748 Naval Air Squadron (748 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed, at RNAS St Merryn, as a Fighter Pool Squadron, before becoming No. 10 Naval Operational Training Unit. The squadron moved to RNAS Henstridge in February 1944 and then onto RNAS Yeovilton in the March. In September 1944, 748 NAS moved to RNAS Dale, in Wales, remaining for just under twelve months, before moving back to RNAS St Merryn in August 1945, where it disbanded in February 1946. During its existence, the squadron was equipped with numerous aircraft and various marks, operated by the Fleet Air Arm.

History of 748 NAS

Fighter Pool Squadron (1942-1943) 
748 Naval Air Squadron was formed at RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture), which is located  northeast of Newquay, Cornwall, as a Fighter Pool Squadron on 12 October 1942. It was initially equipped with four Fulmar, a British carrier-borne reconnaissance aircraft / fighter aircraft, four Martlet, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft, four Spitfire, a British single-seat fighter aircraft and four Hurricane, another British single-seat fighter aircraft.

No.10 Naval Operational Training Unit (1943-1946)
In early 1943, 748 NAS became No. 10 Operational Training Unit, adding Seafire aircraft, a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire specifically adapted for operation from aircraft carriers, to its inventory. On the 4 February 1944, it left RNAS St Merryn and moved to RNAS Henstridge (HMS Dipper), situated approxiamately  east of Sherborne in the South Somerset district, near the border with Dorset, here it also received Spitfire Vb, Martinet, a target tug aircraft and Reliant, an American liaison and training monoplane. However, within five weeks of arriving, the squadron was on the move again, reloacting to RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), sited a few miles north of Yeovil, in Somerset, on 9 March 1944.

Six months later and 748 NAS relocated again. On 1 September 1944 the squadron was transferred to RNAS Dale (HMS Goldcrest), a Fleet Air Arm base located  west of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales. By this time 748 NAS was equipped with Corsair, an American fighter aircraft, Harvard, an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft, Firefly, a carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft, Hellcat, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft, Seafire and Wildcat another American carrier-based fighter aircraft. The squadron remained at Dale for almost one year before returning to RNAS St Merryn on the 14 August 1945.
748 NAS remained there for a further six months, disbanding on the 11 February 1946.

Aircraft flown 
The squadron was equipped with numerous types and marks of aircraft operated by the Fleet Air Arm including:

Fairey Fulmar Mk.II (Oct 1942 - Mar 1943)
Fairey Fulmar Mk.I (Oct 1942 - Apr 1943)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk I (Oct 1942 - Apr 1943)
Hawker Hurricane Mk I (Oct 1942 - Dec 1943) 
Miles M.9B Master I (Oct 1942 - Jan 1944)
Grumman Martlet Mk I (Oct 1942 - Jan 1944)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb (Dec 1942)
Percival Proctor Ia (Jan 1943 - Mar 1943)
Hawker Sea Hurricane Ib (Feb 1943 - Jul 1943)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk Va (Feb 1943 - Jul 1944)
Supermarine Seafire F Mk IIc (Mar 1943 - Feb 1946)
Hawker Sea Hurricane IIc (Jun 1943 - Feb 1944)
Supermarine Seafire Mk Ib (Jun 1943 - Feb 1946)
Grumman Martlet Mk IV (Sep 1943 - Sep 1944)
Bristol Blenheim IV (Nov 1943 - Mar 1944)
Stinson Reliant (Nov 1943 - Jul 1944)
Vought Corsair Mk II (Mar 1944 -  1945)
Vought Corsair Mk IV (Mar 1944 - Jan 1945)
Grumman Hellcat F. Mk. I (May 1944 - May 1945)
Miles M.19 Master GT.II (May 1944 - Aug 1945)
Vought Corsair Mk III (May 1944 - Nov 1945)
Fairey Firefly FR.I (Jun 1944 - Jun 1945)
Martinet TT.Mk I
Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb (hooked) (Mar 1945 - Feb 1946)
Grumman Wildcat Mk V (May 1945 - Mar 1946)
North American Harvard III (Jun 1945 - Feb 1946)
Grumman Wildcat Mk VI (Sep 1945 - Mar 1946)
Supermarine Seafire F Mk III (Nov 1945 - Feb 1946)

Naval Air Stations  

748 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, in Wales and England:
Royal Naval Air Station ST MERRYN (12 October 1942 - 4 February 1944)
Royal Naval Air Station HENSTRIDGE (4 February 1944 - 9 March 1944)
 Royal Naval Air Station YEOVILTON (9 March 1944 - 1 September 1944)
Royal Naval Air Station DALE (1 September 1944 - 14 August 1945)
Royal Naval Air Station ST MERRYN (14 August 1945 - 11 February 1946)

Commanding Officers 

List of commanding officers of 748 Naval Air Squadron with month and year of appointment and end:

Lt Cdr (A) R. G. French, RNVR (Oct 1942-Nov 1943)
Lt Cdr B. H. C. Nation, RN (Nov 1943-Jul 1944)
Lt Cdr J. G. Smith, RNVR (Jul 1944-Aug 1945)
Lt Cdr (A) P. J. E. Nichols, RNVR (Aug 1945-Dec 1945)
Lt Cdr (A) P. C. S. Chilton, RN (Dec 1945-Feb 1946)

References

Citations

Bibliography 

700 series Fleet Air Arm squadrons
Military units and formations established in 1942
Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War II