777 Squadron/FRU responsible for the air defence of Sierra Leone 1943

[phasselgren]

Hi,

I was re-reading the Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945 by David Wragg when the following sentence caught my attention: “Throughout most of 1943 the squadron [777 Squadron, a fleet requirements unit] was responsible for the air defence of Sierra Leone.”

The aircrafts of this unit were not of the types I would expect for an air defence unit in 1943 even if the air threat to Sierra Leone must have been minimal during this period. This squadron had been formed at Hastings, Sierra Leone 01/08/41 with a small number of Blackburn Rocs and Fairey Swordfish. Boulton-Paul Defiants and Supermarine Walruses were added in 1942. The Rocs and Defiants were fighters but both had been phased out from operational fighter units (Roc already in 1940).

I checked in The Turret Fighters – Defiant and Roc by Alec Brew for more information. 777 FRU had three Rocs (L3067, L3090 and L3165) but in this area were all Rocs operated without turrets. The Defiants used by Fleet Air Arm were unarmed target tugs. There is a photo of three Defiant TT.I of 777 FRU in the book. I have also tried Google but found no confirmation that any of these aircraft were armed and used in the air defence role by this unit.

Is there anyone that can add some information about this unit and its air defence role?

Thanks in advance,
Peter