10th Naval Fighter Wing

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm aircraft wing September 2026 September 2026 10th Naval Fighter Wing File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg 200px White Ensign 14 October 1944 – February 1945 UK Naval fighter Wing Fleet fighter operations Two squadrons Fleet Air Arm RNAS Eglinton Home station Vought Corsair Aircraft World War II Major P.P. Nelson-Gracie, RM Wing Leader OBallance Howard Sturtivant 2016 304 Wing Code 10th Naval Fighter Wing ("10 Wing") was a Fleet Air Arm formation of the Royal Navy formed at RNAS Eglinton on 14 October 1944. It comprised 1843 and 1845 Naval Air Squadrons, both equipped with Vought Corsair fighter bomber aircraft and earmarked for service with the British Pacific Fleet.https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/SQUADRONS/1843_Squadron.htm 1843 Naval Air Squadron Royal Navy Research Archive 26 September 2026https://historicengland.org.uk/research/results/reports/8748/MilitaryCommandandControlOrganisationVol1Navy UK Military Command and Control Organisation: Volume 1 – Navy Historic England 26 September 2026 The wing's headquarters was formed at RNAS Eglinton, while 1843 Squadron was allocated to the escort carriers Arbiter D31 6 and 1845 Squadron to Slinger D26 6.https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/SQUADRONS/1845_Squadron.htm 1845 Naval Air Squadron Royal Navy Research Archive 26 September 2026 History Formation The 10th Naval Fighter Wing was formed at RNAS Eglinton, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on 14 October 1944 with 1843 and 1845 Naval Air Squadrons. Each squadron was earmarked to join an escort carrier for service with the British Pacific Fleet, with 1843 Squadron allocated to Ruler escort carrier Arbiter D31 6 and 1845 squadron to sister ship Slinger D26 6. Historic England identifies the 10th Naval Fighter Wing among the Naval Wings formed during the Second World War. It records that the wing comprised two Vought Corsair squadrons attached to HMS Arbiter and HMS Slinger, with its headquarters formed at RNAS Eglinton in October 1944. The Fleet Air Arm chronology records the 10th Naval Fighter Wing as operating from October 1944 to February 1945 and identifies Major P.P. Nelson-Gracie, RM, as its Wing Leader.Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 302 Deployment Both squadrons moved to RNAS Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland, on 23 October 1944 for bombardment-spotting training. 1845 Squadron returned to RNAS Eglinton on 6 November, while 1843 Squadron remained at RNAS Ayr until returning to RNAS Eglinton on 15 December. 1845 Squadron embarked its new Vought Corsair Mk IV aircraft in HMS Slinger on 19 December 1944 and began deck-landing practice and exercises on the escort carrier in preparation for deployment to the British Pacific Fleet. 1843 Squadron completed its preparations for HMS Arbiter and flew from RNAS Belfast, County Antrim, Norther Ireland, to embark in the carrier on 14 February 1945. End of the wing thumb|Corsair Mk IV; of the type used by 1843 and 1845 Squadrons The Fleet Air Arm chronology records the 10th Naval Fighter Wing as existing from October 1944 until February 1945.Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 302 Historic England records the two squadrons as being attached separately to HMS Arbiter and HMS Slinger. 1843 Squadron embarked in HMS Arbiter on 14 February 1945. Major Nelson-Gracie's command of 1843 Squadron ended on 11 February 1945, when Lieutenant Commander P.C.S. Chilton, RN, succeeded him as commanding officer. 1845 Squadron continued its separate service aboard HMS Slinger after February 1945. On 25 February its serviceable aircraft were flown off to RNAS Schofields (HMS Nabthorpe), New South Wales, Australia, while three unserviceable airframes were taken by road to RNAS Bankstown (HMS Nabberley), Sydney. The squadron was disbanded on 5 April 1945, with its aircraft and aircrew dispersed to the Illustrious aircraft carrier 3s Formidable 67 6 and Victorious R38 6. 1843 and 1845 Naval Air Squadrons subsequently became components of the 3rd Carrier Air Group, which formed at RNAS Nowra (HMS Nabbington), New South Wales, on 2 August 1945 with 854 Naval Air Squadron.Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 305Wragg 2019 203 Squadrons 10th Naval Fighter Wing consited of two Fleet Air Arm squadrons:Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 302 1843 Naval Air Squadron, October 1944 - February 1945 1845 Naval Air Squadron, October 1944 - February 1945 Naval air stations and carrier deployments thumb|Slinger D26 6 thumb|Arbiter D31 6 Royal Naval Air Station Eglinton (HMS Gannet), County Londonderry. The 10th Naval Fighter Wing was formed at RNAS Eglinton on 14 October 1944, with 1843 and 1845 Naval Air Squadrons. The wing's headquarters was established at the naval air station. 1845 Squadron had arrived at RNAS Eglinton on 18 September, while 1843 Squadron had been at the station since August. Royal Naval Air Station Ayr (HMS Wagtail), South Ayrshire. 1843 and 1845 Naval Air Squadrons moved to RNAS Ayr on 23 October 1944 for bombardment-spotting training. 1845 Squadron returned to RNAS Eglinton on 6 November, while 1843 remained at RNAS Ayr until 15 December. Royal Naval Air Station Eglinton (HMS Gannet), County Londonderry. Following the separate training periods at RNAS Ayr, 1845 Squadron remained at RNAS Eglinton until embarking in HMS Slinger on 19 December 1944. 1843 Squadron returned to RNAS Eglinton on 15 December and remained there while preparing for its allocation to HMS Arbiter. Slinger D26 6 1845 Squadron embarked on 19 December 1944 with 24 Vought Corsair Mk IV fighter bomber aircraft and began deck landing practice and exercises with the escort carrier in preparation for deployment to the British Pacific Fleet.https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/ESCORT/SLINGER.htm A History of HMS Slinger Royal Navy Research Archive 26 September 2026 Royal Naval Air Station Belfast (HMS Gadwall), County Antrim. 1843 Squadron moved to RNAS Belfast in February 1945 in preparation for embarkation in HMS Arbiter. The squadron flew from RNAS Belfast to the escort carrier on 14 February. Arbiter D31 6 1843 Squadron embarked on 14 February 1945 with 24 Vought Corsair fighter bombers and began a flying programme with the escort carrier in preparation for passage to Australia.https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/ESCORT/ARBITER.htm A History of HMS Arbiter Royal Navy Research Archive 26 September 2026 Aircraft Naval Air Squadrons assigned to 10 Wing flew different variants of one aircraft types:Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 294&296 Vought Corsair Mk II fighter-bomber (1944 - 1945) Vought Corsair Mk III fighter-bomber (1944) Vought Corsair Mk IV fighter-bomber (1944 - 1945) Wing leader The wing was commanded by Major P.P. Nelson-Gracie, RM, from its formation in October 1944 until its disbandment.Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 302Wragg 2019 201 See also Fleet Air Arm List of aircraft wings of the Royal Navy 1843 Naval Air Squadron 1845 Naval Air Squadron Arbiter D31 6 Slinger D26 6 References Bibliography Ballance Theo Howard Lee Sturtivant Ray The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm Air-Britain (Historians) 2016 Wragg David The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939–1945 The History Press 2019 Category:Military units and formations established in 1944 Air Aircraft wings Royal Navy aircraft Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945