User:Jonathan Fenny/sandbox5

777 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Requirements Unit which was formed in West Africa during the Second World War. The squadron was formed at RAF Hastings in Sierra Leone,West Africa on the 1st August 1941.This airfield was located 8 miles South East of the port city of Freetown, and was sited about 0.5 miles North East of the village of Hastings. The squadron initially operated only Fairey Swordfish and Blackburn Roc aircraft. However, by 1942 the squadron had acquired some Boulton-Paul Defiant and Supermarine Walrus aircraft.

In March 1943, the control of the airfield was given over to the Admiralty and was given the name HMS Spurwing, but the airfield was also known as RNAS Hastings.

Operations
David Wragg writes that in 1943, 777 squadron was involved with the air defence of Sierra Leone,a task which they fulfilled for most of the year.

Between 1942 and 1944, Hull born,Dennis Kirby flew with 777 Squadron.He flew the squadron’s Walrus amphibious aircraft on search and rescue sorties as well as anti-submarine patrols.(Kirby later re-qualified as a fighter pilot later in the war.) The anti submarine work of the squadron is alluded to in the diary of Radio Mechanic Norman Buckle. During the squadron’s existence,there were several accidents. During April, June and October 1944,three Target Tug Boulton-Paul Defiants belonging to the squadron were written off.But thankfully,it seems that in all three of these incidents, there were no fatalities.

However an accident involving Sub-Lieutenant D.R. Bentley, who was  one of 777 pilots, on 9th June 1943 sadly claimed his life. (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2625915/)

According to Wragg and Drury 777 Squadron disbanded  on the 25th December 1944. .