Fleet Air Arm Squadron query

[Knightflyer]

Hi All

Can anybody supply, or point me in the correct of, information on 807 and 811 squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm

Period of history I'm looking for is 1955-1960 as backstory for the Sea Hawk whiff I'm part way through. Can find info on the more well-known squadrons (eg 804, 806 etc) but very little on 807 and 811

Basically what aircraft operated , ship they were based on , whether they'd disbanded etc

A pointer on general FAA history of the late 50's (post-Suez) would be great, world-wide web preferred but any source useful

Thanks 

[Thorvic]

807 was a Sea Hawk FGA4 unit on Bulwark then Albion until Nov 55 when it disbanded until reforming in Oct 58 as a Scimitar F1 unit
811 was a Sea Hawk FGA4 unit last on Centaur till May 56 when it disbanded never to reform

[Knightflyer]

807 was a Sea Hawk FGA4 unit on Bulwark then Albion until Nov 55 when it disbanded until reforming in Oct 58 as a Scimitar F1 unit
811 was a Sea Hawk FGA4 unit last on Centaur till May 56 when it disbanded never to reform

Hi Thorvic, thanks for that. May I ask what your source of information was?

[Thorvic]

Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm by Ray Sturivant published by Air Britain - part of my reference library

[Knightflyer]

Thanks - shall have to look out for that one 

I think I will have to have both a carrier and a squadron surviving past disbandment / decommissioning ! 

[Captain Canada]

I have written down somewhere all of the RCN and Aussie numbers etc. Always somat that has intrigued me, that era and the numbering system. Looking forward to reading more on this thread cheers guys !

[PR19_Kit]

Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm by Ray Sturivant published by Air Britain - part of my reference library

Worth its weight in gold, that book. 

[Knightflyer]

Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm by Ray Sturivant published by Air Britain - part of my reference library

Worth its weight in gold, that book. 

It looks it, I'm just wondering how much use I'd really make of it 

[PR19_Kit]

As I'm 120 miles from my copy of Sturtivant's book I can't answer this question, nor can I find the answer on the net.

I'm looking for a post WWII FAA night fighter squadron in the 800 series. They probably flew Firefly NFIs, IIs or IVs, but I can't find an NAS number that fits.

Anyone any ideas please?

They're going to be flying my Sea Monsoon NF2 in my time period, when I find out who they might be. 

[jcf]

From Fairey Aircraft since 1915, the only explicit mention of Firefly night fighters.
No. 816: July 1945 (re-equip); Woodvale; Nairana and Theseus; four nightfighters added (NF.1),
May 1946. Re-formed 24 August, 1948 as Australian Squadron with Firefly 5s; HMAS Sydney &
Vengeance; disbanded April 1955.

Other possible options are non-Firefly nightfighter units:
No. 813 operated Fulmar nightfighters from Sept. 1944 to March 1945.

No. 809 operated Sea Hornet NF 21 from January 1949.

As an aside, none of the 37 stretched fuselage NF.2, an 18" bay was inserted fwd of the wing,
were issued to squadrons and all were converted back to F.R.1 standard.

[PR19_Kit]

Thanks Jon.

I'd noted that the NF2s had never been issued to squadrons after I'd written my post. It must have been a really bad aeroplane for them to have converted them all BACK to NF1s!

809 would be a good start, being as it's the ONLY fixed wing NAS in existence at the moment.

[Rheged]

The naval squadron I'm interested in at the moment is  Naval A,  which later became 16 squadron RNAS in 1917.  My great grandfather was a tailor with this squadron (sewing up rents in aircraft wings, perhaps?)  and my sister and I are trying to find out more about his war service.   I know that Naval 16 became RAF 216 squadron in 1918.

[jcf]

Thanks Jon.

I'd noted that the NF2s had never been issued to squadrons after I'd written my post. It must have been a really bad aeroplane for them to have converted them all BACK to NF1s!

Cheers. 

Reading the bit on the NF.2 is kind of funny, the weight of the AI gear was causing
weight and balance issues, so the solution was to lengthen the fuselage. Predictably
by the time production was in train the black box boys had come up with a much
improved AI system that weighed less and took up less space.