| 768 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 AHawker Sea Hurricane of 768 NAS approachingHMS Argus during 1942 | |
| Active | 13 January 1941 - 16 April 1946 15 December 1948 - 8 March 1949[1] |
| 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. |
| Aircraft | SeeAircraft operated section for full list. |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge | An upright grey clockwork mouse with white wings and red eyes holding white bats, the winding key blue, to represent the squadron's DLCO activities. Wartime unofficial[2] |
| Identification Markings |
|
| Fin Shore Codes | JR (Firefly from December 1948)[2] |
768 Naval Air Squadron (768 NAS) was aFleet Air Arm (FAA)naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’sRoyal Navy (RN). It last disbanded at HMSGannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland, in March 1949, having been formed as aDeck Landing Control Officer Training Squadron, in December 1948, to ensure one American-style signal trained DLCO could be located at every FAA station. It first formed as part of the Deck Landing Training School at HMSCondor, RNAS Arbroath, in January 1941, as aDeck Landing Training Squadron. Advanced training was in HMSArgus, for which a detachment was maintained at HMSLandrail, RNAS Machrihanish, where it wholly moved to in March 1943. September saw a move to RAF Heathfield, Ayr, followed by a further move to HMSSanderling, RNAS Abbotsinch in January 1944. Training used escort carriers on the Firth of Clyde and a detachment was maintained at (Heathfield)Ayr throughout this period, with the squadron returning there in July 1945, at this time HMSWagtail, RNAS Ayr. In August the squadron moved to HMSCorncrake, RNAS Ballyhalbert in Northern Ireland but then in October it joined up with the Deck Landing School at HMSPeewit, RNAS East Haven, Scotland, where it disbanded in April 1946.
768 Naval Air Squadron formed as a Deck Landing Training Squadron, on 13 January 1941, atRNAS Arbroath (HMSCondor), located nearArbroath in EastAngus, Scotland.[4] The squadron was initially equipped withFairey Swordfish, abiplanetorpedo bomber aircraft. Dummy deck landing was trained at RNAS Arbroath, but advanced carrier deck landing training was done on the uniqueHMS Argus, theRoyal Navyaircraft carrier, that was converted from anocean liner and served as atraining ship, via a detachment atRNAS Machrihanish (HMSLandrail), located 3 miles (5 km) west ofCampbeltown inArgyll and Bute,Scotland. The squadron moved there full time on 1 March 1943.[5]
By this time the squadron operatedFairey Fulmar, a Britishcarrier-bornereconnaissance/fighter aircraft,Grumman Martlet, an Americancarrier-based fighter aircraft,Hawker Sea Hurricane andSupermarine Spitfire (hooked), fighter aircraft, alongside the initial Fairey Swordfish.[4]
HMSArgus was joined by theAttacker-classescort carrier,HMS Ravager, by July 1943, giving the DLT school a second deck in theFirth of Clyde andIrish Sea training areas. Other escort carriers also provided decks for the expanding deck landing training programme, during the Second World War.[2] The squadron left RNAS Machrihanish on 29 September and relocated toRAF Heathfield,Ayr, where it receivedGumman Hellcat, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft.[3] This was followed shortly later by a move toRNAS Abbotsinch (HMSSanderling),Paisley, Renfrewshire,[6] where it receivedGrumman Avenger, an American torpedo bomber, Vought Corsair, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft and laterFairey Firefly, a British carrier-based fighter andanti-submarine aircraft.[3] The squadron also kept a detachment at RAF Heathfield, used as a forward airfield to be near the aircraft carrier training areas.
The squadron saw more moves during 1945, first back to Heathfield, now a Naval Air Station, RNAS Ayr (HMSWagtail), on 5 July 1945,[3] then across the Irish Sea toRNAS Ballyhalbert (HMSCorncrake),County Down, Northern Ireland, on 28 August,[7] and finally, across to the east coast of Scotland, moving toRNAS East Haven (HMSPeewit),Angus, Scotland, to join up with the Deck Landing School, on 25 October,[8] where it absorbed part of731 Naval Air Squadron in the November. 768 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at RNAS East Haven on 16 April 1946.[2]
768 Naval Air Squadron reformed atRNAS Eglinton (HMSGannet),Derry, Northern Ireland, as a Deck Landing Control Officer Training squadron, on 15 December 1948.[2] It was equipped with eightSupermarine Seafire F Mk XV, anavalised version of aSupermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft[9] and twoFairey Firefly FR.I, the initial fighter/reconnaissance variant.[10]
The squadron was required to train a number ofDeck Landing Control Officers (DLCO) to the new American-style standard, needed so that one DLCO could be located at every FAA station. There was a significant number of FAA pilots who had been trained on the old British style of deck control signals and therefore needed training in the new signals to ensure they were eligible for RN aircraft carrier operations. 768 Naval Air Squadron graduated fifteen DLCOs before it disbanded at RNAS Eglinton on 8 March 1949.[2]
The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions:[2]
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769 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number ofnaval air station of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom:[2]
1941 - 1946
1948 - 1949
List ofcommanding officers of 768 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:[3][2]
1941 - 1946
1948 - 1949