Royal Navy Fighter Squadron in North Africa.

[michele-palermo]

I haven't been able to find ORB related to the RNFS in the National Archives. If anyone could give some suggestion......
Particularly I'm looking for air combats between November 1941 and February 1942; in particular that of the 12 December 1941 (early afternoon).

[Bruce Lander]

Hi

have you tried "Fighters Over The Desert" by Chris Shores + Hans Ring (1969) - rare - but still the best published source for this period and containing all combats of the RNFS

Bruce Lander

[Bruce Dennis]

You have chosen a tricky task. Begin with ADM199/1479, Naval Air Weekly Summaries 1939-1944. This will, with luck, give the squadron concerned. If so, go straight to the Squadron Diary. If not, AIR22/27, War Room Daily Summaries Nov.-Dec.1941, may produce something. Also try AIR22/123 A.M.W.R. Air Staff Operational Summary and reports of enemy action against U.K. Nos. 375-396, Dec.1941.

If you are still stuck after that, let me know.

Good luck,

Bruce Dennis

[Brian]

Hi Michele

Are you sure of your date, 12 December 1941? I have nothing recorded for the RNAS on this date. Please clarify.

Cheers
Brian

[michele-palermo]

Hello to everyone!
Thanks for your kind answers.
Fortunately I have FOTD, I didn't even pay much for it, that reports 250 (12.00) covered 80 Sq. and RNFS. As a matter of fact 250 ORB recalls only the 80 so I'd like to find out if RNFs did something in the combat.
Italian 1° Stormo records, usually precise in the estimate of enemy planes encountered, report 50 E/A, probably too many but I'd like to make some searches.
RNFS was made up with 803, 805 and 806 Sq., but I couldn't find any ORB related to them. So, Bruce, you suggest to search in AIR22/27, War Room Daily Summaries Nov.-Dec.1941, AIR22/123 A.M.W.R. Air Staff Operational Summary and reports of enemy action against U.K. Nos. 375-,
and ask for operational summaries related to RNFS, or to ask perhaps for the complete summary, or else?
Thanks again.
Mike

[Bruce Dennis]

Files ADM 199/115,166,167,838 & 840 are all ‘Operations by Naval Air Squadrons’, with dates spanning 1940-1945. ADM 335/63 is ‘History of front and second line Fleet Air Arm Squadrons 1933 Jan 01-1950 Jul 31’

You said… ‘RNFS was made up with 803, 805 and 806 Sq., but I couldn't find any ORB related to them.’
Try this link:
http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/FAASearch.html

From that link I got the following information:
805 was an Australian squadron: In July 1941 the squadron re-equipped with 12 Martlet Is as part of the Western Desert RN Fighter squadron, serving with 264, 269 and subsequently 234 RAF Wings until the joint unit was disbanded in February 1942. CO L/C AF Black, RN Jan 1941-May 1942

They came under RAF Wing control, and at the National Archives AIR26 is the section consisting of Operations Record Books for Wings. Somewhere in it there is a file for No. 234 (FIGHTER) WING. The description says: ‘Formed 24 Oct. 1941. Originally 264 Wing, then 269 Wing Disbanded 19 Feb. 1944’. This seems like your best chance. It is possible that this file is on microfilm.

Good luck!

Bruce

[michele-palermo]

Hi Bruce,
your tip is very important.
I've been in the fleet air arm site but I couldn't find anything more.
On the other hand I never thought of searching for ORBs related to wings.
I'll certainly look for them and not only for RNFS.
But before navigating in the archives I'd like to ask you, if you know, if wing's ORB are organised like squadron ORBs.
Is there something like form 540 or 541 day by day or it is a periodical summary? In other words is it better to ask for single days or it does not make sense and you have to ask for the whole month (for example).
Anyway thank very much for the tip.
Mike

[michele-palermo]

I received

No. 234 (FIGHTER) WING


Subsubseries within AIR 26

AIR 26/299

but nothing of interest came out. I'll try something else. Thanks anyway.

[James A Pratt III]

The Osprey book on Wildcat aces has a list of all the claims of this unit along with a list of all the other RN Wildcat claims.

[Jerome Raby-Lemoine]

ORB's for 803, 805 and 806 Squadrons : AIR 27 / 2387

Cheers
Jerome