| |  701 squadron
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701 (Catapult) Flight formed in Jul 1936 at Kalafrana in Malta. After service in WWII when it disbanded at Beirut in Aug 1943, it reformed in Apr 1945 as a communications unit at the old Fairey works at Heath Row - later to become famous as London Heathrow (EGLL/LHR).  It reformed on 31 Oct 1957 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent for Ships' Flights, Trials, Fleet Requirements, SAR and Communications duties in the Portsmouth area. It parented 4 Ships' units: A Flight on HMS Eagle (R05), B Flight on HMS Ark Royal (R09), C Flight on HMS Victorious (R38) from Nov 1957, then HMS Albion (R07) from Jul 1958 and D Flight on HMS Bulwark (R08). During its short rotary wing career, 701 Squadron produced a number of firsts: it towed the minesweeper HMS Burnaston (M1116) with its Whirlwind winch gear and also towed a glider aloft. It disbanded on 23 Sep 1958, dispersing its airframes directly to the respective Ship's Flights. |
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