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Saturday, December 21, 2024 Military Aviation » Summer Camps » Royal Navy Volunteer Reserves  
 

Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve Summer Camps

Another feature of those years was the annual migration of UK-based Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) Air Divisions to Hal Far for periods of intensive flying, taking advantage of the ideal weather and the willing co-operation of the ships of the Mediterranean fleet. The Divisions usually stayed for a fortnight during which they carried out a varied programme of training including live depth charges dropping, live armament practice and rocket firing on the uninhabited islet of Filfla, and hide and seek exercises with RN submarines in which aircraft sought out and shadowed the underwater 'raiders' and finally carried out mock attacks if they managed to find them. Several units used HMS Falcon (Hal-Far airfield) for these annual summer camps, which started in 1950, stopped in 1951, and continued from 1952 to 1956, after which the RNVR squadrons were disbanded on 10 March 1957 as part of the defence cuts.
        
 
SQUADRON ARR DEP AIRCRAFT TYPE SERIAL BASE & NOTES
1830 30.07.50 10.08.50 F. Firefly FR.1   RNAS Abbotsinch.
1830 24.08.53 05.09.53 F. Firefly FR.5s & AS.6s   RNAS Abbotsinch.
1830 08.05.55 21.05.55 F. Firefly FR.5s & AS.6s   RNAS Abbotsinch.
1831 19.05.52 30.05.52 H. Sea Fury FB.11   RNAS Stretton.
1831 20.08.54 03.09.54 H. Sea Fury FB.11   RNAS Stretton.
1832 07.06.52 12.06.52 H. Sea Fury FB.11   RNAS Culham.
1833 04.09.54 18.09.54 H. Sea Fury FB.11   RNAS Bramcote.
1840 09.05.54 23.05.54 F. Firefly AS.6   RNAS Ford.
1841 22.08.54 05.09.54 F. Firefly FR.1   RNAS Ford.
1841 31.05.55 10.06.55 F. Firefly AS.6   RNAS Stretton.
1841 22.06.56 06.07.56 Gr. Avenger AS.5   RNAS Stretton.
1842 08.05.54 22.05.54 F. Firefly AS.6   RNAS Ford.
1843 23.08.53 04.09.53 F. Firefly FR.5s & AS.6s   RNAS Abbotsinch.
1843 08.05.55 20.05.55 F. Firefly FR.5s & AS.6s   RNAS Abbotsinch.
1844 04.09.54 17.09.54 F. Firefly FR.5   RNAS Bramcote.
1844 22.08.55 02.09.55 F. Firefly FR.5   RNAS Bramcote.
1844 29.07.56 10.08.56 Gr. Avenger AS.5   RNAS Bramcote.
        
 
        
 
        
 
        
 
        
 
        
 
        
 
        
 
        
 
        
 
R Aux. AF Royal Navy Volunteer Reserves
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