720 Naval Air Squadron (720 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. 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 (Catapult) Flight operated a couple of ships’ flights between 1936 and 1940 whilst based out of Auckland, including the Leander-classlight cruiserAchilles between 1936-40 and the lead ship of the class Leander between 1938-40.[3]
RN Photographic Squadron (1945 - 1950)
720 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine), Sussex, on 1 August 1945 by elevating the RN Photographic Flight to squadron status,[5] 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.[6] It was equipped with four Avro Anson, a twin-engine multi-role training aircraft.[2] 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.[3]
Aircraft operated
The squadron operated a small number of different aircraft:[3]
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.