743_Naval_Air_Squadron
743 Naval Air Squadron
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron
743 Naval Air Squadron (743 NAS) was a naval air squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was active from March 1943 to March 1945 as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron, part of No. 2 Telegraphist Air Gunner School based at R.N. Air Section Yarmouth, Canada.[3]
| 743 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 March 1943 – 30 March 1945[1] |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron |
| Role | Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron |
| Size | Squadron |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Garrison/HQ | R.N. Air Section Yarmouth |
| Insignia | |
| Identification Markings | Single letters and letter/number combinations[2] |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Fairey Swordfish |
| Patrol | Supermarine Walrus |
| Trainer | Avro Anson |
Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron (1943 - 1945)
743 Naval Air Squadron formed at R.N. Air Section Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron, on the 1 March 1943. It was part of No.2 Telegraphist Air Gunner School,[3] within the Royal Navy No.1 Naval Air Gunnery School (NAGS), which was under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.[4] The squadron was equipped with Fairey Swordfish II, a biplane torpedo bomber, Supermarine Walrus II, an amphibious maritime patrol aircraft[3] and Avro Anson, a multi-role training aircraft.[5]
All training ceased on 19 March 1945 at R.N. Air Section Yarmouth and 743 Naval Air Squadron wound down. All of the squadrons aircraft were moved and delivered to R.N. Air Section Dartmouth (HMS Seaborn), Nova Scotia, Canada and this was completed on the 30 March 1945,[3] with 743 Naval Air Squadron disbanding at R.N. Air Section Yarmouth, on the same date.[6]
The squadron has flown a number of aircraft types:[3][2]
- Fairey Swordfish II torpedo bomber (March 1943 - March 1945)
- Avro Anson Mk II multi-role training aircraft (March 1943 - March 1945)
- Avro Anson Mk I multi-role training aircraft (December 1943 - 1944)
- Supermarine Walrus amphibious maritime patrol aircraft
743 Naval Air Squadron operated from a single naval air station of the Royal Navy, in Canada: [6]
- R.N. Air Section YARMOUTH (1 March 1943 - 30 March 1945)
List of Commanding Officers of 743 Naval Air Squadron with date, month and year of appointment:[2]
- Lieutenant Commander(A) R. Gillett, RNVR, from 1 March 1943
- disbanded - 30 March 1945
Citations
- Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 65.
- "RN Air Section Dartmouth". www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- "A School of Swordfish". www.vintage wings.ca. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- Thetford 1991, p. 402.
- "743 Naval Air Squadron". www.wings-aviation.ch. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
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. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
- Thetford, Owen (1991). British Naval Aircraft since 1912. London, UK: Putnam Aeronautical Books, an imprint of Conway Maritime Press Ltd. ISBN 0-85177-849-6.