The Squadrons And Units Of The Fleet Air Arm (request)

Does anyone have this book?
"The Squadrons And Units Of The Fleet Air Arm" by Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016

and would be willing to take a picture of page 79?

I'm trying to find information about squadron 776.

In particular I'm following up on a citation on wikipedia that said that DH.89 Dominie was used by the Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches @ Speke.

My great grandad (RAF) was hit by the wing of a Dominie @ speke in 1943 that belonged to the royal navy. I want find out if it was transporting personell or if it was a personal plane.


Here's the tail number and history of the plane in his death record.

 

Sorry I can't post a photo of the page you are seeking.

There is not much to add from "Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm" that you don't already know. 767 was formed at Lee-on-Solent in January 1941 as a Fleet Requirements Units but had a number of detachments operating from other airfields from early in its history and it used a number of types. Squadron HQ moved to Speke in Oct 1942 after which it had detachments at Millom, Usworth, Waltham and Llanbedr in 1943 with other locations added later. So the need for a communications aircraft, like the Dominie, for its day to day operations is apparent to keep in contact with them. It is noted as having the DH Dominie type on strength from Nov 1942 to May 1945 with the example given being X7508. There is also a note that while at Speke it had the CinC Western Approaches personal Dominie on strength. In Aug 1943 it received at least one Oxford and then other communications types in 1944/45.

What is not stated therein is that X7508 was the personal aircraft of CinC WA.

However, looking at the aircraft history for X7508 given in "Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939 to 1945" it varies slightly from what you have. Perhaps most importantly from your perspective is that it notes the aircraft arrived at Speke for 776 squadron on 12 March 1943 (as you already know) and had an accident there on 16 June 1943. It is then recorded as having been sent to DH Witney on 11 Nov 1943 for repair (not maintenance). It was then returned to 776 at Speke on 15 Feb 1944 "FOR CinC FLIGHT" and remained there until 8 June 1945.

A quick look through the other Dominies reveals no others with 776. BUT, and it is a big but, that last book was published in 1995 with data then available. Due to the way FAA aircraft records were not retained it gathered information from a multitude of sources. Since then another 30 years of research into FAA aircraft sees a new edition nearing completion. So much new information has been unearthed that it will double in size when finally published. hopefully in the not too distant future.

So the remaining question is whether X7508 was the CinC's personal aircraft in 1943 when your grandfather was hit, or only became such in 1944 after its repairs.

I hope that this helps.

Ewen

 

This helps tremendously! Particularly, that the variation in history for X7508 from "Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939 to 1945" includes the accident that killed my granddad! June 16, 1943 That's when he was hit. The notes I read was that he hit was with the wing while he was on the perimeter track at Speke. Apparently this came from his death record, although I have not seen it myself. So happy to have another record that confirms the accident and plane number.
What's the full title and author of that book? The 1995 one.

I suppose also that both could be true. Perhaps the aircraft was used first to shuttle personell then later (as the notes indicate) was used to carry CinC WA. But for a full picture it would be great to know the exact circumstances of the accident.

 

Details from Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fleet-Air-Aircraft-1939-1945/dp/0851302327

Maybe you can find a cheaper copy somewhere!

Lee Howard, one of the authors of the "Squadrons and units of the Fleet Air Arm", is involved in writing the forthcoming edition. From what he has said it looks like it will be vastly expanded just as the Squadrons and Units book was compared to the original Squadrons book of 1984 and its second edition from the 1990s.

 

Thanks a bunch, Ewen!

-Savanna