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

JGA Nares RN
Born 1912
Rank: Lt (A)
Honours and Awards
Died 10.11.1942
Other information
- son of Admiral John Dodd Nares, DSO
- took part in the North African landings, HMS Furious, 11.1942
- led the sqdn in destroying 47 enemy aircraft on the ground, shot down and lost, HMS Furious, 8.11.1942

Commands:

822	Aug 1942	Nov 1942	shot down and killed 8.11.1942

BHC Nation RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- squadron joined U.S. Pacific Fleet, HMS Victorious, carrying out patrols and sweeps in the Coral Sea and support in the U.S. Marine landings in the Middle Solomons, 6.1943
- given command of 1840 sqdn the previous CO Lt Cdr Richardson had been killed on Operation Goodwood attack on the German battleship Tirpitz
- joined the 3rd Naval Fighter Wing at Eglington as well as being CO 1840 sqdn, joining HMS Speaker for the British Pacific Fleet, 12.1944
- provided fighter coverage of the BPF train, 3-4.1945
- 1840 sqdn disbanded 4.1945 to enlarge 1839 sqdn, and Lt Cdr Nation took command of this sqdn, which formed within the 11th Carrier Air Group, 6.1945
- Seniority 6.1952 (Cdr)

Commands:

896	March 1943	Oct 1943
1840	Sept 1944	April 1945	disbanded
3rd Naval Fighter Wing (808, 885, 800, 1840)	Nov 1944	Feb 1945
1839	April 1945	End of WW2

PP Nelson-Gracie RM
Born
Rank: Captain (1943), Major (1944), Lt Col (1945)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- first CO of 877 hurricane sqdn at Tanga, East Africa for local defence duties
-prepared to fly to from Port Reitz to provide support to the defence of Ceylon, but sqdn disbanded
- joined as CO 1843 sqdn and Wing Leader 10th Naval Fighter Wing for the East Indies Fleet on escort carriers.
- joined as Wing Leader of 10th Naval Fighter Wing, HMS Slinger/HMS Arbiter as replenishment for the British Pacific Fleet
- first Air Group Commander 2nd Carrier Air Group, HMS Formidable, 6.1945
- first Air Group Commander 8th Carrier Air Group, HMS Implacable, 6.1945
Seniority 2.1948 (C)

Commands:

877	April 1943	Dec 1943	disbanded
10th Naval Fighter Wing (1843, 1845 sqdns)	Oct 1944	June 1945	disbanded into 3rd CAG
1843	Oct 1944	Feb 1945
3rd Naval Fighter Wing (808, 885, 800, 1840)	Feb 1945	April 1945
2nd Carrier Air Group (848, 1841, 1842 sqdns/HMS Formidable)	June 1945	Oct 1945	disbanded
8th Carrier Air Group (801, 828, 880, 1771 sqdns/HMS Implacable)	June 1945	April 1946	disbanded

MJS Newman RN
Born
Rank: Lt (A), Lt Cdr (1945)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- first co of 891 sea hurricane sqdn at Lee-on-Solent
- provided fighter patrols in the North African landings, HMS Dasher, 10-11.1942
- command of 891 sqdn ended when HMS Dasher blew up in the Clyde and the sqdn disbanded, 27.3.1943
- seniority 2.1945 (Lt Cdr)

Commands:

891	July 1942	March 1943	disbanded when HMS Dasher blew up 27.3.1943

AC Newson RM
Born
Rank: Captain (1940), Major (1942) Royal Marines
Honours and AwardsDSO, DSC (post 1943)
Died
Other information
- took part in operations against the French Fleet at Oran, striking against the battleship Strasbourg, 3.7.1940, and the battleship Dunkerque, 7.7.1940
- assisted in the bombardment of Rhodes from Cyprus, 3.1942
- provided operational support to ground forces in the Western Desert, 1942
- involved in attacks from Malta on enemy shipping to North Africa
- seniority 6.1953 (L Col)

Commands:

810	June 1940	July 1940
821	March 1942	march 1943

D Norcock RN
Born 1920 England
Rank: Lt Cdr
Honours and Awards
Died 2.1.1945
Other information
- took over squadron re-equipping with Barracuda at Machrihanish (815 sdqn)
- killed 2.1.1945 buried Arklestone, Renfrewshire, UK,

Commands:

815	Dec 1944	Jan 1945	killed 2.1.1945

RM Norris RNVR
Born 1918 UK
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died 7.7.1945
Other information
- provided figther cover during operations at Car Nicobar, HMS Ameer, 7.1944
- killed HMS Ameer 7.7.1945

Commands:

896	Jan 1945	July 1945	7.7.1945

FC Nottingham RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards: DSC (pre 1943)
Died
Other information
- involved in Atlantic convoy duties, HMS Tracker,
- took part in Arctic convoys to Russia, HMS Chaser, 1.1944, during this convoy a sqdn aircraft helped sink the German U-973 with HMS Onslaught, 4.3.1944, and U-366, 5.3.1944, then U-973, 6.3.1944
-took over command the day after the previous CO Lt Cdr Mainprice, was lost in attacks against Japanese forces in Operation Meridian, Palembang, 29.1.1945 (854 sqdn)
- took part in airfields and shore targets in Sakishima Gunto islands, 3.1945

Commands:

816	July 1943	May 1944
854	Jan 1945	March 1945

WR Nowell RN
Born
Rank: Lt (A), Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
-in command of the reformed barracuda sqdn at Lee-on-Solent and second Wing Leader 9th Naval TBR Wing
- took part in Operations Mascot and Goodwood, in 7.1944, and 8.1944, the attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz in Norway, HMS Indefatigable
- Seniority 9.1949 (Lt Cdr)

Commands:

820	Jan 1944	Oct 1944
9th Naval TBR Wing (820, 826 sqdns)	Aug 1944	Oct 1944	disbanded

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