Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

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No 803 Sqn Personnel, aircraft and locations

[Jul 1933 | Jan 1934 | Jul 1934 | Jul 1935 | Jul 1936 | Jan 1939 | Apr 1939 | May 1939]

Aug 1936 |

August 1936

Source - August 1936 Air Force List

Formed on 3 April 1933 from No 409 (Fleet Fighter) Flight at Netheravon equipped with 9 Ospreys.

Movement Date Location
26 Apr 1933 HMS Eagle
3 Jun 1933 Seletar
6 Jun 1933 HMS Eagle
11 Jun 1933 Kai Tak
16 Jun 1933 HMS Eagle

July 1933

Aircraft operated For service aboard Command/Group
Hawker Osprey I HMS Eagle RAF Far East

Osprey of No 803 Squadron

Rank Name Date Notes
Flt Lt Leonard Young  9 Nov 1932  
Fg Off Gerald D Anderson 18 Apr 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off Hugh P Bramwell 26 Apr 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off Francis E C Judd  1 Apr 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off Merlin Bruce 16 Jan 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off John Casson  5 Jan 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off Frank S Gardner 26 Apr 1933

Dates prior to 3 April 1933 are the dates appointed to 409 (Fleet Fighter) Flight

Source - July 1933 Air Force List

Movement Date Location
27 Oct 1933 Kai Tak
28 Dec 1933 HMS Eagle

January 1934

Aircraft operated For service aboard Command/Group
Hawker Osprey I HMS Eagle RAF Far East

 

Rank Name Date Notes
Sqn Ldr Robert R Graham 28 Oct 1933 Officer Commanding, Lt Cdr RN
Flt Lt Leonard Young  9 Nov 1932  
Fg Off Gerald D Anderson 18 Apr 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off Hugh P Bramwell 26 Apr 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off Francis E C Judd  1 Apr 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off Merlin Bruce 16 Jan 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off John Casson  5 Jan 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off James W C More 11 Jun 1933
Fg Off Frank S Gardner 26 Apr 1933
Fg Off Frank E Stokes 11 Jun 1933

Source - January 1934 Air Force List

Movement Date Location
16 Jan - 1 Feb 1934 Seletar (detachment)
8 - 14 Feb 1934 Kuala Lumpur (detachment)
16 Mar 1934 Kai Tak
3 May 1934 HMS Eagle

July 1934

Aircraft operated For service aboard Command/Group
Hawker Osprey I HMS Eagle RAF Far East

 

Rank Name Date Notes
Sqn Ldr Robert R Graham 28 Oct 1933 Officer Commanding, Lt Cdr RN
Flt Lt Leonard Young  9 Nov 1932  
Fg Off Gerald D Anderson 18 Apr 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off Hugh P Bramwell 26 Apr 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off Francis E C Judd  1 Apr 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off Merlin Bruce 16 Jan 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off John Casson  5 Jan 1933 Lt, RN
Fg Off James W C More 11 Jun 1933
Fg Off Frank S Gardner 26 Apr 1933
Fg Off Frank E Stokes 11 Jun 1933

Dates prior to 3 April 1933 are the dates appointed to 409 (Fleet Fighter) Flight

Source - July 1934 Air Force List

Movement Date Location
20 Oct 1934 - 6 Jan 1935 Kai Tak (detachment)
1 Dec 1934 Seletar
14 Dec 1934 HMS Eagle
16 Dec 1934 Seletar
30 Jan 1935 HMS Hermes
1 Feb 1935 Kai Tak
11 Mar 1935 HMS Hermes
14 Mar 1935 Kai Tak
13 May 1935 HMS Hermes

July 1935

Aircraft operated For service aboard Command/Group
Hawker Osprey I HMS Hermes RAF Far East

 

Rank Name Date Notes
Flt Lt Cyril W Byas 18 Nov 1934 Lt Cdr RN
Flt Lt Leonard Young  9 Nov 1932  
Fg Off Patrick H Havers 18 Nov 1934 Lt, RN
Fg Off William P Lucy 18 Nov 1934 Lt, RN
Fg Off Frank S Gardner 26 Apr 1933
Fg Off Richard S Ryan 16 Jun 1934  
Fg Off Godfrey A V Knyvett 18 Nov 1934  
Warrant Officer
WOI Harvey J Beard 29 Oct 1934

Source - July 1935 Air Force List

Movement Date Location
23 Sep 1935 Singapore
5 Dec 1935 HMS Hermes
26 Dec 1935 Singapore
10 Feb 1936 HMS Hermes
2 Mar 1936 Kai Tak
21 Apr 1936 HMS Hermes

July 1936

Aircraft operated For service aboard Command/Group
Hawker Osprey I HMS Hermes RAF Far East

 

Rank Name Date Notes
Flt Lt Cyril W Byas 18 Nov 1934 Lt Cdr RN
Flt Lt

Wilfred L Freebody

27 Sep 1935 later AVM
Fg Off I R Sarel 31 Jan 1936 Lt, RN
Fg Off Richard S Ryan 16 Jun 1934  
Fg Off Godfrey A V Knyvett 18 Nov 1934  

Source - July 1936 Air Force List

Movement Date Location
3 Nov 1936 Kai Tak
4 Jan 1937 HMS Hermes
4 Feb 1937 Seletar
19 Feb 1937 Penang
22 Feb 1937 Seletar
15 Mar 1937 HMS Hermes
1 Apr 1937 Colombo

Disbanded 1 April 1937

The squadron reformed at Worthy Down on 21 November 1938 equipped with 6 Ospreys and 3 Nimrods.

Hawker Nimrod

January 1939

Aircraft operated For service aboard Command/Group
Blackburn Skua I (from Dec 1938) HMS Ark Royal

Shore station - Worthy Down

 Coastal Command

Skua II of No 803 Squadron

The squadron is not yet listed in the January 1939 Air Force List

Source - January 1939 Air Force List

Movement Date Location
3 Feb 1939 Sutton Bridge (3 APS)
23 Feb 1939 Gosport
15 Mar 1939 Exeter
23 Mar 1939 Worthy Down
3 Apr 1939 HMS Ark Royal

April 1939

Aircraft operated For service aboard Command/Group
Blackburn Skua I

Blackburn Roc I (from April 1939)

 HMS Ark Royal

Shore station - Worthy Down

 Coastal Command

 

Rank Name Date Notes
Flt Lt D R F Cambell 21 Nov 1938 Officer Commanding, Lt Cdr, RN
Fg Off A J Trumble 21 Nov 1938  
Fg Off B S McEwen 21 Nov 1938 Lt, RN
Fg Off A T J Kindersley 21 Nov 1938 Act Lt, RN
Fg Off W A Robertson 21 Nov 1938 Lt, RN
Fg Off R P Thurston 21 Nov 1938 Lt, RN
Fg Off B J Smeeton 21 Nov 1938 Lt, RN
Fg Off G B K Griffiths 21 Nov 1938 Lt, RM
Warrant Officer
WO C E A Colder 30 Nov 1938  

Source - April 1939 Confidential Air Force List

Movement Date Location
18 Apr 1939 Worthy Down
30 Apr 1939 HMS Ark Royal
8 May 1939 Gosport
10 May 1939 HMS Ark Royal

May 1939

Aircraft operated For service aboard Command/Group
Blackburn Skua I

Blackburn Roc I

 HMS Ark Royal

Shore station - Worthy Down

 Coastal Command

 

Rank Name Date Notes
Flt Lt D R F Cambell 21 Nov 1938 Officer Commanding, Lt Cdr, RN
Fg Off A J Trumble 21 Nov 1938  
Fg Off B S McEwen 21 Nov 1938 Lt, RN
Fg Off A T J Kindersley 21 Nov 1938 Act Lt, RN
Fg Off W A Robertson 21 Nov 1938 Lt, RN
Fg Off R P Thurston 21 Nov 1938 Lt, RN
Fg Off B J Smeeton 21 Nov 1938 Lt, RN
Fg Off G B K Griffiths 21 Nov 1938 Lt, RM
Warrant Officer
WO C E A Colder 30 Nov 1938  

Source - May 1939 Confidential Air Force List

Re-equipment and movement dates are based on those shown in 'Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm' by Ray Sturtivant

[Jul 1933 | Jan 1934 | Jul 1934 | Jul 1935 | Jul 1936 | Jan 1939 | Apr 1939 | May 1939]

This page was last updated on 17/10/23

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