742 Naval Air Squadron
| 742 Naval Air Squadron | ||
|---|---|---|
| Active | 6 December 1943 – 31 August 1946[1] | |
| Country |  United Kingdom | |
| Branch |  Royal Navy | |
| Type | Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron | |
| Role |
| |
| Size | Trainer Avro Anson | Stinson Reliant |
| Transport | Beech Expediter II Beech AT-7 Navigator | |
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742 Naval Air Squadron (742 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded during August 1946. It was active initially from the end of 1943 as a Communications Squadron operating in Sri Lanka and India. It later became a Royal Navy Air Transport Squadron, covering the same geography.
History of 742 NAS
Communications Squadron (1943 - 1945)
742 Naval Air Squadron formed on 6 December 1943, at
RNAS Trincomalee (HMS Bambara). [2] Other daily services were operated between RNAS Colombo Racecourse and Madras; RNAS Colombo Racecourse and RNAS Sullur (HMS Vairi) for Coimbatore; RNAS Sullur and R.N. Air Section Cochin (HMS Kalugu); and RNAS Sullur and Madras via Bangalore.[3]
The squadron operated out of RNAS Colombo Racecourse for the next nine months before moving to the RN Aircraft Repair Yard at
training aircraft, Supermarine Sea Otter, an amphibious maritime patrol aircraft, Fairey Swordfish, a torpedo bomber and Supermarine Walrus, an amphibious maritime patrol aircraft.[4]
Air Transport Squadron (1945 - 1946)
Just after the squadron had moved to RNAS Coimbatore it became the RN Air Transport Squadron in November 1944 and included a detachment at
RNAE Ratmalana (HMS Seruwa), Ceylon and RNAS Katukurunda (HMS Ukussa), Ceylon.[3] 'Round Robin' communication flights by the squadron regularly called at Ratmalana.[6]
Following the
Flag Officer, Malaya and Forward Areas.[3] In January 1946 nine Beech Expediter began a 6,500 miles (10,461 km) flight from RNAS Sullur (HMS Vairi) to RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), Hampshire, England, in formation[2] and another nine aircraft were transported by sea, with a small number remaining in Ceylon and India. The squadron moved to RNAS Katukurunda (HMS Ukussa) on 26 February.[5] In August the remaining aircraft were transferred to 733 Naval Air Squadron[3] and 742 Naval Air Squadron disbanded in August 1946, having flown millions of miles with only one fatal accident.[2]
Aircraft flown
The squadron has flown a number of different aircraft types, including:[4][3]
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- Beech AT-7 Navigator trainer, transport and utility aircraft (December 1943 - August 1946)
- Stinson Reliant liaison and training aircraft (December 1943 - October 1945)
- Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber (December 1943 - October 1945)
- Avro Anson Mk I multi-role training aircraft (1944 - 1945)
- Supermarine Sea Otter amphibious maritime patrol aircraft (1944 - 1945)
- Supermarine Walrus amphibious maritime patrol aircraft (1944 - 1945)
- Beech Expediter II trainer, transport and utility aircraft (June 1944 - August 1946)
742 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, and other airbases overseas:[3]
- Royal Naval Air Station COLOMBO RACECOURSE (HMS Bherunda) (6 December 1943 - 15 September 1944)
- Royal Naval Aircraft Repair Yard COIMBATORE (HMS Garuda) (15 September 1944 - 1 February 1945)
- Royal Naval Aircraft Maintenance Yard TAMBARAN (HMS Valluru) Detachment (from 21 September 1944)
- Royal Naval Air Station KATUKURUNDA (HMS Ukussa) Detachment (14 January 1945 - 26 February 1946)
- Royal Naval Air Station SULLUR (HMS Vairi) (1 February 1945 - 26 February 1946)
- Royal Naval Air Station SEMBAWANG (HMS Nabrock/HMS Simbang)'D' Flight (from August 1945)
- Royal Naval Air Station COLOMBO RACECOURSE (HMS Bherunda) Detachment (2 - 31 October 1945)
- Royal Naval Air Establishment RATMALANA (HMS Seruwa) Detachment (1 November - 1 December 1945)
- Royal Naval Air Station KATUKURUNDA (HMS Ukussa) (26 February 1946 - 31 August 1946)
- disbanded - (31 August 1946)
Commanding Officers
List of
- Lieutenant(A) T.N. Stack, AFC, RNR, from 6 December 1943
- Lieutenant Commander(A) R. MacDermott, RNVR, from 8 January 1944
- Lieutenant Commander(A) E.W.C. Miller, RNVR, from 9 October 1944
- Lieutenant Commander(A) T.N. Stack, AFC, RNR, from 17 March 1945
- Lieutenant Commander(A) P.H. Parsons, RN, from 15 January 1946
- disbanded - 31 August 1946
References
Citations
- ^ Sturtivant, Ballance 1994, p. 64.
- ^ a b c d Wragg 2019, p. 121.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 47.
- ^ a b "Coimbatore". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Sulur". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ "Ratmalana". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- ^ Wragg 2019, p. 122.
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.
- Thetford, Owen (1991). British Naval Aircraft since 1912. ISBN 0-85177-849-6.
- Wragg, David (2019). The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945. ISBN 978-0-7509-9303-6.