•
2nd Naval TBR Wing - formed on 24 January 1944. Allocated to the
name ship of
her class, (R86), on 11 March, it comprised
828 and
841 Naval Air Squadrons. The wing's aircraft,
Fairey Barracuda, a
carrier-borne torpedo and
dive bomber, embarked onto the aircraft carrier during August 1944, although some aircraft had a short detachment to the , . When 828 NAS absorbed 841 NAS on 28 November, the Wing disbanded. The Wing reformed on 10 December 1944 at
RNAS Katukurunda (HMS Ukussa), in
Ceylon. Designated as
No. 2 Strike Wing it consisted
Grumman TBF Avenger American
Torpedo Bomber equipped,
820 and
849 Naval Air Squadrons, however, during January 1945 the squadrons embarked on different aircraft carriers, which effectively disbanded the wing. •
Wing Leader •
Lieutenant Commander E.M. Britton, 24 January 1944 •
unidentified, 23 July 1944 •
3rd Naval Fighter Wing - formed on 25 October 1943 consisting three
Supermarine Seafire L.IIc, a naval version of the
Supermarine Spitfire, Fleet Air Arm Squadrons: Nos
808,
886 and
897 Naval Air Squadrons. Initially at
RNAS Burscough (HMS Ringtail), in Lancashire, the squadrons embarked in the s: (D80), (D02) and (D91) respectively. The wing moved to
RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), in Hampshire, on 25 February 1944 and added
885 Naval Air Squadron to its formation. Its role altered to that of an air spotting pool supporting the
RAF Second Tactical Air Force for the
Normandy landings. 808 NAS absorbed 886 NAS and 885 NAS absorbed 897 NAS and the wing relocated to
RNAS Ballyhalbert (HMS Corncrake), in
County Down, Northern Ireland, on 4 August. Later the squadrons re-equipped with
Grumman F6F Hellcat, an American
carrier-based fighter aircraft, and the wing increased in size bringing onboard Nos
800 and
1840 Naval Air Squadrons. In October 1944,
881 and
882 Naval Air Squadrons, equipped with
Grumman F4F Wildcat, an American
carrier-based fighter aircraft, briefly joined No. 3 Wing for three weeks. It departed early in 1945, on the s: (D98) (800 NAS), (D62) (808 NAS), (D72) (885 NAS) and (D90) (1840 NAS), seeing active service, before disbanding on 9 December 1945. •
Wing Leaders • Lieutenant Commander(
A) S.J. Hall,
RNVR, 25 October 1943 • Lieutenant Commander(A) R. MCD Hill, RNVR, 13 March 1944 • Lieutenant Commander N.G. Hallett,
DSC,
RN, 22 May 1944 • Lieutenant Commander R.H.P. Carver, DSC, RN, 30 September 1944 • Lieutenant Commander(A) B. H.C. Nation, RN, 16 November 1944 •
Major P.P. Nelson-Gracie,
RM, 11 February 1945 • Lieutenant Commander R.H.P. Carver, DSC, RN, 8 April 1945 •
4th Naval Fighter Wing - formed on 25 October 1943 at RNAS Burscough (HMS
Ringtail), consisting three Supermarine Seafire units,
807,
809 and
879 Naval Air Squadrons. It departed on the s (D80) (807 NAS), (D91) (809 NAS) and (D02) (879 NAS), seeing active operations in mid-1944 in
Italy, and during August 1944 the
landings in the South of France. The wing then saw time in the
Aegean, followed by
Egypt, and early-1945 it re-embarked for
Ceylon. After operating with the
East Indies Fleet, the wing returned to the UK and then disbanded post war at
RNAS Nutts Corner (HMS Pintail), on 25 January 1946. •
Wing Leaders • Lieutenant Commander(A) A.C. Wallace, RNVR, 25 October 1943 • Lieutenant Commander(A) G.C. Baldwin, DSC, RN, 3 June 1944 - 16 November 1945 •
5th Naval Fighter Wing - formed at
RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, during December 1943. It was made up of
1839 and
1844 Naval Air Squadrons, both units equipped with the American Grumman Hellcat fighter aircraft. The wing embarked in the (D38), during February 1944, to join the
East Indies Fleet and later transferred to the modified (92) in July. It was active with the British Pacific Fleet, forming the
11th Carrier Air Group on 30 June 1945, along with
857 Naval Air Squadron. It remained with
Indomitable until disbanding on 30 November 1945. •
Wing Leaders •
Commander H.P. Sears, RN, 28 February 1944 • Commander T.G.C. Jameson (Senior Officer Air), RN, 7 April 1944 • Lieutenant Commander(A) T.W. Harrington, RN, 9 September 1944 •
unidentified, April 1945 •
6th Naval Fighter Wing - initially consisted solely
1837 Naval Air Squadron and formed at RNAS Burscough (HMS
Ringtail) on 28 February 1944. It embarked in the
Ruler-class escort carrier, , and journeyed to
British Ceylon, transferring to the
lead ship of
her class of
aircraft carrier, (87) during June 1944. It disbanded, aboard ''Illustrious's
sister ship, , into the 47th Naval Fighter Wing. The wing reformed in Britain with the American fighter aircraft, Vought F4U Corsair equipped units, 1841 and 1842 Naval Air Squadrons, embarking in , another Illustrious
-class aircraft carrier. It participated in attacks against the German battleship Tirpitz
and then moved to the Pacific War seeing action with the British Pacific Fleet. It disbanded a second time into the newly formed 2nd Carrier Air Group for Formidable'', on 30 June 1945. •
Wing Leaders • Commander H.P. Sears, RN, 28 February 1944 • Major R.C. Hay,
DSO and
Bar, DSC, RM, 24 May 1944 • Lieutenant Commander(A) R.L. Bigg-Wither, RN, 14 August 1944 •
7th Naval Fighter Wing - formed at RNAS Eglinton (HMS
Gannett) on 30 October 1943. It consisted six squadrons: four of them 881, 882,
896 and
898 Naval Air Squadrons, operated with Grumman Wildcat fighter aircraft, and two: 800 and
804 Naval Air Squadrons, were equipped with Grumman Hellcat, a Wildcat replacement fighter aircraft. 800 and 804 Naval Air Squadrons embarked in the
Ruler-class carrier, HMS
Emperor (D98), 881 and 896 Naval Air Squadrons embarked in the
Attacker-class carrier, (D73), and 882 and 898 Naval Air Squadrons, embarked in (D40), also an
Attacker-class carrier. Due to operational limits on the carriers, in June 1944, 804, 896 and 898 NAS disbanded into their sister squadrons. The Wing participated in
Operation Dragoon in
Provence, southern
occupied France, in 1944, and later on, operations in the
Aegean Region. When the wing returned to the UK the squadrons moved on and it disbanded on 16 December 1944. •
Wing Leader • Lieutenant Commander(A) M.F. Fell, DSO, RN 30 October 1943 •
disbanded 16 December 1944 •
8th Naval TBR Wing - formed for the modified on 25 October 1943, with
827 and
830 Naval Air Squadrons, both operated with Fairey Barracuda torpedo and dive bomber aircraft. The wing participated in attacks on the German battleship
Tirpitz, focusing its operational area around Norway. It disbanded on 3 October 1944 with 830 NAS merging into 827 NAS. •
Wing Leaders • Lieutenant Commander R.S. Baker-Faulkner, DSC, RN, 25 October 1943 - (KiA 14 July 1944) • Lieutenant Commander R.D. Kingdon, DSC, RNVR, 15 July 1944 •
disbanded, 3 October 1944 •
9th Naval TBR Wing - consisted Fairey Barracuda torpedo bomber equipped 820 and
826 Naval Air Squadrons, formed on 11 February 1944. It embarked in the , and operated off Norway, including attacks against the
Kriegsmarine battleship
Tirpitz. 820 NAS absorbed 826 NAS on 23 October 1944, disbanding the wing. •
Wing Leaders • Lieutenant Commander(A) A.J.I. Temple-West, RN, 11 February 1944 • Lieutenant Commander(A) W.R.Nowell, RN, 1 August 1944 •
10th Naval Fighter Wing - formed at RNAS Eglinton (HMS
Gannet) on 14 October 1944, for the British Pacific Fleet. It was made up of
1843 and
1845 Naval Air Squadrons, both equipped with the American Vought Corsair fighter aircraft. In December 1944 1845 NAS embarked in the
Ruler-class escort carrier (D26) and 1843 NAS embarked in (D31), another
Ruler-class escort carrier, and the squadrons never operated as a wing. On 5 April 1945, 1845 NAS disbanded and its aircraft were merged into the existing squadrons on the . 1845 NAS reformed and on 30 June 1945, both squadrons were absorbed into the
3rd Carrier Air Group. •
Wing Leader • Major P.P. Nelson-Gracie, RM 14 October 1944 •
11th Naval TBR Wing - formed with
822 and
823 Naval Air Squadrons on 21 April 1944, at
Ulunderpet, in
India, by renumbering
45th Naval TBR Wing. Both units were equipped with Fairey Barracuda, torpedo and dive bomber aircraft. It disbanded when 822 NAS absorbed 823 NAS on 6 July 1944. •
Wing Leader •
unidentified, 21 April 1944 •
12th Naval TBR Wing - consisted
815 and
817 Naval Air Squadrons and formed 24 January 1944, for the British Pacific Fleet, with an intended embarkation in the modified
Illustrious-class aircraft carrier, HMS
Indomitable (92). The wing joined the
Ruler-class escort carrier HMS
Begum (D38) the following month, with
Indomitable still under repair, and went to the
far east, later on embarking in the initially intended HMS
Indomitable (92) during July 1944. The wing saw operational service before disbanding on 28 December 1944. •
Wing Leader • Lieutenant Commander E.M. Britton, RN •
15th Naval Fighter Wing - consisted
1830,
1831 and
1833 Naval Air Squadrons, equipped with Vought Corsair, American fighter aircraft and formed on 8 November 1943, at
RNAS Stretton (HMS Blackcap). 1831 NAS disbanded into the other two squadrons before the wing embarked in the lead ship of her class of aircraft carrier, HMS
Illustrious (87). The aircraft carrier was initially with the
Eastern Fleet and then moved to the British Pacific Fleet and the wing saw numerous operational activities with both. It disbanded on 28 July 1945, when the wing returned to the United Kingdom. •
Wing Leaders • Lieutenant Commander J.W. Sleigh, DSC, RN, 8 November 1943 • Lieutenant Commander(A)
R.J. Cork, DSO, DSC, RN, 2 December 1943 - (KiA 14 April 1944) • Lieutenant Commander(A) A.M. Tritton, DSC & 2 Bars, RNVR, 15 April 1944 •
disbanded, 28 July 1945 •
18th Naval MAC-Ship Wing - This was a proposed Wing. The intention was to form this wing in order to control the squadrons whose aircraft were embarked on the
Merchant Aircraft Carriers, or MAC-Ships.
836 Naval Air Squadron became an operational pool of
Fairey Swordfish, a British
biplane torpedo bomber, operating from the MAC-Ships, absorbing other squadrons and detachments, and was given primary responsibility for all MAC-Ship flights. There is doubt if the MAC-Ship Wing, as it was more generally known, was ever known by its number. •
21st Naval TBR Wing - formed at
RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail) on 25 October 1943. It consisted
810 and
847 Naval Air Squadrons, both operating with Fairey Barracuda torpedo bomber aircraft. The wing joined HMS
Illustrious (87) during November 1943, then sailed to join the Eastern Fleet. It disbanded after 810 NAS absorbed 847 NAS on 30 June 1944. •
Wing Leaders • Lieutenant Commander N.R. Corbet-Milward, RN, 25 October 1943 • Lieutenant Commander B.E. Boulding, DSC, RN, 18 November 1943 • Lieutenant Commander(A) A.J.B. Forde, RN, 27 February 1944 •
disbanded, 30 June 1944 •
24th Naval Fighter Wing - formed of 887 and 894 Naval Air Squadrons on 25 October 1943, at
RNAS Henstridge (HMS Dipper). Both squadrons were equipped with Supermarine Seafire. The wing joined HMS
Indefatigable during May 1944, for operations off Norway. HMS
Indefatigable joined the Eastern Fleet during November 1944, and then joined British Pacific Fleet. The wing was involved in operations against Japanese forces, before being absorbed into
7th Carrier Air Group, on 30 June 1945. •
Wing Leaders • Lieutenant Commander N.G. Hallett, DSC, RN, 31 December 1943 • Lieutenant Commander B.F. Wiggington, DSC, RNVR, 22 May 1944 • Lieutenant Commander(A) A.J. Thomson, DSC, RNVR, 1 November 1944 • Lieutenant Commander N.G. Hallett, DSC, RN, 12 March 1945 •
disbanded into 7th Carrier Air Group, 30 June 1945 •
30th Naval Fighter Wing - formed at RNAS Machrihanish (HMS
Landrail) on 10 October 1944 and consisting Supermarine Seafire equipped 810 and 880 Naval Air Squadrons. The wing embarked in HMS
Implacable during November 1944, sailing, to join up with the British Pacific Fleet, on 15 March 1945. However, the wing disbanded into the
8th Carrier Air Group, on 30 June 1945, before seeing any operations. •
Wing Leader • Lieutenant Commander C.P. Campbell-Horsfall, RN, 10 October 1944 •
31st Naval TBR Wing - it was proposed to form during October 1943 at
RNAS Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk). It was to consist 832 and 845 Naval Air Squadrons, both equipped with Fairey Barracuda torpedo and dive bombers aircraft. However, intended for the
Illustrious-class HMS
Victorious (R38), the aircraft carrier was not available and therefore, in November, the formation of the wing was cancelled. The squadrons were reallocated to
HMS Engadine, for passage to the Far East. •
Wing Leaders • Lieutenant Commander WH Crawford, RN, 20 October 1943 •
disbanded, 26 November 1943 •
45th Naval TBR Wing - formed for service in HMS
Indefatigable, with the Fairey Barracuda equipped 822 and 823 Naval Air Squadrons, on 25 October 1943, however, until the squadrons were ready to depart in HMS
Atheling, to join the Eastern Fleet during February 1944, they did not combine. The wing was renumbered as
11th Naval TBR Wing, on 21 April 1944. •
Wing Leaders • Lieutenant Commander B.E. Boulding, DSC, RN, 25 October 1943 • Lieutenant Commander G. Douglas, DFC, RN, 1 December 1943 •
unidentified, 31 January 1944 •
renumbered 11th Naval TBR Wing, 21 April 1944 •
47th Naval Fighter Wing - consisted
1834 and
1836 Naval Air Squadrons and formed on 17 January 1944 at RNAS Stretton (HMS
Blackcap). Both units were equipped with Vought Corsair fighter aircraft. The wing joined up with the
Illustrious-class aircraft carrier, HMS
Victorious (R38), during March 1944 to cover with air strikes against the German battleship
Tirpitz. During June, the carrier and wing travelled to
Ceylon, and the wing was augmented with 1837 Naval Air Squadron in August 1944, also equipped with Vought Corsair, however, this squadron disbanded into the other two. The wing saw action against Japanese forces, before being absorbed into the
1st Carrier Air Group on 30 June 1945. •
Wing Leader • Lieutenant Commander(A) F.R.A. Turnbull, DSC, RN, 17 January 1944 • Major R.C. Hay, DSC, RM, 14 August 1944 (Lieutenant Colonel 12 December 1944) •
disbanded into 1st Carrier Air Group, 30 June 1945 •
52nd Naval TBR Wing - Initially planned for the name ship of her class HMS
Implacable (R86), with 815 and
829 Naval Air Squadrons, in October 1943, the wing actually formed on 26 November and was reallocated to the
Illustrious-class aircraft carrier, HMS
Victorious (R38). However, with the aircraft carrier unavailable, the squadrons joined the
Ruler-class escort carrier, HMS
Begum (D38) and operated with the 12th Naval Wing. The wing formed again on 5 January 1944, for HMS
Victorious (R38). It was made up of 829 and
831 Naval Air Squadrons, both operated with Fairey Barracuda torpedo and dive bomber aircraft and was later augmented by 827 Naval Air Squadron for air strikes on the German battleship
Tirpitz. The wing disbanded on 9 July 1944, when 831 NAS absorbed 829 NAS. •
Wing Leader • Lieutenant Commander J.C.N. Shrubsole, RN, 26 November 1943 • Lieutenant Commander E.M. Britton, RN, 5 January 1944 • Lieutenant Commander(A) F.H. Fox, RN, 24 January 1944 • Lieutenant Commander V. Rance, OBE, RN, 15 February 1944 •
disbanded, 9 July 1944 == Wing Codes 1943-1945 ==