| 764 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Squadron badge | |
| Active | |
| 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 stations section for full list. |
| Mottos | Experientia expertus (Latin for 'Tested by trials') |
| Aircraft | SeeAircraft operated section for full list. |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge Description | Barry wavy of six white and blue, a balance gold (1945)[3] |
| Identification Markings | Y9A+ (Swordfish) unmarked (Walrus,Seafox andKingfisher)[4] 100-116 (Seafire from May 1953) 243-250 (Firefly from May 1953) 251-256 (Sea Hawk from February 1955) 161-175 (Wyvern from February 1955) 689-714 (all types from January 1956)[2] |
| Fin Shore Codes | LM:VL (from May 1953) FD (from February 1955) |
764 Naval Air Squadron (764 NAS) was aFleet Air Arm (FAA)naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’sRoyal Navy (RN). It initially formed in April 1940, at HMSDaedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, as anAdvance Seaplane Training Squadron. The Squadron moved to RAF Pembroke Dock in July 1940, and later to HMSDaedalus II, RNAS Lawrenny Ferry in October 1941 and remaining there until the Squadron disbanded in November 1943. It reformed at HMSSiskin, RNAS Gosport, in February 1944, as theUser Trials Unit, however, the squadron was decommissioned for the second time in September 1945. 764 Naval Air Squadron reformed again, at HMSFulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth, in May 1953, where it became anAdvanced Training Unit. It moved to HMSHeron, RNAS Yeovilton, in September 1953, where it received its first jet aircraft. In November 1954 the Squadron disbanded.
It reformed in February 1955, at HMSPeregrine, RNAS Ford, as aFighter Pilot Holding Unit and equipped exclusively with jets. However, starting in the May, the squadron also provided Westland Wyvern aircraft type conversion for the next couple of years. In June 1957, 764 Naval Air Squadron moved to HMSFulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth, utilising its satellite airfield, HMSFulmar II, RNAS Milltown, and with it a change to multiple training roles:Air Weapons Training, Commanding Officers and Senior Pilots Designate Course, aJet Fighter Pool and aTarget Towing Unit. With Hawker Hunter aircraft arriving in December 1958, the squadrons primary duty wasAir Warfare Instructor training. It also undertook swept wing conversion to the Hawker Hunter. From March to November 1965 a ‘B’ flight was formed at HMSFulmar, to train Airwork Limited pilots to fly Supermarine Scimitar aircraft. In July 1972, 764 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at HMSFulmar.
764 Naval Air Squadron reformed as a non-flying squadron at HMSSultan, in October 2008, as theInitial Training Squadron, as part of the Royal Naval Air Engineering & Survival School (RNAESS), within the Defence School of Aeronautical Engineering (DSAE) to simulate a squadron environment[2] for training of Air Engineer Officers', Air Engineering Technicians and Survival Equipment ratings.[5]
764 Naval Air Squadron formed on the 8 April 1940, as an Advance Seaplane Training Squadron, atRNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMSDaedalus), situated nearLee-on-the-Solent inHampshire. It was equipped withSupermarine Walrusamphibian aircraft, along withFairey Seafox andFairey Swordfishfloatplanes.[6] When the trainees had passed the conversion course at Lee-on Solent they boarded theseaplane carrier,HMSPegasus, for catapult training.[7]
Lodger facilities, for a RN Air Section atRAF Pembroke Dock, aRoyal Air Force Seaplane and Flying Boat station located atPembroke Dock,Pembrokeshire,Wales, were granted to the Royal Navy and 764 Naval Air Squadron moved there on the 3 July 1940, leaving behind its Fairey Seafox aircraft.[8] From August 1940, the squadron was providing the Seaplane Flying Training Course Part II (765 Naval Air Squadron provided Part I, where the Fairey Seafox aircraft ended up).[7] Around May 1941, aircraft from 764 NAS started usingLawrenny Ferry, a Royal Naval established seaplane facility used to train Fleet Air Arm pilots in the art of flying seaplanes, which was situated 3 miles (5 km) north east of Pembroke Docks on the north side of the junction of the Cresswell and Carew rivers.[9]
The Fairey Swordfish floatplanes were withdrawn in September 1941.[7] However, in response toLuftwaffe air raids on Pembroke Docks, in October 1941 the Air Section was withdrawn and 764 Naval Air Squadron moved toRNAS Lawrenny Ferry (HMSDaedalus II). It arrived with eight Supermarine Walrus and one Fairey Swordfish floatplane, which was soon withdrawn and the Supermarine Walrus was the main aircraft operated. In July 1942,Vought Kingfisher, an observation floatplane aircraft, arrived.[9] The need for Seaplane Training had diminished by the middle of 1943 and eventually 764 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at RNAS Lawrenny Ferry (HMSDaedalus II) on 7 November 1943.[7]
764 Naval Air Squadron reformed atRAF Gosport, situated inGosport,Hampshire, England, on 19 February 1944, as the User Trials Unit. It was initially equipped with threeFairey Barracuda Mk II torpedo and dive bomber aircraft and threeGrumman Avenger Mk II, an American torpedo bomber aircraft. On the 1 July 1944, the squadron moved to RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMSDaedalus), located near Lee-on-the-Solent, in Hampshire and immediately a ’B’ flight was formed as a Tactician Trials flight. This flight was equipped withBlackburn Firebrand strike fighter aircraft.
A further detachment from 764 NAS then operated out ofRNAS Machrihanish (HMSLandrail), constructed close toCampbeltown inArgyll and Bute,Scotland. Its designated role was a Torpedo Trials Flight. In September 1944, on completion of net defence trials in theriver Clyde, this detachment was absorbed into778 Naval Air Squadron. On the 1 October 1944, 'B' flight was re-designated708 Naval Air Squadron. In June 1945, the squadron then receivedFairey Firefly, a carrier-based fighter and anti-submarine aircraft, however, approximately three months later, 764 NAS disbanded on the 1 September 1945.[7]
764 Naval Air Squadron reformed, out of 'A' Flight of766 Naval Air Squadron, on the 18 May 1953, as an Advanced Training Squadron atRNAS Lossiemouth (HMSFulmar), located on the western edge of the town ofLossiemouth inMoray, north-eastScotland. It was equipped initially withSupermarine Seafire andFairey Firefly aircraft.[7] The squadron provided training for Part 1 of the Operational Flying School course.[10] 764 NAS remained at Lossiemouth for four months, relocating toRNAS Yeovilton (HMSHeron) sited a few miles north ofYeovil, inSomerset, on the 23 September 1953.[11]
The squadron received its firstjet aircraft in May 1954[7] when it added threeHawker Sea Hawk day fighter[10] to operate alongside its piston engined, thirteen Supermarine Seafire and six Fairey Firefly aircraft.[7] 764 NAS continued in its training role at RNAS Yeovilton for a further five months, disbanding there on the 23 November 1954.[11]
764 Naval Air Squadron reformed, on the 1 February 1955, atRNAS Ford (HMSPeregrine),[11] located atFord, inWest Sussex,England, as a Fighter Pilot Holding Unit.[7] Here it was equipped with Hawker Sea Hawk,de Havilland Sea Vampire jet fighter and laterWestland Wyvern, a turboprop powered strike aircraft.[12] 764 NAS initially worked with ten Hawker Sea Hawk and ten de Havilland Sea Vampire aircraft, and these enabled the squadron to provide conversion forUnited States trained personnel to British standards and procedures where required, and to provide valuable flying time to Fleet Air Arm pilots prior their posting to a first-line squadron.[7] With the de Havilland Sea Vampire being dual controlled, this also enabled the squadron to provide tuition for fighter combat and ground attack techniques. In May 1955, the squadron received two Westland Wyvern aircraft.[10] On the 1 March 1956,767 Naval Air Squadron, formed as a Fighter Pool Squadron[12] from part of 764 Naval Air Squadron and was equipped with some of the latter's Hawker Sea Hawk F.2 aircraft, however, in the same month, 764 NAS received Hawker Sea Hawk FB.3 aircraft. For nearly two years the Westland Wyvern aircraft were being used for type conversion training, however, in February 1957, this part of the squadron became an independent Wyvern Conversion Flight.[7]
764 Naval Air Squadron moved, on the 21 June 1957, to RNAS Lossiemouth (HMSFulmar), Scotland.[12] It took with it its Hawker Sea Hawk FB.3 aircraft and in the July it received the Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.4, the initial fighter ground attack variant.[7] The Squadron acquired four roles at RNAS Lossiemouth and these were, Air Weapons Training, a Commanding Officers and Senior Pilots Designate Course, a Jet Fighter Pool and a Target Towing Unit.[3] The squadron operated out of RNAS Lossiemouth's satellite airfield,RNAS Milltown (HMSFulmar II), located about 3.6 miles (5.8 km) north east ofElgin,Scotland.[7]
In December 1957, 764 Naval Air Squadron received two-seatGloster Meteor T.7 jet trainer aircraft, however, these were soon withdrawn from the squadron in March 1958. Later in the year, in October, it started operating Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6s[7] and then in December, two-seatHawker Hunter T.8 jet trainers.[10] 1959 saw considerable change in the aircraft operated by 764 Naval Air Squadron. In February a small number of theSupermarine Scimitar, a single-seat naval strike jet, arrived. These were withdrawn in the following May.[7] The Sea Hawks were withdrawn by July, and therefore, by August 1959, the squadron was equipped solely with twelve Hawker Hunter T.8 two-seat trainers.[10]
In March 1959, the squadron's role changed. It retained only the Commanding Officers and Senior Pilots Designates Course from before and its new main role was Air Warfare Instructor Training,[7] but also provided a swept wing conversion course to the Hawker Hunter T.8 aircraft.[10] In July 1962, 764 Naval Air Squadron received a number of Hawker Hunter GA.11 aircraft, a single-seat weapons training version for the Royal Navy also fitted with an arrester hook, which replaced several of the Hawker Hunter T.8 aircraft.[7]Reconnaissance cameras were fitted to three Hunter GA.11 aircraft, byShort Brothers, based inBelfast,Northern Ireland during the mid-1960s, thus becoming Hunter PR.11 aircraft.[10] On the 26 March 1965 764B Naval Air Squadron was formed, out of the disbanding736 Naval Air Squadron, absorbing its Supermarine Scimitar aircraft. 764B had been formed to provide training toAirwork pilots to fly the Supermarine Scimitar aircraft, but it disbanded in the November having completed the training.[7] In 1968 the main 764 Naval Air Squadron received Hawker Hunter T.8B and T.8C aircraft, both variants were fitted withTACAN navigation systems.[10]
On the 27 July 1972, 764 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at Lossiemouth.[11]
764 Naval Air Squadron reformed atHMSSultan,Gosport,Hampshire, on the 1 October 2008, as the Initial Training Squadron, within theRoyal Naval Air Engineering & Survival School (RNAESS), simulating a squadron environment for training purposes.[2]
764 Initial Training Squadron, is a non-flying squadron which forms part of Royal Naval Air Engineering & Survival School (RNAESS), based at HMSSultan, which is located at Gosport in Hampshire. The RNAESS forms part of theDefence School of Aeronautical Engineering, which provides training for aircraft engineering officers and tradesmen across the three British armed forces. This specialises in the education of Air Engineer Officers, Air Engineering Technicians, and Survival Equipment ratings, preparing them for operational roles or additional training opportunities. Situated within the Daedalus building, the facility features six distinct wings, each designated for specific training disciplines. The school offers both foundational and advanced instruction in air engineering and survival equipment.[13]
764 Initial Training Squadron provides an initial fourteen week course dedicated to training, where participants acquire fundamental skills in aircraft maintenance necessary for their qualification as technicians. Upon completing this rigorous program, they advance to and operational Royal Naval Air Station to receive specialised training on their designated aircraft types, specifically theAgustaWestland Merlin HM2, HC4/HC4A orAgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2.[14]
The squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including:[7]
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764 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number ofnaval air stations of the Royal Navy, airbases overseas and aRoyal Navy shore establishment:[11][2]
1940 - 1943
1944 - 1945
1953 - 1954
1955 - 1972
2008 - present
1944
1965
List ofcommanding officers of 764 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:[11][2]
1940 - 1943
1944 - 1945
Note: Abbreviation (A) signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.[15]
1953 - 1954
1955 - 1972