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838 Naval Air Squadron

Aircrew and squadron personnel

The list below is complied from various sources: Commissioned officers are as they appear in the relevant editions of the Navy List [note, because of a time lag between appointments and the publication of the lists some officers are not included]. Names of Telegraphist Air Gunners are primarily drawn from incident reports. Maintenance and other squadron personnel from Admiralty Fleet Orders.  

Abbreviations: A = Air Branch, P = Pilot, O = Observer, TAG = Telegraphist Air Gunner, RNVR = Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, RANVR = Royal Australian Navy Volunteer Reserve, RCNVR = Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve, RNZNVR = Royal New Zealand Navy Volunteer Reserve, Tpy = Temporary, Mid = Midshipman, KIA = Killed in Action, MPK = Missing Presumed Killed.

Dates: Dates for commanding officers are taken from Sturtivant, R & Balance, T., (1994)'Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm'  All other dates are taken from the Navy Lists and may not accurately reflect the exact date of appointment. Date of death is taken from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records.

838 (1) May 42 - August 43

Rank

Name

Appointed

Notes

Lieut. Com. (P)

 J. R. C. Callander

— Apr 42

In command

       

Tpy. Lieut. (A) R.N.V.R. (P)

 R. G. Lawson

07 June 43

n command
       

Sub- Lieut. (A)

 C. M. T. Hallewell

— Jun 42

 

       

Tpy. Sub- Lieut. (A) R.N.V.R. (P)

 

 

 

  R. T. Fisher    
  R. L. Gosling — Apr 42  
  J. McAleese — Apr 42  
  D. Shaw 28 Jun 43  
  D. Wormald — Apr 42  
       
Tpy. Sub- Lieut. (A) R.N.V.R. (O) H. Boardman — Apr 42  
  P. R. Elias, DSC — Apr 42  
  L. F. Thompson — Apr 42  
  N. Vincent — Apr 42  
       
Tpy. Act. Sub- Lieut. (A) R.N.V.R. (O) D. N. Morley 10 May 43  
       
Tpy.Midshipman R.N.V.R. (O) T. A. Haggerty 09 Jun 43  
       

Information drawn from the Navy list June 1942 through August 1943 (final edition before squadron disbanded)
 

 

838 (2) November 43 - February 45

Rank

Name

Appointed

Notes

Tpy.Lieut.-Conn. (A), R.N.V.R. (P)

J. M. Brown, DSC (act) 

1 Nov 43

In command

 

P. Snow

18 Aug 44

In command

       

Tpy. Lieut. (A) R.N.V.R. (P)

A. Guthrie

7 Feb 44

 

 

P. J. E. Nichols

10 Oct 44

 
 

 

 

 

Tpy. Lieut. (A) R.N.V.R. (O)

L. F. Thompson

28 May 43

 

 

J. H. de P. Rennick

1 Nov 43

 

 

J. B. Cook

1 Nov 43

KIA 01.05.44
 

R. L. Batten

23 Oct 44

 
 

 

 

 

Sub- Lieut. (A), R.N.R. (P)

J. M. Reid-Henry

1 Nov 43

 
       
Tpy. Sub- Lieut. (A), R.N.V.R. (P)

S. F. Such 

1 Nov 43

 
 

D. J. Donovan

7 Feb 44

 

 

E. J. McArthur

7 Feb 44

 
 

M. R. S. Smith

7 Feb 44

 
 

M. R. Dewar

7 Feb 44

 
 

I. P. Howson

7 Feb 44

 
 

J. Barr

20 Mar 44

 
 

P. E. Blow

4 May 44

 
 

P. G. L. Marshall

28 May 44

 
 

B. I. Barlow

15 June 44

 
 

A. L. Parker

10 Oct 44

 
 

T. D. Lucey

10 Oct 44

 
 

B. J. C. Dibben

10 Oct 44

 
 

M. E. R. Keates

10 Oct 44

 
       
py. Sub- Lieut. (A), R.N.V.R. (o)

R. J. Lofts

1 Nov 43

 
 

T.Hill

1 Nov 43

 
 

E.T.Clark

1 Nov 43

 MPK 01.05.44

 

D. J. Hanson

5 Feb 44

 MPK 01.05.44

 

S. C. Abel

5 Feb 44

 
 

P. Anderson

7 Feb 44

 
 

J. W. Brooks

7 Feb 44

 
 

F. R. Cherrv

7 Feb 44

 
 

B. D. Cockerill

7 Feb 44

 
 

J. S. Marsom

—May 44

 
 

A. J. Esterbrook

4 May 44

 
 

R. G. Bennett

28 May 44

 

 

G. H. Spear

31 May 44

 

 

C. Battye

31 May 44

 

 

S. C. Yeo

— June 44

 

       

Tpy. Sub- Lieut. (A), R.N.Z.N.V.R. (P)

H. Van Staverin

I Nov 43

 
 

I. L. R. Wilson

1 Nov 43

 MPK 01.05.44

 

H. Van Staverin

1 Nov 43

 
 

L. F. Hayward

7 Feb 44

 MPK 01.05.44

 

A. L. Foubirler

5 June 44

 
       

Tpy. Acting Sub-Lieut. (A), R.N.V.R. (P)

T. Barr

26 Apr 44

 

       

Tpy. Acting Sub-Lieut. (A), R.N.V.R. (O)

R. G. Bennett

28 May 44

 

 

     

Telegraphist Air Gunners

     

Petty Officer  TAG  

A. C. Rockley

 

 MPK 01.05.44

 

R.C. Grapes

 

KIA 01.05.44

 

M. A. Parkin

   
       

Leading TAG

B. L. Rowntree

 

 MPK 01.05.44

 

 

 

 

Information drawn from the Navy list April 1944 through October 1945 (final edition before squadron disbanded)
*May have been incorrectly listed in Navy Lists as he was a member of the original disbanded squadron.

 

 


List last modified 20 October 2022


In Memoriam

The Fleet Air Arm memorial at Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire. Located outside the former Naval Air Station and Fleet Air Arm Barracks this records the names of almost 2,000 men of that service who died during the Second World War and who have no known grave.

Details taken from the records of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission

838 (2)

Name & Rank

CWGC details

Date of death

Cemetery/Memorial

Sub-Lieut. (A) (P) Stanley Frederick SUCH RNVR

CWGC Record

01 May 1944

BREST (KERFAUTRAS) CEMETERY

Plot 47. Row 5. Grave 13.

Lieut. (A) (O) James Benjamin COOK RNVR

CWGC Record

01 May 1944

BREST (KERFAUTRAS) CEMETERY

Plot 47. Row 5. Grave 15.

P.O. Airman Richard Crawford GRAPES FX.87259

CWGC Record 

01 May 1944

BREST (KERFAUTRAS) CEMETERY

Plot 47. Row 5. Grave 14.

Sub-Lieut. (A) (P) Ian Lewis Ruxton  WILSON RNZNVR

CWGC Record

01 May 1944

NEW ZEALAND NAVAL MEMORIAL, DEVONPORT, AUCKLAND
Panel 9.

Sub-Lieut. (A) (O) Edward Thompson CLARK RNVR CWGC Record 01 May 1944 LEE-ON-SOLENT MEMORIAL
Bay 5, Panel 5.
P.O. Airman Albert ROCKLEY FX. 86788 CWGC Record 01 May 1944 LEE-ON-SOLENT MEMORIAL
Bay 5, Panel 2.
Sub-Lieut. (A) (P) Leslie Frank HAYWARD RNZNVR CWGC Record 01 May 1944 NEW ZEALAND NAVAL MEMORIAL, DEVONPORT, AUCKLAND
Panel 8.
Sub-Lieut. (A) (O) David James HANSON RNVR Mid CWGC Record 01 May 1944 LEE-ON-SOLENT MEMORIAL
Bay 5, Panel 5.
Leading Airman Brian Lambert ROWNTREE FX87018 CWGC Record 01 May 1944 MANCHESTER SOUTHERN CEMETERY
Sec. S. C. of E. Joint grave 5776.

 

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