709 Naval Air Squadron

Aircrew and squadron personnel

The list below is complied from various sources: Commissioned officers are as they appear in the relevant editions of the Navy List [note, because of a time lag between appointments and the publication of the lists some officers are not included]. Names of Telegraphist Air Gunners are primarily drawn from incident reports. Maintenance and other squadron personnel from Admiralty Fleet Orders.

Abbreviations: A = Air Branch, P = Pilot, O = Observer, TAG = Telegraphist Air Gunner, RNVR = Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, RCNVR = Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve, RNZNVR = Royal New Zealand Navy Volunteer Reserve, SANF(V) = South African Naval Forces (Volunteer), Tpy = Temporary, Mid = Midshipman, KIA = Killed in Action, MPK = Missing Presumed Killed.

Dates: Dates for commanding officers are taken from Sturtivant, R & Balance, T., (1994)'Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm' All other dates are taken from the Navy Lists and may not accurately reflect the exact date of appointment. Date of death is taken from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records.

Rank	Name	Appointed	Notes
Tpy. Act. Lieut. Comn. (A) R.N.V.R. (P)	W. C. Simpson, DSC (ret)	15 Sep 44	In command

Act. Lieut. Com (A), (P)	P. C. S. Chilton (act)	16 Dec 44
	D.C. E. F. Gibson, DSC	05 Aug 45
	G. R. Callingham	16 Oct 44
	J. L. Appleby	16 Oct 44

Lieut. Comn. R.N.R. (P)	W. C. Simpson, DSC	16 Oct 45

Lieut. R.N.R. (P)	H. D. Barr	15 Sep 44

Lieut. (A), (P)	R. T. Leggett	15 Sep 44
	S. L. Devonald, DFC	18 Feb 45

Tpy. Lieut. (A) R.N.V.R. (P)	M. L. Heath	15 Sep 44
	M. T. Bridgeman	1 Oct 44
	J. E. F. Rankin	12 Dec 44
	J. W. Lowe	18 Feb 45
	R. D. Wood	12 Feb 45
	R. W. Turral	18 Feb 45
	N. D. Fisher	15 Apr 45
	A.G. Woods	9 June 45
	G. R. Willcocks, DSC	9 June 45
	J. F. Lowder	19 July 45
	G. M. Torrance	5 Aug 45
	G. Aitken	5 Aug 45
	F. G. Devitt, DSC	5 Aug 45
	W. Thomson	16 Oct 45
	J. P. Stott	16 Oct 45
	W. Thomson	16 Oct 45
	A.J. Thompson, DSC	16 Oct 45
	B. H. Harriss	18 Feb 45
	R. F. Collinge	18 Feb 45

Tpy. Lieut. (A) R.N.Z.N.V.R. (P)	C.T. White, DSC	9 June 45
	F.P. Bethell	18 Feb 45
	M.C. Ferrer, DSC	?	Killed, air crash 27 Aug 45

Tpy. Lieut. (A) R.C.N.V.R. (P)	J.A. Grogan	15 Apr 45	Killed, air crash 19 May 45

Tpy. act. Sub- Lieut. (A) R.N.V.R. (P)	R. H. Mead, DSC	9 June 45

Information drawn from the Navy list October 1944 through October 1945 (final edition which mentions the squadron)

In Memoriam

The Fleet Air Arm memorial at Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire. Located outside the former Naval Air Station and Fleet Air Arm Barracks this records the names of almost 2,000 men of that service who died during the Second World War and who have no known grave.

Details taken from the records of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission

Name & Rank	CWGC details	Date of death	Cemetery/Memorial
Lieutenant (A) (P) Mathew Cameron FARRER, RNZNVR	CWGC Record	27 August 1945	NEW ZEALAND NAVAL MEMORIAL, DEVONPORT, AUCKLAND Panel 8.
Lieutenant (A) (P) Jack Armstrong GROGAN, RCNVR	CWGC Record	19 May 1945	YEOVILTON CHURCHYARD R.N.A.S. EXTENSION Row E. Grave 4.

Name & Rank

CWGC details

Date of death

Cemetery/Memorial

Lieutenant (A) (P) Mathew Cameron FARRER, RNZNVR

CWGC Record

27 August 1945

NEW ZEALAND NAVAL MEMORIAL, DEVONPORT, AUCKLAND

Panel 8.

Lieutenant (A) (P) Jack Armstrong GROGAN, RCNVR

CWGC Record

19 May 1945