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1820 Naval Air Squadron

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1820 Naval Air Squadron
1820 NAS badge
Active1 April - 16 December 1944[1]
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeDive-bomber squadron
RoleDive bomber
Sizenine aircraft
Part ofFleet Air Arm
Home stationSee Naval air stations section for full list.
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Lieutenant Commander(A) H.I.A. Swayne, DSC, RN
Insignia
Squadron Badge DescriptionBlue, in sinister chief a cloud proper issuant towards dexter base two lightning flashes and a rapier white. Wartime unofficial[2]
Identification Markings1A+
4A+ (August 1944)
Aircraft flown
BomberCurtiss Helldiver

1820 Naval Air Squadron (1820 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed at Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, on 1 April 1944 and embarked in HMS Arbiter during July. However its aircraft were judged unsatisfactory for their intended role and the squadron disbanded on 16 December 1944 at HMS Ringtail, RNAS Burscough. The squadron only flew one type of aircraft, the Curtiss Helldiver I.

History

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Dive bomber squadron (1944)

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1820 Naval Air Squadron formed on 1 April 1944, in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick, located at United States Naval Air Station (USNAS) Brunswick, Maine, as a dive bomber squadron,[3] under the command of Lieutenant Commander(A) H.I.A. Swayne, DSC, RN.[4]

It was equipped with nine Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, an American dive bomber. These were the Canadian built SBW-1B version for lend-lease to the Royal Navy and known as Helldiver I.[5] The squadron strength was eight pilots and eight observers and they conducted familiarisation with the aircraft and equipment at Brunswick during April.[6]

The squadron moved to USNAS Squantum, Quincy, Massachusetts on 1 May 1955, where RN Air Section Squantum was located and continued to work-up for a couple of months, before it moved to RN Air Section Norfolk at USNAS Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia, on 5 July 1944, to embark in the Ruler-class escort carrier, HMS Arbiter.[7]

By the 7 July, all aircrew, equipment and aircraft were embarked in HMS Arbiter at Naval Station Norfolk and the carrier sailed to New York to embark further passengers.[6] On 10 July she then joined Convoy CU 31 and sailed for Liverpool.[8] 1820 Naval Air Squadron disembarked on 24 July and travelled to RN Air Section Speke, the aircraft towed by road. The squadron flew to RNAS Burscough (HMS Ringtail), Lancashire, on 11 August.[6]

Aircraft evaluation and a flying training program continued at RNAS Burscough (HMS Ringtail) until 23 October, when the squadron flew north to Scotland to operate out of RNAS Donibristle (HMS Merlin), Fife, to enable deck landing training and carrier trials aboard the Ruler-class escort carrier HMS Speaker.[2]

The aircraft type was found to be unsatisfactory for its intended purpose. The squadron lost a number of crews and aircraft due to accidents, with three failing to pull out of vertical dives. 1820 Naval Air Squadron was therefore disbanded at RNAS Burscough (HMS Ringtail) on 16 December 1994.[4]

Aircraft flown

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1820 Naval Air Squadron flew only one aircraft type:[2]

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1820 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom, a number overseas, and a couple of Royal Navy escort carriers:[2]

Commanding officers

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List of commanding officers of 1820 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:[4][2]

Notes

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  1. ^ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 341.
  2. ^ a b c d e Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 281.
  3. ^ "Brunswick". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Wragg 2019, p. 191.
  5. ^ Thetford 1991, p. 418.
  6. ^ a b c "A history of 1820 Naval Air Squadron". Royal Navy Research Archive - Royal Naval Air Squadrons 1938 - present day. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Squantum". Royal Navy Research Archive - Royal Naval Air Squadrons 1938 - present day. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  8. ^ "CONVOY CU 31 - Page 2". warsailors.com. Retrieved 16 September 2024.

References

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Bibliography

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