1.
United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
2.
Royal Navy
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The Royal Navy is the United Kingdoms naval warfare force. Although warships were used by the English kings from the medieval period. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century, from the middle decades of the 17th century and through the 18th century, the Royal Navy vied with the Dutch Navy and later with the French Navy for maritime supremacy. From the mid 18th century it was the worlds most powerful navy until surpassed by the United States Navy during the Second World War. The Royal Navy played a key part in establishing the British Empire as the world power during the 19th. Due to this historical prominence, it is common, even among non-Britons, following World War I, the Royal Navy was significantly reduced in size, although at the onset of the Second World War it was still the worlds largest. By the end of the war, however, the United States Navy had emerged as the worlds largest, during the Cold War, the Royal Navy transformed into a primarily anti-submarine force, hunting for Soviet submarines, mostly active in the GIUK gap. The Royal Navy is part of Her Majestys Naval Service, which includes the Royal Marines. The professional head of the Naval Service is the First Sea Lord, the Defence Council delegates management of the Naval Service to the Admiralty Board, chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence. The strength of the fleet of the Kingdom of England was an important element in the power in the 10th century. English naval power declined as a result of the Norman conquest. Medieval fleets, in England as elsewhere, were almost entirely composed of merchant ships enlisted into service in time of war. Englands naval organisation was haphazard and the mobilisation of fleets when war broke out was slow, early in the war French plans for an invasion of England failed when Edward III of England destroyed the French fleet in the Battle of Sluys in 1340. Major fighting was confined to French soil and Englands naval capabilities sufficed to transport armies and supplies safely to their continental destinations. Such raids halted finally only with the occupation of northern France by Henry V. Henry VII deserves a large share of credit in the establishment of a standing navy and he embarked on a program of building ships larger than heretofore. He also invested in dockyards, and commissioned the oldest surviving dry dock in 1495 at Portsmouth, a standing Navy Royal, with its own secretariat, dockyards and a permanent core of purpose-built warships, emerged during the reign of Henry VIII. Under Elizabeth I England became involved in a war with Spain, the new regimes introduction of Navigation Acts, providing that all merchant shipping to and from England or her colonies should be carried out by English ships, led to war with the Dutch Republic. In the early stages of this First Anglo-Dutch War, the superiority of the large, heavily armed English ships was offset by superior Dutch tactical organisation and the fighting was inconclusive
3.
Fleet Air Arm
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The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King, and AgustaWestland Wildcat helicopters, helicopters such as the Lynx and Westland Wasp have been deployed on smaller vessels since 1964, taking over the roles once performed by biplanes such as the Fairey Swordfish. During the Second World War, the Fleet Air Arm operated aircraft on ships as well as land-based aircraft that defended the Royal Navys shore establishments, British naval flying started in 1909, with the construction of an airship for naval duties. The Naval Wing of the RFC lasted until July 1914 when the Royal Navy reformed its air branch, under the Air Department of the Admiralty, naming it the Royal Naval Air Service. By the outbreak of the First World War, in August 1914, the RNAS had more aircraft under its control than the remaining RFC. In April 1918 the RNAS, which at this time had 67,000 officers and men,2,949 aircraft,103 airships and 126 coastal stations, merged with the RFC to form the Royal Air Force. On 1 April 1924, the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force was formed, encompassing those RAF units that normally embarked on aircraft carriers, over the following months RAF Fleet Air Arm Fairey IIID reconnaissance biplanes operated off Hermes, conducting flying trials. On 24 May 1939 the Fleet Air Arm was returned to Admiralty control under the Inskip Award, at the onset of the Second World War, the Fleet Air Arm consisted of 20 squadrons with only 232 aircraft. By the end of the war the strength of the Fleet Air Arm was 59 aircraft carriers,3,700 aircraft,72,000 officers and men. During the war, the FAA operated fighters, torpedo bombers, following the Dunkirk evacuation and the commencement of the Battle of Britain, the Royal Air Force soon found itself critically short of fighter pilots. In the summer of 1940, the RAF had little more than 800 fighter pilots, with this desperate situation the RAF was forced to call upon the Admiralty for Fleet Air Arm assistance. The aircraft carrier had replaced the battleship as the Fleets capital ship, the top scoring fighter ace with 17 victories was Commander Stanley Orr, the Royal Marine ace was Ronald Cuthbert Hay with 13 victories. A number of Royal Marines served as FAA pilots during the war, after the war the FAA needed to fly jet aircraft from their carriers. The jet aircraft of the era were considerably less effective at low speeds than propeller aircraft, the FAA took on its first jet, the Sea Vampire, in the late 1940s. The Sea Vampire was the first jet credited with taking off, the Air Arm continued with high-powered prop aircraft alongside the new jets resulting in the FAA being woefully outpowered during the Korean War. Nevertheless, jets were not yet wholly superior to propeller aircraft, as jets became larger, more powerful and faster they required more space to take off and land. The US Navy simply built much larger carriers, the Royal Navy had a few large carriers built and completed after the end of the war but another solution was sought. An associated British invention, intended to more precise optical guidance to aircraft on final approaching the deck, was the Fresnel lens optical landing aid
4.
Tonbridge
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Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 40,356 in 2015. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Royal Tunbridge Wells,12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London and it belongs to the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling. Another theory suggests that the name is a contraction of town of bridges, until 1870, the towns name was spelt Tunbridge, as shown on old maps including the 1871 Ordnance Survey map and contemporary issues of the Bradshaw railway guide. In 1870, this was changed to Tonbridge by the GPO due to confusion with nearby Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells has always maintained the same spelling. Tonbridge stands on spur of land where the marshy River Medway could be more easily forded. Ancient trackways converged at this point, there is no record of any bridge before 1191. For much of its existence, the town remained to the north of the river, one part of the town is called Dryhill. Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare founded the Priory of St Mary Magdalene in 1124, a castle was built here in the 11th century by Richard Fitz Gilbert, son of the murdered guardian of William the Conqueror in his infancy. Richard was responsible for governing England in William Is many absences, the town was besieged by William Rufus, soon after his accession to the throne, because the Earl had pledged allegiance to Williams brother, Robert. It is thus hardly surprising that the arrow that killed William Rufus a few years later in the New Forest was fired by Walter Tirel who was born in town as well as the Earls in-law. It was soon afterwards taken again, this time by King John only a few months after the signing of the Magna Carta, both the Earl and his son were signatories and guardians of the document responsible for its compliance. It was subsequently besieged by Prince Edward, son of Henry III, on this occasion the besieged garrison burnt the town rather than see it fall. The town and Tonbridge Castle were rebuilt after this and in the 13th century became an official residence, the castle was finally taken by Henry VIII when its owner, the Duke of Buckingham, was executed for treason. In medieval times, Tonbridge was considered an important strategic settlement. The King intended it to be a town, and a charter was issued allowing for walls to be built. The walls were never built, perhaps because the large outer bailey could have easily accommodated the townspeople in times of strife. A surrounding bank and ditch known as The Fosse was erected, today only traces of this encircling defence now remain. The historic core of the still contains a large number of working buildings dating from the 15th century
5.
Kent
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Kent /ˈkɛnt/ is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south west, the county also shares borders with Essex via the Dartford Crossing and the French department of Pas-de-Calais through the Channel Tunnel. France can be clearly in fine weather from Folkestone and the White Cliffs of Dover. Hills in the form of the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge span the length of the county, because of its relative abundance of fruit-growing and hop gardens, Kent is known as The Garden of England. The title was defended in 2006 when a survey of counties by the UKTV Style Gardens channel put Kent in fifth place, behind North Yorkshire, Devon. Haulage, logistics, and tourism are industries, major industries in north-west Kent include aggregate building materials, printing. Coal mining has played its part in Kents industrial heritage. Large parts of Kent are within the London commuter belt and its transport connections to the capital. Twenty-eight per cent of the county forms part of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the North Downs and The High Weald, the area has been occupied since the Palaeolithic era, as attested by finds from the quarries at Swanscombe. The Medway megaliths were built during the Neolithic era, There is a rich sequence of Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Roman era occupation, as indicated by finds and features such as the Ringlemere gold cup and the Roman villas of the Darent valley. The modern name of Kent is derived from the Brythonic word Cantus meaning rim or border and this describes the eastern part of the current county area as a border land or coastal district. Julius Caesar had described the area as Cantium, or home of the Cantiaci in 51 BC, the extreme west of the modern county was by the time of Roman Britain occupied by Iron Age tribes, known as the Regnenses. East Kent became a kingdom of the Jutes during the 5th century and was known as Cantia from about 730, the early medieval inhabitants of the county were known as the Cantwara, or Kent people. These people regarded the city of Canterbury as their capital, in 597, Pope Gregory I appointed the religious missionary as the first Archbishop of Canterbury. In the previous year, Augustine successfully converted the pagan King Æthelberht of Kent to Christianity, the Diocese of Canterbury became Britains first Episcopal See with first cathedral and has since remained Englands centre of Christianity. The second designated English cathedral was in Kent at Rochester Cathedral, in the 11th century, the people of Kent adopted the motto Invicta, meaning undefeated. This naming followed the invasion of Britain by William of Normandy, the Kent peoples continued resistance against the Normans led to Kents designation as a semi-autonomous county palatine in 1067. Under the nominal rule of Williams half-brother Odo of Bayeux, the county was granted powers to those granted in the areas bordering Wales
6.
703 Naval Air Squadron
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703 Naval Air Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy was formed as a long-range catapult squadron on 3 March 1942 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent. During the Cold War, it was reformed as a trials unit. Since 2003, the squadron has formed the Royal Naval wing of the Defence Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Barkston Heath. On 3 March 1942,703 Naval Air Squadron was formed at RNAS Lee-on-Solent as a long-range catapult squadron flying Fairey Swordfish, flights were deployed in Armed Merchant Cruisers for patrolling duties. The squadron also operated three Supermarine Walrus amphibian aircraft from an airfield in South Africa, on 1 May 1944, the squadron was disbanded. In April 1950, the moved to RAF Ford, and was renamed the Service Trials Unit. At Ford it experimented with British innovations in aircraft operations, including the mirror landing aid. New aircraft types were evaluated, and 703 NAS conducted trials on the Fairey Gannet AS1. In August 1955,703 NAS and 771 NAS amalgamated to form 700 Naval Air Squadron. On 22 January 1972,703 NAS was re-formed at RNAS Portland to conduct training on the Westland Wasp, including from February 1975 advanced training, on 1 January 1981, after 9 years of training aircrew on the Wasp, the squadron was disbanded. In 1993, the RAF and RN Elementary Flying Training was merged to form a school at RAF Topcliffe. In 1996, after taking on Army Air Corps training, the unit was renamed the Joint Elementary Flying Training School, in 2003, the RAF withdrew from the organisation, and the unit was renamed the Defence Elementary Flying Training School. At this time, the Royal Naval element was organised as 703 Naval Air Squadron,703 NAS trains about 60 Royal Navy pilots every year, until 2009 in the Slingsby Firefly, and since then in the Grob Tutor
7.
705 Naval Air Squadron
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705 Naval Air Squadron was first formed as a flight in 1936 from No 447 Flight Royal Air Force and operated Swordfish torpedo bombers from battlecruisers. It achieved squadron status in 1939 before being disbanded in 1940, the squadron was re-formed briefly in 1945 and then again in 1947 as a fleet requirements unit to evaluate naval use of helicopters. Since the 1950s the squadron has been involved in the training of helicopter aircrew. 705 Flight was formed from No 447 Flight Royal Air Force, the aircraft were equipped with floats so that they could be launched from the ships by catapult and then recovered from the water by crane. 705 achieved squadron status in 1939, early in World War II the squadron saw service protecting troop convoys and hunting raiders on the North America and West Indies Station. After disembarkation to RNAS Lee-on-Solent in 1939, the squadron was disbanded in 1940,705 Naval Air Squadron was briefly reformed in 1945 and carried out the role of torpedo training. In May 1947,705 Squadron was re-commissioned at RNAS Gosport with the Sikorsky Hoverfly element from 771 NAS, at first the squadron operated as a fleet requirements unit, and was responsible for the evaluation of the helicopter for use at sea. On 1 February 1947 Lieutenant K Reed carried out the first helicopter landing on a Royal Navy ship when he landed on HMS Vanguard off Portland. The squadron moved to RNAS Culdrose in 1957 where the marks of Hiller. These types were replaced in 1974 by the Westland Gazelle HT.2, between 1975 and 1992 the instructors of the squadron performed as the Sharks helicopter display team at up to 20 air displays every year both in the UK and abroad. In April 1997705 NAS disbanded and reformed at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire as part of the Defence Helicopter Flying School, within DHFS,705 Squadron provides basic and advanced single engined rotary wing flying training for all three services, as well as pilots from foreign and Commonwealth countries. Within this remit,705 Squadron teaches basic handling, Instrument Flying, medium and low level navigation, night flying, in addition to pure flying training,705 Squadron also provides a naval focus for naval officers operating within an otherwise joint service and largely civilian-run organisation
8.
727 Naval Air Squadron
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727 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It was formed in 1943 as a Fleet Requirements Unit, being disbanded in December 1944 and it was reformed twice in the 1940s and 1950s to provide flying experience for naval officers. The current squadron was created on 6 Dec 2001 from the Royal Naval Flying Training Flight,727 Naval Air Squadron was formed on 26 May 1943 at Gibraltar as a Fleet Requirements Unit covering the area from Bizerta to Algiers. The squadron was equipped with target-towing Boulton Paul Defiants, Fairey Swordfish, the squadron was disbanded on 7 December 1944. After World War II it was decided to provide air acquaint courses for junior Royal Navy,727 NAS was reformed on 23 April 1946 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent with gliders, Tiger Moths, Supermarine Seafires, North American Harvards and a Fairey Firefly. Disbanded on 17 January 1950, the squadron was reformed on 4 January 1956 as the Dartmouth Cadet Air Training Squadron, now operating from RNAS Brawdy, Pembrokeshire, the squadron flew Boulton Paul Sea Balliols, De Havilland Sea Vampire T22s and a Percival Sea Prince T.1. Two Westland Dragonfly helicopters were provided in September 1958, but the squadron was disbanded on 16 December 1960, since 1949 the Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth has operated light aircraft for recreational flying, as well as running summer flying camps. Types flown have included De Havilland Tiger Moths, Auster and De Havilland Chipmunk, Miles Messenger and Miles Gemini aircraft were also introduced. After grading of potential aircrew was introduced, these aircraft were employed during the week for assessing future aircrew, by this time the aircraft were based at Roborough Airport, on the outskirts of Plymouth. By 1966 the flight had been stabilised at 12 Chipmunk aircraft, the squadron currently operates five Grob Tutor trainer aircraft under a private finance initiative with Babcock Internationals aerospace division. This, along with five Qualified Flying Instructors, allow up to ten students to be accommodated with the squadron at any time, serving officers are assessed for their suitability to continue flight training during a three-week stay with the squadron. During those weeks, he or she will fly eleven hours with an instructor before flying a pre-FHT with a different instructor, the squadron also undertakes many other roles, one of which is the Special Flying Award. This scheme is open to any member of the public who has expressed an interest in joining the Fleet Air Arm as aircrew and have put forward by their Careers Office. The course lasts for two weeks with the aim of 10 hours in the cockpit, there are also a number of Special Flying Awards organised for members of the URNU and the CCF. The squadron currently has just two full-time Naval personnel, the officer and the training officer. Babcock employs five civilian flying instructors under their contract to teach the students, the squadron is also supported by a number of ex-service QFIs from the RNR to instruct and two holdover student pilots who are between flying training courses bound for general duties. Maintenance of the Grob fleet is provided by a Babcock senior licensed engineer with three engineering support staff, an aircraft handler provides aircraft handling, refuelling and assistance to aircrew. The squadron moved from Plymouth Airport to RNAS Yeovilton in early 2007, following the departure of the last Sea Harrier squadron from RNAS Yeovilton in 2006
9.
750 Naval Air Squadron
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From 1918 until 1939 the Royal Air Force was responsible for naval aviation, including training and provision of aircrew to the Royal Navy. With the return of naval aviation to the Royal Navy on 24 May 1939, during World War II the squadron moved to Trinidad to continue training aircrew. It was temporarily disbanded in October 1945, the squadron reformed in 1952 and is currently based at RNAS Culdrose, where it trains approximately 30 Royal Navy observers every year. The Royal Navy established HM Naval Seaplane Training School on 30 July 1917 at Lee-on-Solent, when the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps merged on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force, the school was renamed No.209 Training Depot. Although the school now concentrated on training, from 1925 all naval aircrew were provided by the RAF. During this period the training aircraft was the Fairey IIID. From 1932 Lee-on-Solent was provided with an airfield and became the headquarters of the RAFs Coastal Command. Observer training continued apace and the airfield was home to a range of naval aircraft including Fairey Seals, Hawker Ospreys, Blackburn Sharks, Supermarine Walruses. Telegraphist air gunners were trained at Lee-on-Solent in the years leading up to the Second World War. 750 Naval Air Squadron was formed at RNAS Ford on 24 May 1939 from the Royal Navy Observer School, changing title from a school to a squadron did not change its basic purpose, which was the training of observers for the Fleet Air Arm. The squadron initially flew Hawker Ospreys and Blackburn Sharks, but in November 1940 it moved to Piarco Savannah in Trinidad, on 15 January 1941,21 officers and 121 ratings from 749,750 and 752 squadrons sailed from Liverpool on SS Almeda Star bound for Trinidad. Two days later German submarine U-96 sank Almeda Star in heavy seas 35 miles north of Rockall, the squadron operated in Trinidad for the duration of World War II and was disbanded on 10 October 1945. The squadron reformed on 17 April 1952 at RNAS St Merryn, in 1955 the squadron changed its name to the Observer and Air Signal School. After discontinuing the training of air telegraphists, it changed again to the Observer School in May 1959, the squadron moved to Hal Far, Malta in October 1959, and in 1965 it was transferred again, this time to RNAS Lossiemouth. The last move came in 1972, back to RNAS Culdrose and these were replaced by the Jetstream T2 in 1978 and in 1992 the squadron became the first naval air squadron to achieve 50 unbroken years in commission. Formerly flying the T2 & T3 versions of the BAe Jetstream,750 NAS is tasked with providing Basic Flying Training for the Fleet Air Arms observers and this is conducted in classrooms as well as in the air and in a computer-controlled simulator. Upon completion of course they will be ready for advanced flying training. On completion of flying training observers can serve in Westland Sea King, the Squadron operates four commercially owned but military-registered aircraft, employing a mixture of military and civilian personnel to achieve the instructional task
10.
815 Naval Air Squadron
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815 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm, part of the Royal Navy. The squadron is based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, United Kingdom. It currently comprises Westland Lynx Helicopter Maritime Attack Mk8s and AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA. 2s helicopters and it is the largest helicopter squadron in western Europe. The squadron disbanded in November 1939, but reformed the same month however, in May 1940 the squadron provided support to the Dunkirk evacuation. In June 1940, the squadron embarked on HMS Illustrious and sailed for the Mediterranean in August, attacking and minelaying Benghazi, Rhodes, the squadron gained early fame with its involvement in the Battle of Taranto in 1940. The battle consisted of a raid on the Italian Battlefleet in harbour at Taranto which redefined the use of air power from the sea, during the battle only one squadron aircraft was lost, compared to the crippling of half the Italian Fleet. In March 1941, the squadron was again involved in a major battle of the Second World War at the Battle of Cape Matapan. The squadron re-equipped in August 1941 with a mixture of Swordfish and Fairey Albacore aircraft, in July 1943,815 Squadron was assigned to No.201 Group with a detachment of Swordfish assigned to AHQ Malta. Both units participated in Operation Husky on 10 July,1943, the squadron then was transferred to the Far East aboard HMS Smiter, but saw no action before VJ-Day, and returned to the UK in September 1945 aboard HMS Fencer. In September 1958, the reformed and the first helicopters arrived in the form of the Westland Whirlwind HAS.7. The squadron eventually disbanded here on August 1959, by being renumbered to 737 Squadron, the squadron reformed again on 8 September,1959, still on with Whirlwinds. After a Far East tour on HMS Albion, it disbanded again in December 1960, on July 4,1961, the Squadron recommissioned at RNAS Culdrose with the Westland Wessex HAS.1. The squadron embarked on HMS Ark Royal in November 1961, moving to HMS Centaur in 1964 and provided support against disturbances in Aden, after a final deployment on HMS Ark Royal, the unit disbanded at RNAS Culdrose in October 1966. In January 1981, after a gap of some 15 years and it then moved to RNAS Portland in 1982 and it saw action during the Falklands War of 1982. The flights were shared with 829 Naval Air Squadron until they were amalgamated in 1993 when they became the largest helicopter squadron in the world at the time. In 1998/9 after an absence of nearly 17 years, the unit moved back to RNAS Yeovilton, several of the Lynx Helicopters are stated as part of the Response Force Task Group. In November 2012, the Lynx of 217 Flight deployed to the Horn of Africa for four months on board the French frigate Surcouf, the first extended deployment of a British helicopter on a French warship. The squadron began reequipping with AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2 from 19 April 2016, the squadron is currently composed of a Headquarters and approximately 8 Small Ships Flights
