1701 Naval Air Squadron (1701 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It was formed in February 1945 at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, as an amphibian bomber reconnaissance squadron.[2] It was equipped with Supermarine Sea Otter, and the squadron joined HMS Begum in April 1945 bound for the Far East.[2] The squadron was intended to join the newly established Mobile Naval Air Bases for Air Sea Rescue duties. 'B' Flight joined MONAB IV (HMS Nabaron) at RNAS Ponam in the Admiralty Islands in May 1945 and embarked in HMS Reaper in October 1945. 'A' Flight joined MONAB VI (HMS Nabstock) at RNAS Maryborough, Queensland, Australia in June 1945.[2] The flights re-grouped in the Autumn of 1945 at HMS Nabcatcher, RNAS Kai Tak, Hong Kong, where it disbanded during August 1946.
1701 Naval Air Squadron personnel and aircraft all embarked in HMS Begum on 17 April, and sailed from the Clyde, via Gibraltar, Suez Canal, Colombo and arrived at Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands.[5] The squadron was divided into two flights of four aircraft; ‘B’ flight disembarked from HMS Begum on 28 May to RNAS Ponum (HMS Nabaron), Ponam Island, a former United States Navy airstrip transferred to the Royal Navy (RN) on loan,[6] which was home to Mobile Naval Air Base No. IV (MONAB IV)[7] to which the Flight became attached to providing air sea rescue duties.[4]
Following the surrender of Japan, RNAS Ponum, on Manus, was beginning to rundown to closure with everything preparing to move to Australia. On 3 October 1945 ‘B’ flight was embarked in the Ruler-class escort carrier HMS Reaper for Hong Kong. On 4 November 'A' Flight left Australia for Hong Kong to rejoin the rest of the squadron, embarked in the Attacker-classescort carrierHMS Striker.[5] 'B' Flight disembarked from HMS Reaper on 13 October and 'A' Flight disembarked from HMS Striker on 16 November, to RNAS Kai Tak (HMS Nabcatcher), Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong, with the HQ flight having been established on 1 November.[11] The airfield at Kai Tak was a joint Royal Navy / Royal Air Force (RAF) station, the RN (West) side of the station housed Mobile Naval Air Base No. VIII (MONAB VIII). Here the squadron reverted to second-line duties.[5]
Between 17 - 31 December it provided a detachment in the Attacker-class escort carrier HMS Chaser. In April the following year the squadron received an Airspeed Oxford, a twin-engine multi-role training aircraft, and this was joined by a de Havilland Tiger Mothbiplane trainer aircraft, in July.[1] 1701 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 27 August 1946, its Supermarine Sea Otter aircraft were absorbed into 721 Naval Air Squadron, the resident Fleet Requirements Unit, as an ASR flight.[5]
Aircraft flown
The squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including:[1]
1701 Naval Air Squadron operated from a single naval air stations of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom, many overseas and a number of escort carriers:[1]
^ abcde"1701 Naval Air Squadron". Royal Navy Research Archive - Royal Naval Air Squadrons 1938 to present day. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
^"Ponam". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
^"MONAB IV - HMS Nabaron". Royal Navy Research Archive - The MONAB Story - A history of the mobile airfields of the Royal Navy. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
^"Maryborough". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
^"Bankstown". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
^"MONAB VI - HMS Nabstock". Royal Navy Research Archive - The MONAB Story - A history of the mobile airfields of the Royal Navy. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
^"Kai Tak". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
Bibliography
Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN978-0-85130-489-2.