766 Naval Air Squadron

766 Naval Air Squadron formed, on 15 April 1942, at RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail),[4] situated close to Campbeltown, on the Kintyre peninsula, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, as a Night Torpedo Course.[2] The squadron was initially equipped with Swordfish and Albacore aircraft for this role. The course the squadron delivered was the Night ALT (Attack Light Torpedo) Course. In the August it added Fulmar aircraft to its inventory.[4]

Fairey Swordfish I 'W5856-4A, an example of the type used by 766 NAS

Around fifteen months after forming, 766 NAS moved to RNAS Inskip (HMS Nightjar), near Inskip, a small village in the Fylde area of Lancashire, England, to become part of No.1 Naval Operational Training Unit, on the 7 July 1943. By October of that year, the Albacore aircraft were withdrawn from squadron use, however, in the following January, in 1944, the squadron received Anson aircraft to work alongside the Swordfish and Fulmar, and by the middle of the year, it had thirty-one Swordfish on strength, which included three that were used by a Photographic Flight.

In the autumn of 1944, there were significant changes to the squadron's aircraft inventory. September 1944 saw the withdrawal of the Fulmar aircraft, however, during October, Firefly aircraft arrived, with the initial use of fourteen aircraft that had been given up by 1772 Naval Air Squadron. At the same time, the Albacore aircraft were withdrawn. November bought the arrival of Sea Hurricane aircraft,[4] from the disbanding 760 Naval Air Squadron, at Inskip.[5] 766 NAS remained at Inskip for roughly another twelve months, then moved to RNAS Rattray (HMS Merganser), located near Crimond in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on 20 January 1946.[4]

Supermarine Seafire F Mk XVII of the type used by 766 NAS

It operated out of Rattray for seven months before relocating again, on the 4 August 1946, with the squadron moving to RNAS Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar), located by the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, north-east Scotland and becoming Part I of the Operational Flying School course. Here the squadron was equipped with Seafire aircraft, from August, to operate alongside its existing Firefly. Around the middle of 1947, later variants of the Seafire arrived and by September, the earlier versions had been withdrawn.[4]

Seafire and Firefly continued as the squadron's main aircraft for the next few years, however, in late 1951 Sea Fury aircraft arrived and within a few months, by November, the Seafire aircraft were withdrawn. In July 1952, the squadron gave up its Sea Fury aircraft and the main focus was on the Firefly. The following year, after around seven years at Lossiemouth, on the 3 October 1953, 766 NAS moved to RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk), near Helston on the Lizard Peninsula of Cornwall, England, however, just over one year later, the squadron disbanded on the 25 November 1954.[4]

766 Naval Air Squadron reformed, from 890 Naval Air Squadron, at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), sited a few miles north of Yeovil, in Somerset, England, as an All Weather Fighter Pool, on the 18 October 1955. The squadron was initially equipped with eight Sea Venom aircraft, which were of the initial production type, the FAW.20 (Fighter, All-Weather). In January 1956, the Sea Venom were complimented with Sea Vampire two-seat trainer aircraft, however, by August both of these types were withdrawn and the squadron received a replacement with a later improved variation of the Sea Venom, the FAW.21. During 1956 it was decided that the runways at Yeovilton needed reconstructing, therefore, to accommodate the work and continue operating, on the 24 November 1956, 766 NAS moved to RNAS Merryfield, situated some 8.1 miles (13 kilometres) south-east of Taunton, in Somerset, England.[4]

Sea Vixen, an example of the FAW.2 used by 766 NAS

At Merryfield, in October 1957, 766 NAS became the Naval All Weather Fighter School. It took over the duties previously undertaken by No.238 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF North Luffenham, in training naval pilots and observers for all weather operations. On 20 January 1958, the squadron returned back to RNAS Yeovilton.

May 1959, saw 766 NAS become the All Weather Fighter Training Squadron, still operating its Sea Venom FAW.21. In October 1959, Sea Vixen aircraft arrived with a number of FAW.1 aircraft, however, these were designated 766B Naval Air Squadron. In May 1960 Hunter T.8 aircraft arrived, a Two-seat trainer for the Royal Navy, fitted with an arrestor hook for use on RN airfields, then, in October, the Sea Venom were withdrawn and the Sea Vixen became part of 766 NAS,[4] with 766B disbanding on the 24 October 1960. In October 1962, the Hunter aircraft were withdrawn from squadron use,[2] leaving 766 NAS solely with the Sea Vixen aircraft. July 1965 saw the arrival of an improved variant of the FAW.1, the Sea Vixen FAW.2 aircraft. Over the next three years FAW.1 aircraft were slowly withdrawn, with the last leaving 766 NAS in May 1968. The squadron continued with FAW.2 for the next couple of years, however, on the 10 December 1970, 766 Naval Air Squadron disbanded at Yeovilton, its task and aircraft going to 890 Naval Air Squadron.[4]

• Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
• Ballance, Theo (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air-Britain. ISBN 978 0 85130 489 2.
• 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.
• Wragg, David (2019). The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978 0 7509 9303 6.