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

R MacDonald-Hall RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died 1990
Other information
- air ace with 1 and 5 shared destroyed, 1 probable, 2 damaged
served 712 and 718 sqdns pre-war
- loaned to RCAF September 1939-December 1939
- walrus pilot HMS York in Norwegian campaign
- served HMS Formidable with 806 sqdn
- command of 762 sqdn until Sept 1942
- command of 807 sqdn the first operational seafire sqdn Sept 1942 (ref: Aces High)
BUT alternate reference states:
[- commanded 801 after it reformed at Stretton, following the sinking of HMS Ark Royal the previous month (ref: Sturtivant & Ballance)]
- took part in Operation Torch, the North African landings, the sqdn shooting down 2 French aircraft and damaging 2 others, MacDonald-Hall claiming one of these aircraft, from HMS Furious, 807 sqdn 11.1942
- subsequently corsair instructor at Puttalam, Ceylon until the end of the war.
- killed as oldest helicopter pilot in accident in 1990 .

See biography in "Aces High".

Commands:

807	Sept 1942
[801	Sept 1942	Nov 1943]

BA Macaw RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards DSC (pre 1945)
Died
Other information
- carried out PR sorties over Southern Malaya, from HMS Emperor, 4.1945 and HMS Ameer, 6.1945

Commands:

888	March 1945	End of WW2

WJR MacWhirter RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards DSC (pre 1945)
Died
Other information
- joined HMS Implacable to join the British Pacific Fleet, 3.1945
- took part in attacks on Truk, 6.1945
- strikes against the Japanese mainland, 7.1945
- Seniority 12. 1956 (C)

Commands:

1771	March 1945	End of WW2

WJ Mainprice RN
Born 1919 England
Rank: Lt Cdr
Honours and Awards DFC
Died 29.1.1945
Other information
- took command of 854 when first commissioned, at Squantum, USA
- part of RAF Coastal Command No 157 Wing, Hawkinge, including to provide cover during the D-Day Normandy invasion.
- led sqdn in Operation Meridian, oil refinery targets at Palembang, shot down and killed, 29.1.1945

Commands:

854	Jan 1944	Jan 1945	Killed 29.1.1945

C Malins RNVR
Born 1921 UK
Rank: Lt (A)|
Honours and Awards
Died 30.5.1945
Other information
- temporarily held command of 1851 sqdn, where it joined HMS Venerable, 3.1945 becoming part of 15th Carrier Air Group.
- killed in his corsair whilst on dummy strafing attack on HMS Venerable in the Red Sea, 30.5.1945.

Commands:

1851	Feb 1945	April 1945	killed 30.5.1945 HMS Venerable

L Mann RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- carried out PR sorties over Sumatra, HMS Indefatigable, 1.1945
- carried out PR sories over Kra isthmus, Penang, Phuket island and northern Sumatra , from HMS Empress, 2.1945

Commands:

888	June 1944	March 1945

WHC Manson RM
Born 1912 England
Rank: Captain Royal Marines
Honours and Awards
Died 9.4.1942
Other information
- joined sqdn at Donibristle.
- under RAF 13 Group command at Turnhouse, 2.1942-3.192
- HMS Illustrious 3.1942
- killed 9.4.1942, buried Longside, Aberdeenshire, UK

Commands:

882	Oct 1941	April 1942	killed 9.4.1942

JF Marmont RN
Born 1912
Rank: Lt
Honours and Awards
Died 9.6.1940
Other information
- took command of 802 sqdn at Hal Far, Malta.
- operated briefly in HMS Glorious in the Mediterranean, 1940.
- operated from HMS Glorious in the Norwegian campaign, 4-5.1940.
- killed when HMS Glorious sunk by the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, 8.6.1940. In total 1500 officers and men lost.

Commands:

802	March 1940	June 1940	killed 9.6.1940 HMS Glorious sunk 8.6.1940

AE Marsh RM
Born
Rank: Captain (1941) Royal Marines
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
-carried out CAM ship duties till may 1942
- took part in Gibraltar convoy, HMS Argus, 7.1942 and thence on to Malta ferrying aircraft, with HMS Furious.
- Seniority 1.1941 (Captain)

Commands:

804	Feb 1942	Oct 1942

RB Martin RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- saw service with British Pacific Fleet, HMS Glory, 4.1945 although saw no action

Commands:

837	Aug 1944	End of WW2

WHN Martin RM
Born
Rank: Major, Royal Marines
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- involved in ops and a/s patrols off Norway, 5.1940
- took part in the unsuccessful atrtack on theGerman battleship Scharnhorst, 21.6.1940
- sailed with HMS Hermes for the Indian Ocean, for convoy protection duties off East Africa, 12.1940
- provided support to land focres in British Somaliland, enabling the capture of 5 enemy merchant ships by the cruiser HMS Hawkins
- gave support to the RAF in Iraq, 5.1941
- was involved in trying to locate a Japanese carrier force off Ceylon, HMS Hermes, 2.1942
- escaped being lost with HMS Hermes when sunk by Japanese aircraft, 9.4.1942
- - Seniority: 6.1945 (Cdr)

Commands:

821	May 1940	Dec 1940	disbanded
814	Dec 1940	Sept 1942

WH Martyn RNVR
Born 1915 Calgary, Canada
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards DSC (pre Aug 1944) & Bar (post Aug 1944)
Died
Other information
- Ace with 2 definate destroyed enemy aircraft and 3 shared destroyed.
- provided support for the North African landings, 11.1942, HMS Argus
- provided fighter cover to the fleet during the landings in Sicily 7.1943, and at Salerno, HMS Indomitable, 9.1943
- carried out ops off Norway, HMS Furious, 2.1944
- took part in Operation Tungsten, srikes against the German battleship Tirpitz in Kaa Fjord, and three subsequent attacks, Operation Mascot and Operations Goodwood, HMS Furious 1944
-seniority: 6.1938 (Lt)

Ref: Aces High volume 2 by Christopher Shores, 1999 Grub Street

Commands:

880	Sept 1942	Aug 1944

PWV Massey RN
Born
Rank: Lt (A)
Honours and Awards: DSC DSO
Died
Other information
- provided fighter defence duties with RAF No 14 Group in Fraserburgh, Scotland, 1-5.1942
- tok part in North Russian convoy PQ18, HMS Avenger, 9.1942, jontly shooting down 5 German aircraft, and damaging 17 others.
- took part in the North African landings, 11.1942
- disbanded when HMS Avenger torpedoed and sunk, 15.11.1942

See biography

Commands:

883	April 1942	nov 1942	disbanded when HMS Avenger sunk, 15.11.1942

TW May SANF (V)
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
-carried out bombing attacks on Sumatra, HMS Indomitable, 8.1944
- attacks on the Nicobars, 10.1944

Commands:

817	Aug 1943	Sept 1943	disbanded
817	Dec 1943	Feb 1945	disbanded

HL McCulloch RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (1939)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- Seniority: 1.1939 (Lt Cdr)

Commands:

822	June 1939	July 1939

DJ McDonald RN
Born 1921 England
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died 30.5.1945
Other information
- took command of the first commissioning of 1851 sqdn at Brunswick.
- escaped being blown up on HMS Thane when torpedoed 15.1.1945
- operated in Southern India as part of 15th Carrier Air Group, 1945
- killed whilst commanding 1851 sqdn, HMS Vulture, 30.5.1945

Commands:

1851	Sept 1944	Feb 1945
1851	April 1945	May 1945	killed 30.5.1945

BS McEwen RN
Born
Rank: Lt
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- embarking in HMS Indomitablecarried out recccos in the Indian Ocean
- Seniority: 12.1949 (Cdr)

Commands:

803	April 1942	Aug 1942

AG McWilliam RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- involved in recco sweeps in Bay of Begal, HMS Illustrious, Eastern Fleet, 3.1944
- bombing attacks on oil storage tanks at Sabang, Northern Sumatra, 4.1944
strikes against targets in the Andaman Islands, 6.1944

Commands:

810	Feb 1944	July 1944

MH Meredith RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards: DSC (Tirpitz)
Died
Other information
- involved in strike against the German battleship Tirpitz, Operation Tungsten, 3.4.1944 (829 sqdn)
- joined HMS Smiter, for the Far East, but saw no action before VJ-Day.

Commands:

815	April 1945	End of WW2

HA Monk RN
Born
Rank: PO (1940), Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards DSM & Bar
Died
Other information
- PO pilot taking part in attack on the German warship Konigsberg, April 1940 (800 sqdn)
- first co of 1833 corsair sqdn at Quonset Point
- joined Eastern Fleet as 15th Naval Fighter Wing, HMS Illlustrious
- took part in sweep in the Bay of Bengal, 3.1944
- Seniority 5.1950 (Lt Cdr)

Commands:

1833	July 1943	March 1944

EFL Montgomery RNZNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- commanded the reformed barracuda sqdn at Lee-on Solent
- took part in Operation Goodwood against the German battleship Tirpitz, Kaa Fjord, HMS Formidable, 8.1944
- undertook anti-submarine patrols and shipping strikes off the Norwegian coast, HMS Implacable, 10.1944

Commands:

841	June 1944	Nov 1944	disbanded

EB Morgan RANVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- commanding the sqdn when it shot down 1 Ju290B and its attached glider bomb, HMS Biter, 16.2.1944
- duties under RAF Coastal command, 15 Group, from Limavady, from 6.1944

Commands:

811	Nov 1943	July 1944

PL Mortimer RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- led sqdn in attacks on Madagascar, in Operation Ironclad, 5-7.5.1942
- first CO of 831 albacore sqdn at Crail
- involved in ferrying hurricanes to Java, HMS Indomitable
- carried out dive bombing in the invasion of Madagascar, 6.1942

Commands:

831	April 1941	July 1942

H Muir-MacKenzie RN
Born 1918
Rank: Lt Cdr
Honours and Awards: DSC (pre Dec 1942)
Died 18.6.1947
Other information
- CO of 800 sea hurricane sqdn at Machrihanish and Grimsetter whilst in command, - duties DLP on HMS Argus and a bried period on HMS Unicorn 3-4.1943
- killed 18.6.1947 buried Dale, Pembrokeshire, UK

Commands:

800	Dec 1942	July 1943

Return to Home Page