RNAS St Merryn, HMS Vulture

Information

Details

I have split RNAS St Merryn, up into its main parts and a list is below.

HANGARS

Hangar areas on N., E. and S. of the airfield.

Number /Type	Size	Door Height	Door Width
1 Callender Hamilton ..	185' x 11O'	25′	110′
2 Pentad .. .. .. .. .. ..	185' x 105'	25'	105'
4 Tee Side "S" .. .. .. ..	6o' x 70'	20'	60'
13 Mains* . . . . . . . ..	6o' x 70'	17'	55'
13 Mains* . . . . . . . ..	6o' x 84'	17'	55'
* built in 1943 when the station was expanded

Capacity:

Officers:	156
Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:	1,265
W.R.N.S. Officers:	4
W.R.N.S. Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;	210

Capacity: Officers: 156 Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings: 1,265 W.R.N.S. Officers: 4 W.R.N.S. Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings; 210

List of first and second line squadrons, station flight and other flying units based at this location 709 Fighter Ground Attack School (Part of the School of Naval Air Warfare) Formed here 15.09.44. Disbanded here 09.01.46 Equipped with Seafire L.III, Hellcat I, & II, Harvard IIb & III. 715 Fighter Air Combat and Fighter Leaders Course (Part of the School of Naval Air Warfare) Formed here 17.08.44. Disbanded here 31.03.46 and absorbed by 736 squadron. Equipped with Seafire L.III & XVII, Corsair II & IV, Harvard IIb & III. 719 Fighter Air Firing training squadron (Part of the School of Naval Air Warfare) Formed here 15.06.44. Disbanded here 02,01.45. Equipped with Corsair III, Master II, Seafire Ib & IIc, Spitfire Vb, Wildcat IV, 725 Air Target Towing Unit (Part of the School of Naval Air Warfare) Moved here from RNAS Eglinton 04.08.45. Disbanded here 27.12.45 and absorbed by 736 squadron. Equipped with Martinet TT.I. 736 Fighter Combat School (Part of the School of Naval Air Warfare) Moved here from RNAS Yeovilton 02.09.43. Moved to RNAS Culdrose 01/02.50. Equipped with Avenger II, Barracuda II, Corsair III, Firebrand TF.IV, Firefly FR.I , FR.4 & T.I, Harvard III, Master II, Seafire Ib, III, F.15, F.17 & F.46, Spitfire Va, Wellington XI. 738 (Part of the School of Naval Air Warfare, based at RNAS Culdrose) The squadron used the station for Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landing training from January 1953. Equipped with Sea Fury FB.11. 741 Operational Flying Training Unit Formed here 12.08.46. Disbanded here 25.11.47. Equipped with Firefly FR.I, Seafire L.III, Harvard III. 748 Fighter Pool Squadron Formed here 12.10.42. Moved to RNAS Henstridge 04.02.44. Moved here from RNAS Dale 14.08.45. Disbanded here 11.02.46. Equipped with Corsair II, III & IV, Firefly I, Hellcat I, Hurricane I, Fulmar I & II, Master I & II, Spitfire I, Va & Vb, Seafire Ib, IIc & III, Wildcat V & VI. 750 Observer School Part II. Formed here 17.04.52 out of 796 squadron. Moved to RNAS Culdrose 30.11.43. Equipped with Barracuda TR.3. 762 Advanced Flying Training School Moved here from RNAS Yeovilton 15.04.42. Returned to RNAS Yeovilton 08.09.42. Equipped with Fulmar I & II, Martlet I,Master I. 774 Armament Training Squadron Moved here from R.N.A.S. Evanton 17.09.1940. Moved to R.N.A.S. Rattray 24.10.1944 Equipped with Albacore I, Roc, Shark IIIT, Skua II, Swordfish I/II, Barracuda II, Sea Hurricane Ib, 787 Z Flt. Fleet Fighter Development Unit Moved here from RNAS Lee-on-Solent 24.02.43. Moved to RNAS Inskip 16.11.54, Returned from RNAS Inskip 14.01.44 and operated at the satellite airfield at Treligga. Flight disbanded here 01.07.44. Equipped with Fulmar & II, Hurricane IV, Sea Hurricane Ia & IIc, Swordfish I & II. 792 Air Target Towing Unit Formed here 15.08.40. Disbanded here 02.01.45 and absorbed by 794 squadron. Equipped with Anson I, Defiant TT.III, Lysander III, Martinet 1TT, Master I, Proctor Ia,Roc TT.I, Sea Gladiator, Sea Hurricane Ia, Skua II, Whitney Straight. 794 School of Air Firing Formed here 02.01.45. Moved to RNAS Eglinton 09.08.45. Equipped with Corsair III, Fulmar II, Harvard IIb & III, Martinet TT.I, Master II, Seafire L.III, Spitfire Vb, Wildcat IV. 796 Aircrewmans School (Observer School Part II from 1850) Formed here 13.11.47. Moved to RNAS Culdrose 09.02.54. Equipped with Barracuda III, Firefly FR.I, AS.5, AS.6, T.3 & T.7, Tiger Moth T.2.

Swordfish.

Roc 3.

Firefly..

RNAS St Merryn, HMS Vulture, Cornwall.