| 719 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 719 NAS badge | |
| Active | 15 June 1944 - 2 January 1945 1 March 1946 - 27 December 1949 14 June 1950 - 17 March 1959 17 May 1960 - 5 October 1961[1] |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron |
| Role |
|
| Size | Squadron |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm
|
| Home station | See Naval air stations section for full list. |
| Aircraft | See Aircraft operated section for full list. |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge Description | White, an archer erect habited in jerkin and feathered hat red hose and shoes green holding an armed bow at full draught and carrying a full quiver proper (1946)[2] |
| Identification Markings | S1A+ (all types 1944-1945)[3] A4A+ (Firefly FR.I) 200+ (Firefly FR.I - October 1946) 300+ (Barracuda) 224-279 (Firefly AS.5/6) 320-341 (Firefly 7) 550-559 (Firefly 7 - January 1956) 456-459 (Gannet) 541-557 (Gannet - January 1956) 625-627 (Whirlwind)[4] |
| Tail Codes | A (Firefly FR.I) JR (Barracuda) GN (Firefly AS.5/6, T.7, Gannet)[4] |
719 Naval Air Squadron (719 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It initially formed in 1944 as a Fighter Air Firing Training Squadron, at HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, within the School of Air Combat, but at the start of 1945 it disbanded into 794 Naval Air Squadron. The squadron reformed in 1946 at HMS Owl, RNAS Fearn, as a Strike Training Squadron, before moving to HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, where it became an Anti-submarine Training Squadron, disbanding there in 1949. The squadron reformed the following year at HMS Gannet as the Naval Air Anti-submarine School and remained there becoming the Naval Anti-Submarine Operational Flying School, eventually disbanding in 1959. However, in 1960, the squadron reformed, again at HMS Gannet, as the Joint Anti-submarine School Flight, this time operating helicopters. 719 Naval Air Squadron was granted first line status on 5 October 1961 and renumbered to 819 Naval Air Squadron.
- ^ Sturtivant, Ballance 1994, p. 40.
- ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 25.
- ^ Wragg 2019, p. 117.
- ^ a b Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 24.