Fleet Air Arm Archive 1939-1945 - The Men

List of all Fleet Air Arm
Commanding Officers 1939-1945

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L -
M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W

- X - Y - Z

MF Fell RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards DSO, DSC (1944)
Died
Other information
- took command of 805 sqdn for shipping protection duties in the Suez canal zone
- operating off East Africa and Kenya, 1.1942
- first CO of 878 martlet sqdn at Lee-on-Solent
- carried out operations off Iceland, HMS Illustrious, 6.1943
- took part in strikes during the Salerno landings
- first wing leader of No 7 Naval Fighter Wing formed at Eglington with 800, 804, 881, 882, 896 and 898 hellcat and wildcat sqdns.
- led wing in the Barracuda led strike againgst the battleship Tirpitz in Norway, 4.1944
- took command of 800 sqdn as well as being overall Wing Leader of 7th Naval Fighter Wing, on HMS Emperor which was involved in the invasion of the South of France, 8.1944
- took part in attacks on shore targets and shipping in the Aegean, HMS Emperor 1944
- Air Group Commander of 20th Carrier Air Group, 1950

Commands:

805	Aug 1942	Jan 1943	disbanded
878	March 1943	Oct 1943
7th Naval Fighter Wing (800, 804, 881, 896, 882, 898 sqdns)	Oct 1943	Dec 1944	Disbanded Dec 1944
800	Sept 1944	Dec 1944	Wing disbanded

JE Fenton RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- first co of 818 swordfish sqdn at Evanton
- carried out shipping searches off Norway with HMS Ark Royal, 23.9.1939
- left the sqdn before it took part in the Norwegian campaign the next month.

Commands:

818	Aug 1939	March 1940

BM Fiddes RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr
Honours and Awards DSO
Died 12.12.1943
Other information
- first co of 1830 corsair sqdn at Quonset point
- killed 12.12.1943, HMS Heron

Commands:

1830	June 1943	Dec 1943	killed 12.12.1943

GED Finch-Noyes RN
Born 1914 England
Rank: Lt
Honours and Awards
Died 13.6.1940
Other information
- Son of Wing Cdr. CR Finch-Noyes, DSO, AFC
- took temporary command of 800 sqdn on HMS Ark Royal after previous CO. Capt Partridge RM, shot down 27.4.190 during the Norwegian campaign.
- in command of sqdn on HMS Ark Royal throughout 5.1940 until Capt Partridge resumed command of the sqdn 23.5.1940
- killed during attack on German battleship Scharnhorst at Trondheim, 13.6.1940 (800 sqdn) HMS Ark Royal, buried Trondheim (800 sdqn)

Commands:

800	May 1940	23 May 1940	Killed 13.6.1940

K Firth RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- in Command of 892 sqdn whilst on HMS Battler during passage to UK
- involved in convoy escort duties in HMS Archer, 2.1943

Commands:

892	Dec 1942	March 1943

JL Fisher RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- in command after the famous FAA attack on the German battleship Tirpitz the previous month
- led the sqdn for further attack on the Tirpitz in Kaa fjord, but Op. cancelled due to bad weather, 5.1944
- involved in operation to attack shipping off Norway, HMS Victorious, 5.1944
- involved in dive bombing installations and oil tanks in Sabang harbour, Sumatra, 7.1944
- involved in strike against Emmahaven, near Padang, 8.1944

Commands:

831	May 1944	Dec 1944	disbanded

ND Fisher RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- took command iof the reformed hellcat sqdn at Woodvale
- intended for the British Pacific Fleet but instead disbanded after VJ-Day.

Commands:

889	June 1945	Sept 1945	disbanded

RJ Fisher RNZNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- took command of the reformed barracuda squadron at Lee on Solent, then working up at Arbroath.

Commands:

841	Feb 1944	June 1944

GAM Flood RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- took up command of 882 sqdn at Ayr and then embarked on HMS Searcher for the British Pacific Fleet, but saw no action in the Pacific before VJ-Day.

Commands:

882	June 1945	End of WW2

KL Ford RM
Born Canadian
Rank: Captain Royal Marines
Honours and Awards
Died 19.12.1941
Other information
- took command of 830 sqdn at Hal Far, Malta
- one of the first operations was a dive bombing attack on oil storage tanks in Sicily in 8.1940
- involved in attacking targets in Sicily and Libya, 1940-1941
- Killed 19.12.1941 buried Heanton Punchardon, Devon, UK

Commands:

830	Aug 1940	Sept 1941

AJB Forde RN
Born
Rank: Lt (A)(1941), Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- took part in the strike against Italian Fleet at Taranto, 11.11.1940
- took up command of 810 sqdn in preparation for the sqdn re-equipping with the new FAA dive-bomber, the barracuda the following month.
- carried out operations off the Norwegian coast, HMS Illustrious, 7.1943
- provided support for the Salerno landings, 7-8.1943
- third Wing Leader of the re-grouped 21^st Naval Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance (TBR) Wing
- embarked November 1943 HMS Illustrious to join the Eastern Fleet.
- in March 1944 carried out sweeps in the Bay of Bengal
- in April 1944 led the Wing in bombing attacks on Sabang docks and oil tanks, Sumatra,
- in June 1944 involved in operations against the Andaman Islands.

Commands:

810	March 1943	Feb 1944
21st Naval TBR Wing (810,847 sqdns)	Feb 1944	June 1944	disbanded
810	July 1944	Dec 1944

DR Foster RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards DSO, DSC
Died
Other information
- took command of 849 sqdn HMS Rajah,
- led sqdn in attacks against Japanese forces in Operation Meridian, Palembang, 29.1.1945 (849 sdqn)
- participated in strikes on Sakishima Gunto islands, 3-4.1945
- involved in strikes against targets near Tokyo, 7.1945

See autobiography

Commands:

849	Sept 1944	June 1945

PS Foulds RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- took temporary command of 856 sqdn HMS Premier and involved in minelaying operations off Norway

Commands:

856	Dec 1944	Jan 1945

FH Fox RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
-took command of the 830 largely New Zealand crewed sqdn on its reforming at Lee on Solent with the new FAA dive-bomber, the barracuda.
- sqdn joined No. 8 Naval TBR wing in October 1943
- embarked on HMS Furious for operations with the Home Fleet off Norway, 10.1943
- Wing Leader 52nd Wing briefly in spring 1944, prior to theattacks on the battleship Tirpitz.
- seniority 11.1947 (Lt Cdr)

Commands:

830	May 1943	Jan 1944
52nd Naval TBR Wing (829, 831 sqdns - ex 815, 817 sdqns)	1944	Feb 1944/March 1944

AB Fraser-Harris RN
Born
Rank: Lt
Honours and Awards: DSC
Died
Other information
- took up command of 807 sqdn when it reformed at Gibraltar 2 days after the sinking of HMS Ark Royal, 13.11.1941
- involved in convoy duties, HMS Argus
- became CO of the first sqdn to receive seafires, 6.1942 (807 sqdn)
- took part in Operation Harpoon, HMS Eagle, the relief convoy to Malta, when the sqdn shot down 4 Italian aircraft, 6.1942
- hit by AA and ground fire in operation Torch from HMS furious, force-landed, and had to to force land his aircraft, La Senia airfield, 8.11.1942 and ended command 7 days later (807 sqdn)

Commands:

807	Nov 1941	15 Nov 1942

RG French RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- first CO of 893 martlet sqdn at Donibristle, leaving the sqdn after working up to become the first CO of 892 martlet sqdn which formed at Norfolk, Virginia, USA

Commands:

893	June 1942	Sept 1943
892	July 1942	Dec 1942

MT Fuller RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards DSC (pre Sept 1944)
Died
Other information
- took up command of 851 avenger sqdn onboard HMS Shah in the Indian Ocean
- involved in strikes against shore and coastal targets in Burma, 4-5.1945
attacked a Japanese cruiser and destroyer, HMS Emperor, 15.5.1945

Commands:

851	Sept 1944	End of WW2

FC Furlong RNVR
Born: 1911 UK
Rank: Lt (A)(1941), Lt Cdr (1944)
Honours and Awards: MID
Died: 13.9.1944
Other information
- temp. in command of 882 martlet sqdn for 1 month at Donibristle prior to the new CO Lt Cdr Lane could take up command
- killed 13.9.1944, buried Marston, Northants, UK

Commands:

882	Aug 1941	Sept 1941

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