728 Naval Air Squadron
728 Naval Air Squadron | |
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Latin for 'We learn by teaching') | |
Insignia | |
Squadron Badge Description | Blue, upon a base wavy white two bars wavy blue chief a Maltese Cross per pale red and white there on a hurt surmounted by a plate surmounted by a torteau pierced by an arrow point downward in bend sinister feathered black (1953)[2] |
Tail Codes | HF (1946 – 1967)[3] |
728 Naval Air Squadron (728 NAS) was a
History of 728 NAS
Fleet Requirements Unit (1943)
728 Naval Air Squadron was formed on 1 May 1943 at RN Air Section Gibraltar, the Admiralty having lodger facilities at
Fleet Requirements Unit (1943 - 1967)
However, just over one month later, on the 14 August, 728 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Dekheila.[7] The squadron soon moved to Malta and settled at RNAS Hal Far (HMS Falcon), from 5 May 1946, after brief stints at RN Air Section Takali (HMS Goldfinch) and RAF Luqa and just after taking up radar calibration duties from No. 255 Squadron RAF.[3] It was again equipped with Boulton Paul Defiant target tug aircraft, and provided target towing both for the Royal Navy’s Mediterranean Fleet and the British Army, before later providing a detachment to tow targets for the United States Navy at Naples, Italy.[4]
1944 saw the squadron received new aircraft types with
With the post
Helicopters were added to supplement the squadron's inventory when it started operating the Westland Dragonfly HR.3, air-sea search and rescue helicopter, at the end of 1952. 728B Flight was the identity given to the new RNAS Hal Far SAR (Search and Rescue) flight, this operated utilising the Westland Whirlwind HAR.3, air-sea search and rescue variant, which arrived in 1957. In March 1963, Westland Whirlwind HAS.22, an anti-submarine helicopter, became available for the SAR flight, which was then amalgamated into 728 Naval Air Squadron.[3]
On 31 May 1967 728 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at RNAS Hal Far (HMS Falcon).[7]
Aircraft flown
The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions:[8]
- Avro Anson I
- Martin Baltimore IV
- Martin Baltimore V
- Bristol Beaufighter II
- Bristol Beaufighter X
- Bristol Beaufighter TT Mark 10
- Bristol Beaufort I
- Boulton Paul Defiant TT.1
- Hawker Hurricane IIc
- Miles Martinet TT.1
- de Havilland Mosquito B.25
- de Havilland Mosquito T.3
- de Havilland Mosquito PR.16
- de Havilland Mosquito TT.39
- Airspeed Oxford I
- Supermarine Seafire L.IIC
- Supermarine Seafire III
- Supermarine Seafire XV
- Supermarine Seafire F.17
- Supermarine Sea Otter 2
- Fairey Swordfish I
- Fairey Swordfish II
- Supermarine Walrus
- Vickers Wellington XIV
- Westland Dragonfly HR.3
- Beech Expediter C.2
- Fairey Gannet T.2
- North American Harvard T.3
- de Havilland Heron C.2
- Gloster Meteor T.7
- Gloster Meteor TT.20
- de Havilland Sea Devon C.20
- de Havilland Sea Hornet FR.20
- de Havilland Sea Vampire F.20
- Short Sturgeon TT.3
- Westland Whirlwind HAR.3
- Westland Whirlwind HAS.22
728 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of overseas naval air stations of the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force stations, and a number of other air bases:[9]
1943
- RN Air Section Gibraltar(1 May - 15 June 1943)
- RN Air Section Tafaraoui Detachment (11 May - 15 June 1943
- RAF OujdaDetachment (5 - 15 June 1943)
- -transit- (15 - 18 June 1943)
- Royal Naval Air Station DEKHEILA (HMS Grebe) (18 June - 4 July 1943)
- disbanded - (4 July 1943)
1943 - 1967
- Royal Naval Air Station DEKHEILA (HMS Grebe) (14 - 17 August 1943)
- RN Air Section Takali (17 August 1943 - 1 January 1946)
- Capodichino Detachment four aircraft (11 - 20 January 1944)
- Capodichino Detachment two aircraft (14 - 20 March 1944)
- RN Air Section Gibraltar Detachment (April - May 1944)
- Pomigliano Detachment (August 1945 - April 1946)
- Ciampino Detachment (August 1945 - April 1946)
- Royal Air Force Luqa (1 January 1946 - 5 May 1946)
- Royal Naval Air Station HAL FAR (HMS Falcon) (5 May 1946 - 16 September 1954)
- Royal Naval Air Station TAKALI (HMS Goldfinch) (16 September - 9 October 1954)
- Royal Naval Air Station HAL FAR (HMS Falcon) (9 October 1954 - 9 March 1962)
- Royal Air Force Akrotiri Detachment three aircraft (6 - 30 June 1960)
- RN Air Section Gibraltar Detachment three aircraft (12 - 28 January / 8 February - 5 April 1962)
- Royal Naval Air Station TAKALI (HMS Goldfinch) (9 March - 11 April 1962)
- Royal Naval Air Station HAL FAR (HMS Falcon) (11 April 1962 - 31 May 1967)
- Royal Air Force Akrotiri Detachment three aircraft (29 March - 21 April 1963)
- Souda Air BaseDetachment three aircraft (1 - 7 October 1963)
- Royal Air Force Akrotiri Detachment three aircraft (11 -15 November 1963)
- RN Air Section Gibraltar Detachment four aircraft (6 - 13 December 1963 / 7 - 29 May 1964)
- Royal Air Force Akrotiri Detachment three aircraft (22 June - 1 July 1964)
- RN Air Section Gibraltar Detachment three aircraft (26 June - 5 July 1964)
- RN Air Section Gibraltar Detachment (12 - 21 September 1965)
- disbanded - (31 May 1967)
Commanding Officers
List of commanding officers of 728 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:[4][9]
1943
- Lieutenant(A) E.H. Horn, RNVR, from 1 May 1943
- disbanded - 4 July 1943
1943 - 1967
- Lieutenant P. Snow, RN, from 14 August 1943
- Lieutenant Commander(A) P.B. Pratt, RNVR, from 8 January 1944
- Lieutenant Commander E.M. Britton, RN, from 5 January 1946 (KiFA21 June 1946)
- Lieutenant(A) P.J.W.W. Cruttenden, RNVR, from 23 June 1946
- Lieutenant(A) J.R.W. Groves, RN, 21 October 1946
- Lieutenant Commander D.H. Lough, RN, from 14 October 1948
- Lieutenant Commander R.P. Keogh, RN, from 6 August 1949
- Lieutenant Commander H.A. Monk, DSM*, RN, from 23 October 1950
- Lieutenant Commander P.C.S. Bagley, RN, from 4 February 1952
- Lieutenant Commander A.D. Corkhill, DFC, RN, from 6 January 1954
- Lieutenant Commander B. Bevans, DSC, RN, 2 February 1955
- Lieutenant Commander R.C.B. Trelawney, RN, 3 June 1957
- Lieutenant Commander R.H. Hallam, RN, 19 October 1959
- Lieutenant Commander C.R. Mellor, RN, from 30 March 1962
- Lieutenant Commander A.A. Knight, RN, from 20 March 1964
- Lieutenant Commander P.J. Wreford, RN, 7 April 1966
- disbanded - 31 May 1967
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 34-35.
- ^ Sturtivant, Ballance 1994, p. 50.
- ^ a b c "728 NAS Helis". www.Helis.com. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Wragg 2019, p. 119.
- ^ a b "North Front". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Tafarouri". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ Sturtivant, Ballance 1994, p. 51.
- ^ a b Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 35.
Bibliography
- Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN 978-0-85130-489-2.
- Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
- Wragg, David (2019). The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945. ISBN 978-0-7509-9303-6.