilised the Curtiss Helldiver I dive bomber aircraft. Nevertheless, the performance of this aircraft was deemed inadequate for its designated purpose, leading to the squadron's disbandment on 16 December 1944, at RNAS Burscough, HMS Ringtail, Lancashire. History Dive bomber squadron (1944) 1820 Naval Air Squadron formed on 1 April 1944, in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick, located at United States Naval Air Station (USNAS) Brunswick, Maine, as a dive bomber squadron, Brunswick https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/FAA-Bases/Brunswick.htm Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day 15 September 2024 under the command of Lieutenant Commander(A) H.I.A. Swayne, DSC, RN.Wragg 2019 191 It was equipped with nine Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, an American dive bomber. These were the Canadian built SBW-1B version for lend-lease to the Royal Navy and known as Helldiver I.Thetford 1991 418 The squadron strength was eight pilots and eight observers and they conducted familiarisation with the aircraft and equipment at Brunswick during April.A history of 1820 Naval Air Squadron https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/SQUADRONS/1820_Squadron.htm Royal Navy Research Archive - Royal Naval Air Squadrons 1938 - present day 15 September 2024 The squadron moved to USNAS Squantum, Quincy, Massachusetts on 1 May 1955, where RN Air Section Squantum was located and continued to work-up for a couple of months, before it moved to RN Air Section Norfolk at USNAS Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia, on 5 July 1944, to embark in the Ruler escort carrier, Arbiter D31 6.Squantum https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/FAA-Bases/Squantum.htm Royal Navy Research Archive - Royal Naval Air Squadrons 1938 - present day 15 September 2024 By the 7 July, all aircrew, equipment and aircraft were embarked in HMS Arbiter at Naval Station Norfolk and the carrier sailed to New York to embark further passengers. On 10 July she then joined Convoy CU 31 and sailed for Liverpool.CONVOY CU 31 - Page 2 https://www.warsailors.com/convoys/cu31report.html warsailors.com 16 September 2024 1820 Naval Air Squadron disembarked on 24 July and travelled to RN Air Section Speke, the aircraft towed by road. The squadron flew to RNAS Burscough (HMS Ringtail), Lancashire, on 11 August. Aircraft evaluation and a flying training program continued at RNAS Burscough (HMS Ringtail) until 23 October, when the squadron flew north to Scotland to operate out of RNAS Donibristle (HMS Merlin), Fife, to enable deck landing training and carrier trials aboard the Ruler-class escort carrier Speaker D90 6.Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 281 The aircraft type was found to be unsatisfactory for its intended purpose. The squadron lost a number of crews and aircraft due to accidents, with three failing to pull out of vertical dives. 1820 Naval Air Squadron was therefore disbanded at RNAS Burscough (HMS Ringtail) on 16 December 1994.Wragg 2019 191 Aircraft flown 1820 Naval Air Squadron flew only one aircraft type:Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 281 Curtiss Helldiver I dive-bomber (April - December 1944) Naval air stations 1820 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom, a number overseas, and a couple of Royal Navy escort carriers:Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 281 thumb|HMS Arbiter RN Air Section Brunswick, Maine, (1 April - 1 May 1944) RN Air Section Squantum, Massachusetts, (1 May - 5 July 1944) Arbiter D31 6 (5 - 24 July 1944) RN Air Section Speke, Merseyside, (24 July - 11 August 1944) Royal Naval Air Station Burscough (HMS Ringtail), Lancashire, (11 August - 23 October 1944) Royal Naval Air Station Donibristle (HMS Merlin), Fife, (23 - 31 October 1944) Speaker D90 6 (Detachment Deck Landing Training (DLT) 29 - 30 October 1944) Royal Naval Air Station Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk), Mainland, Orkney, (31 October - 1 December 1944) Royal Naval Air Station Donibristle (HMS Merlin), Fife, (1 - 4 December 1944) Royal Naval Air Station Burscough (HMS Ringtail), Lancashire, (4 - 16 December 1944) disbanded - (16 December 1944) Commanding officers List of commanding officers of 1820 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:Wragg 2019 191Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 281 Note: Abbreviation (A) signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.Wragg 2019 257 Lieutenant Commander(A) H.I.A. Swayne, GBR 100% , DSC, RN, from 1 February 1944 disbanded - 16 October 1945 References Citations Bibliography Ballance Theo Howard Lee Sturtivant Ray The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm 2016 Air Britain Historians Limited 978-0-85130-489-2 en Sturtivant R. Ballance T. The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm 1994 Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd Tonbridge, Kent, UK 0-85130-223-8 Thetford Owen British Naval Aircraft since 1912 1991 Putnam Aeronautical Books, an imprint of Conway Maritime Press Ltd London, UK 0-85177-849-6 Wragg David The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945 2019 The History Press Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK 978-0-7509-9303-6 en External links https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/SQUADRONS/1820_Squadron.htm A History of 1820 Naval Air Squadron 22 October 2021 The Royal Navy Research Archive Category:1800 series Fleet Air Arm squadrons Category:Military units and formations established in 1944 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1944