September 1944 - August 1946
 
 

Formation and work-up

The personnel for 1851 Squadron assembled at Townhill Camp in July 1944, and sailed for the USA to form and train. The squadron officially formed on September 1st 1944 at USNAS Brunswick as a single seat fighter squadron under the command of Lt. Cdr (A) D.J. McDonald RN. The squadron was issued with 18 Corsair IVs.

After familiarisation with the aircraft and equipment the squadron began training in earnest to prepare for active service. Training included navigation exercises, low flying, formation flying and combat tactics. On October 23rd the squadron began practicing ADDLs (Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings) utilising the nearby US Naval Auxiliary Airfield at Bar Harbour, Maine in preparation for the real thing at sea later in the month, the returned to Brunswick on November 1st. The squadron then briefly moved to   USNAS Norfolk on the 7th to carry out DLT (Deck Landing Training) on the training carrier the USS CHARGER, operating in Chesapeake Bay.

The first few months of flying was a difficult time for the new pilots, many of whom were on their first operational squadron; there were 8 aircraft accidents recorded during the work up period. Three landing accidents happened during the period at Bar Harbour; on October 25th Mid K.P. Shaw RNVR in KD202 swerved after landing and the aircraft ended on its nose, while Sub-Lt N.R. Hiller RNVR dropped his port wing landing in KD215 causing damage. Sub-Lt K. Rosy RNVR was forced to make wheels up landing on the 27th when his Corsair, KD243, suffered hydraulic failure. Low flying exercises resulted in a further four incidents, all the result of hitting tree tops; on November 28th Sub-Lt H.A.W. Smith RNVR damaged fabric and the underside of the port wing of KD213, ('8V7'), named “Bacardi Cocktail”, Sub-Lt Hiller hit a tree in KD271 on December 4th, Sub-Lt A. Hodgson RNVR damaged the starboard cooler fairings of KD294 on the 5th, and Sub-Lt Rosy clipped a tree on the 6th. All were uninjured.

On completion of working up at USNAS Brunswick 1851 flew to USNAS Floyd Bennett Field on December 23rd 1944, before continuing on to USNAS Norfolk on the 28th where the squadron personnel assembled and embarked in the escort carrier  HMS THANE alongside in the Norfolk Naval Operating Base. On completing a load of 86 aircraft, 24 in the hangar and 62 as deck cargo THANE sailed for New York at 10:00hrs on New Year’s Eve 1944. After a difficult passage through fog and later gale force winds the ship arrived in New York on New Year’s Day 1945 and was berthed at 35th Street, Brooklyn in the mid-evening. At 11:00hrs on January 3rd THANE departed from New York and joined the 33 vessel New York to Liverpool convoy CU 53. After an extremely stormy passage THANE broke off from the convoy on reaching the Western Approaches and proceeded to Belfast, arriving there on the 14th. At 14:00 she was alongside Sydenham jetty where the 18 aircraft, stores and aircrews of 1851 squadron and part the maintenance personnel disembarked to at RNAMY Belfast.

Training in the UK

The squadron was allocated to the new Light Fleet Carrier HMS VENERABLE, which was nearing completion at her builders Cammell Laird in Birkenhead.; while waiting for her to enter service the squadron moved to RNAS Eglinton on January 17th 19454 to continue training. On January 15th 1945 COLOSSUS, with sister carriers GLORY, VENERABLE and VENGEANCE had been allocated to the British Pacific Fleet as the 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron (AC.11); none of these carriers was yet ready for operational deployment

. While at Eglinton there were two aircraft incidents recorded; on February 19yh Sub-Lt T.H.P. Duggan RNVR in KD168 was taxing with wings folded and ran into the prop of KD271. On March 2nd Sub-Lt K.P. Shaw in KD290 clipped a tree with a wing tip during low flying exercises but landed safely.

On March 5th a number of pilots flew out to VENERABLE and carried out DLT in preparation for the whole squadron embarking on the 6th. Three of these landings resulted in deck crashes; Sub-Lts D.C. Greenbank RNVR in KDl86 and H.A.W. Smith RNVR in KD215 both caught No.8 wire before entering the barrier, while Sub-Lt Duggan in KD240 hit the ship’s crane with his starboard wing.

HMS VENERABLE

The squadron embarked in VENERABLE on March 6th in preparation for the ship’s work up period; the ship’s other squadron, 814 operating 18 Barracuda IIs embarked on the 8th. VENERABLE had done some working up with aircraft in February, 1850 had been using her for DLT between the 10th and the 25th when their own carrier, VENGEANCE became available. Normally the full work-up and shakedown period would be done in the training areas off the Clyde and upper reaches of the Irish Sea but due to increased U-Boat activity in the Irish Sea the Admiralty ordered AC.11 to the safer waters of the Mediterranean to do their work ups. AC.11, COLOSSUS, VENERABLE (Flagship Rear Admiral Cecil Harcourt RN OBE, CB) & VENGEANCE, escorted by TARTAR, ULYSSES, HMCS ASSINIBOINE, STCKHAM, INMAN, and COTTON sailed from the Clyde on March 12th for Malta; GLORY did not sail until May 9th.

On reaching Malta VENERABLE and VENGEANCE flew their squadrons ashore to RNAS Hal Far on March 20th, COLOSSUS continued on to Alexandria and disembarked her squadrons to RNAS Dekheila on the 22nd. All three carriers were to receive dockyard alterations to their mainmast and aerial arrays; VENGEANCE returned to Gibraltar leaving Malta on the 22nd, VENERABLE entered a Maltese dockyard and COLOSUSS in Alexandria. While ashore at RNAS Hal Far the squadron continued training including interception exercises and ADDLs.

There were six incidents while ashore at Hal Far; on March 27th Sub-Lt M.R.H. Shippey RNVR ran into a starter trolley taxiing in KD245 damaging, the prop. On the 30th Sub-Lt E.A.M. Tuck RNVR was taxiing in KD213 when the tail lifted and the prop pecked the ground. On April 4th Sub-Lt S.O. Grinstead RNVR had a lucky escape during air-to-air firing in KD194, when his port wing hit the drogue towing cable, he landed safely. An aircraft was lost on that 9th when KD199 suffered engine failure and the prop stopped forcing the pilot, Sub-Lt F.L. Gann RNVR to ditch, he was safely rescued. On April 11th, KD218 I flown by Sub-Lt N. Gowling RNVR, burst its starboard tyre on landing and caused wrinkling of the fuselage skin. The final incident was on April 13th when Sub-Lt F.L. Gann RNVR ditched 1mile S of Cape Passero, Sicily after his engine sailed, he was picked up by fishing vessel.

On leaving the Dockyard in April VENERABLE re-embarked her squadrons, 814 on the 15th and 1851 on 16th to continue working up; they were both flown ashore to Hal Far again on the 20th. This short excursion saw two aircraft lost and one badly damaged; Sub-Lt R.W. Metcalf RNZNVR caught late wire in KD378 and hit the barrier on the 16th, on the 20th Sub-Lt P.R. Bartley RNVR was injured when on approach to the ship in KD391 he took a voluntary last minute wave-off and torque stalled into these on the port side. On the same day Sub-Lt G.H.C. Lowden RNVR was killed in very similar circumstances; he was flying in KD583 in the landing circuit, turned too steeply while along port side of the ship and stalled into sea off Malta. Just prior to leaving RNAS Hal Far there appears to have been an issue with the use of centre-line drop tanks; on May 16th KD216 (Sub-Lt F.S. Thgg RNVR) and KD231 (Sub-Lt J.W. Lang RNVR) both had their centre drop tank fall off while taxying.

COLOSSUS re-joined VENERABLE and VENGEANCE at the start of May to complete working up as a squadron; GLORY arrived at Malta on the 22nd to begin her work-up. Both squadrons re-embarked on May 21st; COLOSSUS, VENERABLE and VENGEANCE, escorted by the destroyers TUSCAN and TYRIAN departed from Malta on the 23rd for passage to Ceylon on the first leg of their journey to join the British Pacific Fleet in Sydney.

Two pilots were killed on May 30th during a dummy strafing attack on VENERABLE on passage in the Red Sea when the senior pilot, Lt C. Malins RNVR in KD294, and the squadron C.O. Lt. Cdr McDonald in KD241, collided in mid-air. After a brief call at Aden the ship crossed the Arabian Sea to India There was one other flying incident on June 4th when Sub-Lt S.O. Grinstead RNVR missed all the wires landing on and entered the barrier.

On reaching Ceylon VENERABLE disembarked the Barracudas of 814 to to RNAS Katukurunda and Corsairs of 1851 to RNAS Tambaram on June 7th. 1851 was the first of the Corsair squadrons to disembark from the three carriers; they were joined by 1846 from COLOSSUS on the 10th and 1850 from VENGEANCE on the 11th. All three squadrons were to train on the extensive practise and live firing ranges the station had available, as well as receiving replacement aircraft from RNAMY Coimbatore in preparation for active service. Lieutenant Commander (A) K. Stilliard RNVR arrived to take command of the squadron on June 29th.

On June 30th 814 and 1851 squadrons became the 15th Carrier Air Group (15th CAG) for service in VENERABLE; they re-embarked on July 3rd and 5th respectively, when the ship sailed for Australia ! The 14th CAG formed in COLOSSUS with 827 and 1846 squadrons, and 13th CAG in VENGEANCE with 812 and 1850 squadrons, all with 24 Corsair & 14 Barracuda flew out to re-join the ship on July 1st and she proceeded to Colombo to embark 812 squadron on the 4th. COLOSSUS, VENERABLE and VENGEANCE sailed from Trincomalee for Australia on July 7th in company with the Battleship ANSON escorted by destroyers WAGER and WHELP.
 

The 15th Carrier Air Group and operations with the British Pacific Fleet

Flying was conducted on passage to Sydney; two days out from Trincomalee the Air Group and ship’s company celebrated crossing the Line. There were three barrier crashes on passage, the first was, on the 11th when Sub-Lt K.P. Shaw RNVR in KD612 missed all the wires, hit barrier and slew intro the island, the following day Sub-Lt H.A.W. Smith RNVR in KD404 made a fast approach after his throttle lever stiffened, caught No.8 wire and entered the barrier. On the 14th Sub-Lt M.B. Gerrish drifted to starboard landing on in KD633 managed to catch the last wire but hit the ship’s crane.

On reaching the coast of New South Wales the two squadrons of 15 CAG flew ashore to RNAS Schofields (Mobile Naval Air Base No. 3, HMS NABTHORPE) on July 21st, the ship preceded to No.2 Wharf, Woolloomooloo Docks, Sydney. They remained ashore until August 13th, re-embarking in VENERABLE when she prepared to sail for Manus in the Admiralty Islands. As early as August 10th it became clear that that Japan was willing to accept the terms of surrender and all of the ships in Australian waters had been reallocated to form Task Group 111 in readiness to reoccupy the former Crown Colonies in Hong Kong (TG111.2! Task Group 111.2 comprised carriers INDOMITABLE and VENERABLE, Cruisers SWIFTSURE and EURYALUS, PRINCE RUPERT (RCN) and Destroyers KEMPENFELT, URSA, WHIRLWIND and QUADRANT. ), Shanghai (TG111.3! Task Group 111.3 comprised BERMUDA (Flag of Rear Admiral Servaes, Flag Officer Commanding 2nd Cruiser Squadron., ARGONAUT, COLOSSUS, TYRIAN, TUMULT, TUSCAN and QUIBERON. ) and Singapore TG111.4! Task Group 111.4 comprised ANSON (Flag of Rear Admiral Daniel, Flag Officer Commanding 1st Battle Squadron, VENGEANCE and four destroyers. On arrival at Manus it was re-tasked to supplement the force reoccupying Hong Kong, ANSON and four destroyers went ahead, VENGEANCE and her escorts remained at Manus until August 30th, arriving at Hong Kong on September 5th. ).

VENERABLE sailed on the 15th in company with INDOMITABLE, COLOSSUS, and VENGEANCE, followed by cruisers BERMUDA and SWIFTSURE, destroyers QUADRANT, TUSCAN, URSA, TYRIAN, KEMPENFELT and WHIRLWIND; they were at sea when the Japanese surrender was announced. Flying continued while on passage; The ships of Task Group 111.2 called at Manus on August 19th and then proceeded to Subic Bay to await orders. They sailed from Subic on the 27th and the Task Group met with the advance elements of TG111.4  (ANSON and her escorting destroyers) off Hong Kong on the 29th to await completion of minesweeping operations before entering the colony.

Information had been received that there were a large number of Japanese explosive “suicide” boats hidden amongst the various coves and inlets and sir searches were mounted by aircraft from both carriers. Shortly before entering harbour on the 30th a report was received from one of the aircraft that there was anything up to a hundred of these beats in Picnic, Bay, Lamma Island. A short time later aircraft reported that three were heading for the western entrance to Man-o'-War anchorage. The aircraft were ordered to attack and they reported one sunk, one beached and the other returned to harbour, the boats in the Barbour were then bombed. The main elements of TG 111.2 and 111.4 then entered Hong Kong, VENERABLE was ordered to remain at sea and maintain a continuous air patrol over Hong Kong. On September 3rd the Barracudas of 814 and 8 Corsairs from 1851 were flown ashore to operate from RNAS Kai Tak, the former civil airport reopened by MONAB VIII (Mobile Naval Air Base No. 8, HMS NABCATCHER). Squadron personnel were employed on policing and guard duties throughout the colony and many were present for the Official Japanese surrender of Hong Kong on the 16th

While ashore at Kai Tak there was one serious incident involving Corsair KD664 on September  18th, while on approach at 300ft the engine failed, the pilot Sub-Lt P.R. Dallosso RNVR managed to make a wheels-up landing but hit an obstacle and the aircraft caught on fire causing him serious injuries. On the 27^th Sub-Lt Smith had a mid-air emergency in KD231 when a cowling blew off at 270 knots, he managed to land safely.

In October VENERABLE as allocated to make a trooping voyage to India and sailed to Haiphong, Vietnam to embark passengers on the 17^th, on returning to Jong Kong she re-embarked her Air Group on the 19^th before sailing for Madras on the 21^st. The passengers were disembarked on the 27^th and the ship sailed for Trincomalee.  The ship was allocated for further personnel transport duties and the whole of the 15th Carrier Air Group, including all maintenance personnel were disembarked to RNAS Trincomalee beginning on the 28^th. They were to remain ashore until early December, re-embarkation began on the 12th. Lieutenant Commander (A) C.F. Hargreaves RN took over as commanding officer on December 6^th. There were two flying incidents recorded while at Trincomalee; on December 1^st Sub-Lt Tuck made a forced landing on the sir field after his aircraft, KD717, developed an oil leak while performing acrobatics, his engine seized at 8,000ft and he glided 7 miles to make a landing. On the 10^th Sub-Lt Smith had a landing incident in KD730, making a steep turn he stalled on approach and his port wing scraped the runway.