1791 Naval Air Squadron

Inactive flying squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm February 2018 February 2018 1791 Naval Air Squadron 300px Fairey Firefly I; an example of the type used by 1791 NAS 1945 23 September 1945 UK Two-seat fighter squadron Night fighter Squadron Fleet Air Arm See Naval air stations section for full list. Home station Lieutenant commander(A) H.J. Hunter, RCNVR A Red Indian's head. (Wartime unofficial)Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 280 Squadron Badge Description single letters Identification Markings Fairey Firefly 1791 Naval Air Squadron (1791 NAS), sometimes called 1791 Squadron, is an inactive Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was formed on 15 March 1945 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent, HMS Daedalus, Hampshire, as a Night Fighter squadron. It was equipped with Fairey Firefly NF.Mk I night fighter. The squadron joined the Ruler escort carrier Puncher D79 6 in June for deck landing practice but saw no action. Following V-J Day the squadron was disbanded on 23 September 1945 at RNAS Burscough, HMS Ringtail, Lancashire.Sturtivant Ray The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm 1994 Air-Britain 0-85130-223-8 340 History Night Fighter Squadron (1945) 1792 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), on 15 March 1945, as a night fighter squadron. It was equipped with Fairey Firefly NF.Mk I, a night fighter variant of the carrier-borne fighter, anti-submarine and reconnaissance aircraft,Wragg 2019 190 which was fitted with radar in a centre-line container.Thetford 1991 173 It moved to RNAS Inskip (HMS Nightjar), Lancashire, on 19 April and from 11 June the squadron embarked in the Ruler escort carrier Puncher D79 6, for deck landing training, for a couple of days.Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 280 The squadron disembarked to RNAS Drem (HMS Nighthawk), East Lothian, Scotland, where the Naval Night Fighter School and Night Fighter Direction Centre were based. It remained in Scotland for two months before returning to Lancashire, this time going to RNAS Burscough (HMS Ringtail) on 18 August.Drem https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/FAA-Bases/Drem.htm Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day 7 May 2024 With the surrender of Japan there was no longer a requirement for the squadron to join the British Pacific Fleet and 1791 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at RNAS Burscough on 23 September.Wragg 2019 190 Aircraft flown 1791 Naval Air Squadron flew only one aircraft type, two variants:Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 280 Fairey Firefly NF.Mk I night fighter (March - September 1945) Fairey Firefly I fighter and anti-submarine aircraft (May - September 1945) Naval air stations 1791 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom:Ballance Howard Sturtivant 2016 280 Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), Hampshire, (15 March - 19 April 1945) Royal Naval Air Station Inskip (HMS Nightjar), Lancashire, (19 April - 11 June 1945) Puncher D79 6, Ruler escort carrier, (Detachment six aircraft Deck Landing Training (DLT) 11 - 13 June 1945) Royal Naval Air Station Drem (HMS Nighthawk), East Lothian, (18 June - 18 August 1945) Royal Naval Air Station Burscough (HMS Ringtail), Lancashire, (18 August - 23 September 1945) disbanded - (23 September 1945) Commanding officers List of commanding officers of 1791 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:Wragg 2019 190 Lieutenant Commander(A) H.J. Hunter, RCNVR, from 15 March 1945 disbanded - 23 September 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 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 Category:Military units and formations established in 1945 Category:1700 series Fleet Air Arm squadrons Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Category:Night fighter units