HMS VENERABLE
ROYAL NAVY FLEET AIR ARM

1851 Squadron          21 Corsairs

814 Squadron           18 Barracudas

HMS Venerable

Cliff Adams of 814 Squadron served on board HMS Venerable from December 1944 - until December 1946. 814 Squadron joined HMS Venerable when on sea trials in the Clyde. They sailed on 12 March 1945 to the Mediterranean. 814 Squadron went ashore to Hal far, Malta . They were there for VE Day later sailing to Australia calling at Alexandria, Aden, Colombo, Fremantle, and finally Jervis Bay where the squadron disembarked to Nowra where the were re-equipped with Fairey Fireflies. The ship went into dry dock in Sydney for change of  armament due to the Japanese kamikaze attacks on aircraft carriers They were at Schofields when the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

They were due to join the American 3rd Fleet under Admiral Halsey to eventually invade Japan. Because of the Japanese surrender they still sailed as scheduled on 15 August 1945 to Manus, then Subic Bay and then to Hong Kong where the Japanese  surrendered to Admiral Harcourt . HMS Venerable stayed offshore and gave air cover in case of any trouble. 814 Squadron and 1851 Squadron (Corsairs) were on board HMS Venerable. 

They released their prisoners of war and rounded up the worst Japanese. They left Hong Kong for Madras repatriating Indian ex prisoners of war.

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm in Australia during WW2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank Dennis Whiley and A. MacDonald for their assistance with this home page.

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 7 January 2001

This page last updated 17 January 2020