Photo FAA Aircraft
 

Hello,


Currently on ebay is a photo of a Grumman Avenger I of 832 Squadron at:


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HMS-BEGUM...sAAOSwoUZb0Hhd


Lets hope this description is more accurate than the 'far east spitfire' :)


Regards,


Clint

Re: Photo FAA Aircraft
 

Yes they had "4" + letter on Avengers and single letters on their Wildcats: "BEGUM" was ex-US Navy AVG-36 and returned in 1946.
Cheers
Nick

Re: Photo FAA Aircraft
 

According to A-B FAA Squadron book the carrier was ex USS Bolinas (CVE-36)
transferred under lend-lease to RN and commissioned in Aug 1943.
It was returned to USA in Jan 1946

Only unit seems to have been 832Sq which was onboard from May 1944 to Feb 1945 (a bit odd if it was returned to USA during Jan, but that is what the book says. However Feb 1945 seems to be the disbandment month, see below)

Checking 832 Sq details it then says the unit was onboard between 23.7.1944 - 15.1.1945 and disbanded 21.2.1945

The code system used by the FAA is a jungle, and the use of 4 for example as a unit designator was used by 26 different Squadrons....

Cheers
Stig

Re: Photo FAA Aircraft
 

Hi Stig.
Both my aircraft carrier "bibles" say returned to US control 4 Jan. 1946. You can see why the Americans used abbreviations when escort carriers went from

"AVG"= Auxiliary aircraft escort vessel to
"ACV" = Auxiliary aircraft carrier to
"CVE" = Escort aircraft carrier.
Nick

Re: Photo FAA Aircraft
 

Indeed Nick

Interesting this with how dates vary slightly depending on which files researchers are looking into.

No big deal as I see it. I am usually pretty laid back..... :)

Cheers
Stig