On escort carriers, 824 Squadron could provide the entire air group through two or three Swordfish flights and a fighter flight. The fighter element changed from Sea Hurricanes to Wildcats while the multi-seat aircraft continued strike, reconnaissance, and patrol work. Some pilots qualified on both types, giving the small air group more options when assigning crews. Because night patrols were more common among the multi-seat flights, that cross-training also helped fighter pilots retain night-flying experience. The arrangement shows how the Fleet Air Arm packaged several missions and a flexible command structure into a compact carrier organization.
Notable Point · 28:31-31:57
A composite squadron supplied an escort carrier's entire air group
824 Squadron mixed Swordfish flights with Sea Hurricanes or Wildcats, giving a small carrier one command structure for strike, reconnaissance, and fighter duties.