1771 Naval Air Squadron

Inactive flying squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm February 2018 February 2018 1771 Naval Air Squadron 1771 Naval Air Squadron Badge.png 200px Squadron badge 1944–1945 16 October 1945Sturtivant Ballance 1994 339 UK Two-seat fighter squadron Fighter Squadron twelve aircraft Fleet Air Arm See Naval air stations section for full list. Home station World War II European theatre of World War II Operation Provident Pacific War Air raids on Japan * Norway 1944 Japan 1945 Blue, a base barry wavy of six white and blue an eagle gold in combat with a sea monster black issuant from base armed and langued red (1944)Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 278 Squadron Badge Description single letters4A+ (September 1944)270-281 (July 1945)Wragg 2019 190 Identification Markings N (July 1945) Fin Carrier Code Fairey Firefly 1771 Naval Air Squadron (1771 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded at HMS Nabbington, RNAS Nowra, near Sydney, in October 1945. Notably, the squadron was the first British & Commonwealth unit to fly over Japan in the Second World War.https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205161151 Crews of the First British Aircraft to Fly over Japan. July 1945, in the British Escort Carrier HMS Implacable. On 17 July 1945 Fairey Firefly Fighters of 1771 Squadron Operating from Implacable Became the First Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm to Fly over Japan The squadron formed at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton at the start of February 1944, as a Fighter Squadron and also operated from HMS Ringtail, RNAS Burscough, and HMS Landrail, RNAS Machrihanish, with deck landing training on the escort carriers HMS Trumpeter and HMS Ravager before embarking in the fleet carrier HMS Implacable in September. It was involved in sorties over Norway including reconnaissance of the German battleship Tirpitz and other anti-shipping strikes. The squadron remained in HMS Implacable and joined the British Pacific Fleet participating in attacks on the Caroline Islands and the Japanese home islands, and becoming part of the 8th Carrier Air Group. History Two-seater Fighter Squadron (1944–1945) 1771 Squadron formed at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Somerset, on 1 February 1944 as a two-seater fighter squadron. It was equipped with twelve Fairey Firefly I, a carrier-borne fighter, anti-submarine and reconnaissance aircraft.Wragg 2019 190 At the beginning of March the squadron relocated to RNAS Burscough (HMS Ringtail), Lancashire,Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 278 which had day and night fighter facilities.Burscough https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/FAA-Bases/Burscough.htm Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day 10 May 2024 In late June early July, deck landing training was done on the Ruler escort carrier Trumpeter D09 6. Early August saw the squadron move to RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), Kintyre, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, and mid-month Ravager D70 6, an Attacker escort carrier, provided deck landing training.Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 278 thumb|left|Fairey Firefly of 1771 Squadron on the flight deck of Implacable R86 6 warming up ready to make strike on enemy shipping at the entrance to Altafjord, Norway. The squadron embarked in the name ship of her class of aircraft carrier, Implacable R86 6 on 22 September and the following month undertook reconnaissance missions over Norway, including Tromsø, where the German battleship Tirpitz was anchored. This was followed by anti-shipping strikes in November, with one troopship being destroyed and four other ships damaged.Wragg 2019 190 In March 1945 HMS Implacable sailed for the Far East joining the British Pacific Fleet. The squadron disembarked in May and spent two weeks at RNAS Jervis Bay (HMS Nabswick), New South Wales, Australia, the location of Mobile Naval Air Base (MONAB) V, with it re-embarking on the carrier on 24 May.Jervis Bay https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/FAA-Bases/Jervis_Bay.htm Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day 10 May 2024 It took part in Operation Inmate, with attacks on Truk in the Caroline Islands in June.Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 278 A detachment of seven aircraft from the squadron disembarked from HMS Implacable between 9–12 May to RNAS Ponam (HMS Nabaron), Ponam Island, a former United States Navy airstrip transferred to the Royal Navy on loan.Ponam https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/FAA-Bases/Ponam.htm Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day 10 May 2024 It conducted attacks in operations against the Japanese mainland as part of the 8th Carrier Air Group, just before the end of the Second World War.Wragg 2019 190 1771 Naval Air Squadron disembarked to RNAS Nowra (HMS Nabbington), New South Wales, Australia, on 13 September, disbanding on 16 October.Nowra https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/FAA-Bases/Nowra.htm Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day 10 May 2024 Squadron personnel had moved to HMS Golden Hind, Camp Warwick, Sydney on 4 October and returned to the United Kingdom aboard MV Dominion Monarch the following month.Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 278 Aircraft flown 1771 Naval Air Squadron flew only one aircraft type:Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 278 Fairey Firefly I fighter and anti-submarine aircraft (February 1944 - September 1945) Battle honours The battle honours awarded to 1771 Naval Air Squadron are: Norway 1944Norway 1940-45 http://www.britainsnavy.co.uk/Battle%20Honours/Norway%201940-45.htm britainsnavy.co.uk 2 April 2025 Japan 1945Japan 1945 http://www.britainsnavy.co.uk/Battle%20Honours/Japan%201945.htm britainsnavy.co.uk 2 April 2025 Assignments 1771 Naval Air Squadron was assigned as needed to form part of a number of larger units:Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 278-306 8th Carrier Air Group (30 June 1945 - 16 October 1945) Naval air stations 1771 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 carrier and a fleet carrier:Wragg 2019 190Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 278 Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Somerset, (1 February - 3 March 1944) Royal Naval Air Station Burscough (HMS Ringtail), Lancashire, (3 March - 7 August 1944) Trumpeter D09 6 (Detachment four aircraft deck landing training (DLT) 29 June - 1 July 1944) Royal Naval Air Station Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), Argyll and Bute, (7 August - 22 September 1944) Ravager D70 6 (Detachment four aircraft DLT 16 - 17 August 1944) Implacable R86 6 (22 September - 7 November 1944) Royal Naval Air Station Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk), Mainland, Orkney, (7 - 16 November 1944) HMS Implacable (16 - 29 November 1944) Royal Naval Air Station Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk), Mainland, Orkney, (29 November - 5 December 1944) HMS Implacable (5 - 9 December 1944) Royal Naval Air Station Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk), Mainland, Orkney, (9 December 1944 - 8 January 1945) Royal Air Force Mullaghmore, County Antrim, (8 January - 7 February 1945) Royal Naval Air Station Ayr (HMS Wagtail), South Ayrshire, (7 February - 10 March 1945) Pretoria Castle F61 6 (Detachment six aircraft DLT 6 - 10 March 1945) Royal Naval Air Station Arbroath (HMS Condor), Angus, (10 - 12 March 1945) HMS Implacable (12 March - 7 May 1945) Royal Naval Air Station Jervis Bay (HMS Nabswick), Jervis Bay Territory, (7 - 24 May 1945) HMS Implacable (24 May - 13 September 1945) Royal Naval Air Station Ponam (HMS Nabaron), Admiralty Islands, (Detachment seven aircraft 9 - 12 December 1945) Royal Naval Air Station Nowra (HMS Nabbington), New South Wales, (13 September - 16 October 1945) disbanded - (16 October 1945) Commanding officers List of commanding officers of 1771 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:Wragg 2019 190 Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 278 Lieutenant Commander(A) H.M. Ellis, GBR 100% , DSC DFC, RN, from 1 February 1944 (KiFA 6 March 1945A History of HMS PRETORIA CASTLE https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/ESCORT/PRETORIA_CASTLE.htm Royal Navy Research Archive - A History of HMS PRETORIA CASTLE 10 May 2024) Lieutenant Commander(A) W.J.R. MacWhirter, DSC, RN, from 9 March 1945 disbanded - 16 October 1945 Note: Abbreviation (A) signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.Wragg 2019 257 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 Wragg David The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945 2019 The History Press Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK 978-0-7509-9303-6 en Category:1700 series Fleet Air Arm squadrons Category:Military units and formations established in 1944 Category:Air squadrons of the Royal Navy in World War II Category:Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War II Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945