# 14th Carrier Air Group

The 14th Carrier Air Group (14th CAG) was an aircraft carrier air group of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed in June 1945, for service in the British Pacific Fleet, until disbanding in July 1946. The group was embarked on HMS Colossus (R15).
The 14th CAG reformed in October 1946, at RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), in Northern Ireland, for embarkation on HMS Theseus (R64), until disbanding in December 1947.
It reformed a second time, in January 1948, operating in the Mediterranean and then seeing action in Korea, before disbanding a third time in May 1952.

## Naval Air Squadrons

The 14th Carrier Air Group consisted of a number of squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm.
| Squadron | From | To | Aircraft |
| 827 Naval Air Squadron | Jun 1945 | Jul 1946 | Fairey Barracuda |
| 1846 Naval Air Squadron | Jun 1945 | Jul 1946 | Vought F4U Corsair |
| 804 Naval Air Squadron | Oct 1946 | Dec 1947 | Supermarine Seafire |
| 812 Naval Air Squadron | Oct 1946 | Dec 1947 | Fairey Firefly |
| 804 Naval Air Squadron | Jan 1948 | May 1952 | Supermarine Seafire to Jul 1949, then Hawker Sea Fury |
| 812 Naval Air Squadron | Jan 1948 | May 1952 | Fairey Firefly |

## History

The squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm, stationed aboard the Royal Navy's Fleet and Light Fleet aircraft carriers for the British Pacific Fleet, were restructured into Air Groups in accordance with the policies of the United States Navy after the end of World War II in Europe. This reorganisation was intended to enhance operational effectiveness in the Pacific Theater against Japanese forces in 1945.

### 1945 - 1946

The 14th Carrier Air Group was established on 30 June 1945, and was stationed aboard the light aircraft carrier, HMS Colossus, the lead ship of her class, for deployment within the British Pacific Fleet. Initially, the group comprised 827 Naval Air Squadron, which operated Fairey Barracuda, a British torpedo and dive bomber designed for carrier operations, and 1846 Naval Air Squadron, which flew Vought Corsair, an American fighter aircraft. The group was disbanded on 23 July 1946, upon the return of HMS Colossus to her home port.

### 1946 - 1947

The 14th Carrier Air Group reformed, on 1 October 1946 at RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), located 1.3 miles (2.1 km) north east of Eglinton, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, this time for the Colossus-class aircraft carrier, HMS Theseus, deployed as the Flagship, for the 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron in the British Pacific Fleet, with 804 and 812 Naval Air Squadrons. 804 Naval Air Squadron operated the Supermarine Seafire, a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft, adapted for operation from an aircraft carrier. 812 Naval Air Squadron was equipped with Fairey Firefly, a carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft. The group disbanded, when Theseus arrived back in the United Kingdom, on 21 December 1947.

### 1948 - 1952

The 14th Carrier Air Group reformed, on 15 January 1948, at RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine),located at Ford, in West Sussex, England. The group was for the Colossus-class light fleet aircraft carrier, HMS Ocean (R68). It was made up of 802 and 814 Naval Air Squadrons again, the difference however, was that while both squadrons operated with the same aircraft, they now used later variants. The 14th CAG moved to RNAS Donibristle (HMS Merlin), located 2.7 miles (4.3 km) east of Rosyth, Fife, and RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), located 1.3 miles (2.1 km) north east of Eglinton, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, before emabarking on Ocean, on the 24 August 1948, then arriving at RNAS Hal Far (HMS Falcon), on Malta, on the 1 September 1948.
In July 1949, 804 NAS swapped it's Supermarine Seafire aircraft for Hawker Sea Fury, a British Naval fighter-bomber aircraft, and 812 NAS received the FR.Mk 5 variant of the Fairey Firefly. Four Fairey Firefly NF.Mk I "night fighter" variant aircraft were also received, enabling the squadron to form Black Flight, which became known as the 14th CAG Night Fighter unit. In November 1949, the CAG transferred over to another Colossus-class aircraft carrier, HMS Glory (R62).
Aboard Glory, the CAG deployed to the Far East as the Korean War was now taking place. From April 1951 Glory and the 14th CAG, undertook a tour of nine, nine day patrols, off the West coast of North Korea. The aircraft carrier departed to Australia for a refit, but was back by February 1952, to undertake five more patrols, before returning home.
The 14th Carrier Air Group spent 316 days on patrols, during its time operating in the Korean War, amassing ~9,500 operational sorties. It disbanded, upon returning home to the United Kingdom, on the 2 May 1952.

## Air Group Commanders

List of commanding officers of the 14th Carrier Air Group, with date of appointment:
1945 - 1946
* Not identified, from 30 June 1945
* disbanded - 23 July 1946
1946 - 1947
* Not identified, from 1 October 1946
* Lieutenant Commander G.R. Callingham, RN, from 1 January 1947
* disbanded - 21 December 1947
1948 - 1952
* Lieutenant Commander J.W. Sleigh, DSO, DSC, RN, from 27 January 1948
* Lieutenant Commander S.J. Hall, DSC, RN, from 24 October 1950
* Lieutenant Commander F.A. Swanton, DSC, RN, from 24 December 1951
* disbanded - 2 May 1952