738 Naval Air Squadron
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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738 Naval Air Squadron (738 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA), which last disbanded during May 1970 at HMS Goldcrest, RNAS Brawdy. It initially formed as a Pilot Training Squadron formed at HMS Asbury, RNAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island, in February 1943. The squadron moved to RNAS Lewiston, Maine, United States, at the end of July 1943 and also providing advanced carrier training to American-trained Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) pilots and it later provided complete Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance (TBR) aircrew for Grumman Avenger FAA squadrons. The squadron moved to RNAS Brunswick, Maine, in February 1945 and disbanded there in July 1945. 738 Naval Air Squadron was next active as part of the Naval Air Fighter School, between May 1950 and March 1954, providing newly qualified FAA pilots the operational techniques of air-to-air and air-to-ground firing. It had formed at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, England, moving to HMS Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth in 1953. It reformed in April 1954 at HMS Fulmar and now the squadron’s role was to instruct United States trained pilots on the British method and was also responsible for converting the FAA piston-engined pilots onto jet aircraft. It became an Advanced Flying Training Squadron in June 1962 providing training for low-level navigation, ground attack and air-to-air weapons training.
738 Naval Air Squadron | |
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![]() 738 NAS badge | |
Active | 1 February 1943 –31 July 1945 1 May 1950 - 23 March 1954 3 April 1954 - 5 May 1970[1] |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | ![]() |
Type | Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron |
Role |
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Size | Squadron |
Part of | Fleet Air Arm
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Motto(s) | Parare bellum (Latin for 'Prepare for war')[2] |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Commander Peter Carmichael, OBE, DSC, RN Captain Alan Leahy, CBE, DSC, RN[3] Captain Fred Hefford OBE, DSC, AFC, RN |
Insignia | |
Squadron Badge Description | Blue, a foul anchor erect gold in front of a flash of lightning in bend white overall surmounted by a Pegasus courant also white ( 1944)[2] |
Identification Markings | 1BA+ then 1V17 to 20V17(Avenger) B1W+ (Harvard) 2B-1+ then 2BA+ (Martlet/Wildcat) 3BA+ (Corsair) 161-189 (Seafire) 180-183 (Firebrand) 450-457 (Sea Hornet) 100-149 (Sea Fury FB.11), 200-207 (Sea Fury T.20) (from May 1950) 100-149 (Sea Fury FB.11/Sea Hawk), 200-212 (Sea Fury T.20/Sea Vampire T.22) (from November 1953) 629-656 (all types) (January 1956) 785-795 (Hunter) (July 1956)[4][2] |
Tail Codes | CW (Seafire, Firebrand & Sea Hornet) CW:CU (Sea Fury from May 1950) LM (Sea Fury, Sea Hawk & Sea Vampire from November 1953) LM:BY (all types from January 1956) BY (Hunter from July 1965)[2] |
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Hawker_Hunter_GA11%2C_UK_-_Navy_AN1366311.jpg/640px-Hawker_Hunter_GA11%2C_UK_-_Navy_AN1366311.jpg)