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720 Naval Air Squadron

720 Naval Air Squadron720 (Catapult) Flight FAA
Avro Anson Mk I, similar to the type used by 720 NAS
Royal Air Force1936–1939Royal Navy.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:"\a0 · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}1939–19401945–1950
5 January 1950
United Kingdom
Royal Navy
Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron
Catapult Flight
RN Photographic Squadron
Squadron
Fleet Air Arm
See Naval air stations section for full list.
Z1-Z4 (Walrus)P9A+ (Walrus May 1939)FD8A+ (Oxford)FD8+ (Anson)600-603 (Anson 1947)
.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}FD (1947)GJ (1948)
Supermarine Walrus
Avro AnsonAirspeed Oxford

720 Naval Air Squadron (720 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The squadron originated as the Catapult Fight for the New Zealand Division and it achieved squadron status and a shore base at Auckland, New Zealand, before the start of the Second World War. However it was absorbed into 700 Naval Air Squadron in January 1940. The squadron reformed at the beginning of August 1945, from an unnumbered photographic flight originally formed in December 1940, at HMS Peregrine, RNAS Ford, in Sussex, as the RN Photographic Squadron. It moved to HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, in Hampshire, during May 1948, but 720 Naval Air Squadron disbanded in January 1950, with 771 Naval Air Squadron taking on the aircraft and duties.

720 Naval Air Squadron originated as the catapult flight for the New Zealand Division. 720 (Catapult) Flight, FAA formed on 15 July 1936 at RAF Mount Batten, a Seaplane Station and flying boat base in Plymouth Sound, Devon, England. It operated Supermarine Walrus, amphibious maritime patrol aircraft. The Flight disbanded on 24 May 1939 at Auckland, New Zealand, to become 720 Squadron, FAA. On 21 January 1940 the squadron disbanded, being absorbed into 700 Naval Air Squadron.

720 (Catapult) Flight operated a couple of ships’ flights between 1936 and 1940 whilst based out of Auckland, including the Leander-class light cruiser Achilles between 1936 and 1940 and the lead ship of the class Leander between 1938 and 1940.

720 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine), Sussex, on 1 August 1945 by elevating the RN Photographic Flight to squadron status, which itself had formed from an unnumbered Flight of Blackburn Shark torpedo-spotter-reconnaissance biplane and Fairey Seal spotter-reconnaissance biplane, at Ford in December 1940. It was equipped with four Avro Anson, a twin-engine multi-role training aircraft. The squadron worked alongside the RAF photographic development unit at nearby RAF Tangmere, Sussex, and provided its flying task for photographic trainees at the RN school. October 1947 saw the addition of an Airspeed Oxford, a twin-engined training aircraft and during May 1948 the squadron moved to RNAS Gosport (HMS Siskin), Hampshire. In January 1950 720 Naval Air Squadron disbanded with its role and aircraft absorbed by 771 Naval Air Squadron.

The squadron operated a small number of different aircraft:

Supermarine Walrus amphibious maritime patrol aircraft (July 1936 - January 1940)
Avro Anson Mk I multi-role training aircraft (July 1945 - January 1950)
Airspeed Oxford training aircraft (October 1947 - January 1949)

720 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, a Royal Air Force station and flying boat base, in the United Kingdom and one overseas:

1936 - 1940

Royal Air Force Mount Batten, Devon, (15 July 1936 - 1 June 1937)
RNZAF Station Hobsonville, Auckland, New Zealand, (1 June 1937 - 21 January 1940)
disbanded - (21 January 1940)

1945 - 1950

Royal Naval Air Station Ford (HMS Peregrine), Sussex, (1 August 1945 - 18 July 1947)
Royal Air Force Tangmere, Sussex, (18 July - 25 August 1947)
Royal Naval Air Station Ford (HMS Peregrine), Sussex, (25 August 1947 - 27 May 1948)
Royal Naval Air Station Gosport (HMS Siskin), Hampshire, (27 May 1948 - 5 January 1950)
disbanded - (5 January 1950)

List of commanding officers of 720 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:

1936 - 1940

Lieutenant T.P. Coode, RN, (Flight Lieutenant RAF), from 15 July 1936
Lieutenant G.W.R. Nicholl, RN, (Flight Lieutenant RAF), from 30 April 1937
Lieutenant Commander B.E.W. Logan, RN, from 24 May 1939
disbanded 21 January 1940

1945 - 1950

Lieutenant Commander(A) J.N. Gladish, RNVR, from 1 July 1945
Lieutenant Commander(A) T.G. Stubley, RNVR, from 10 August 1945
Lieutenant(A) D.G. Dick, RNVR, from 28 September 1945
Lieutenant(A) G.H. Davies, RNVR, from 10 December 1945
Lieutenant(A) W.A. Murray, RN, from 14 February 1946
Lieutenant(A) E.R.G. Green, RN, from 5 November 1947
Lieutenant(A) H. Phillips, RN, from 25 October 1948
Lieutenant D.J. Whitehead, RN, from 12 December 1949
disbanded - 5 January 1950

Note: Abbreviation (A) signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.

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