Lt MJ Harris RNVR flew P-47D on Ops with the 405th FG

[Larry]

Does anyone have examples of Fleet Air Arm pilots flying Operations with with other Air Forces of any Allied nations in WW2?

I appreciate that Fleet Air Arm pilots flew in RAF Squadrons in the Battle of Britain and perhaps at other times, but did any other FAA pilots get the opportunity?

[Leendert]

Larry,

Other examples may be the FAA Avenger (Tarpon III) pilots who flew from the USS Saratoga from the end of June till the end of July 1943. They came from the carrier HMS Victorious, attached to Task Group 36.3.
Like this pilot Sub-Lt Petrie and crew of No. 832 Squadron crashed into the sea in a TBF-1 of VT-3 (this according AAIR). All crew were picked up by a USN destroyer.
Also see https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77641955?objectPage=24 and https://www.armouredcarriers.com/adm...mmander-flying and https://www.armouredcarriers.com/uss...hms-victorious

Regards,
Leendert

[twocee]

That is not correct. The accident occurred on 28 June 1943 when Petrie was flying off Victorious in TBF-1, BuNo 06102, which had been loaned to 832 sqdn. in December 1942. It was not an aircraft of VT3 and he was not a member of that squadron

[AUS_RAAF]

Hi Larry,

Palgrave Emden Carr comes to mind. Not a naval pilot although an Royal Australian Navy Observer who flew with the British FAA including 810 Sqn and 814 Sqn. Was seconded to 22 Sqn RAF although of interest to your query was operations flown with the RAAF including 100 Sqn and 11 Sqn. Shot down 1 Oct 43 during attack on Japanese freighter, POW with the Japanese and the only RAN officer awarded a DFC during WWII. Several other RAN Observers flew with the RAAF although they were mainly attached to Walrus flights of Australian ships (Australian naval flying during WWII was generally under RAAF control and the Walrus flights were part of 9 Sqn RAAF).

regards, Drew

[Leendert]

Re #3: perhaps my misinterpretation of the entry in the War Diary of the USS Saratoga on 28 jun 1943 (0625 - 1725) here: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/78189739?objectPage=16

Regards,
Leendert

[twocee]

For the use of 832 sqdn. while assigned to Victorious on her trip to the South Pacific the FAA, in December 1942 at Norfolk, received a number of US Navy TBFs on loan. These were separate from the formal lend-lease allocations of TBFs to the Royal Navy.

[Larry]

Of course on Captain Eric Winkle Brown says in his autobiography that he was 'blackmailed' into flying fighter sweeps with the RCAF 411 and 416 Sqns, as he was requested to show them how to land their Spitfires on a RN Carrier, as a contingency for the Salerno landings