Society of Friends Fleet Air Arm Museum

Society of Friends Fleet Air Arm Museum The UK's leading naval aviation Society, we support solely the Royal Navy Museums: Naval Aviation at Yeovilton, Somerset.

SoFFAAM is Registered Charity 280725
The object of the Society is the education of the public by promotion, support, assistance and improvement of the Fleet Air Arm Museum. The Society elects a trustee Council annually including a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Secretary. An educational schools travel bursary to visit the museum is now offered by the Society. Patron: Commodore Bill

Covington CBE RN (Retd)

SoFFAAM covers naval aviation from its early seaplanes and the formation of the Royal Naval Air Service, to the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier F-35 Lightning strike jets of today. Our members live in both the UK and overseas. Members receive the “Jabberwock” journal every quarter. Entertaining speaker evenings are held at Yeovilton monthly and cover aviation topics past, present and future. Our talks programme is also streamed live for members not local to Yeovilton. As a member you'll have free access to the Museum at Yeovilton and will get 20% discount in the museum shop and catering outlet. A membership programme of day trips, visits and social events is also offered. All monies raised go to supporting FAAM and news on donations and funding support can be found on the Website. To join us download the Membership Form here...
https://www.fleetairarmfriends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SoFFAAM-Membership-Leaflet-JANUARY-2024-WEB.pdf

Taunton Sea & Royal Marines Cadets have been given the opportunity of viewing naval aviation's latest drone technology u...
03/06/2026

Taunton Sea & Royal Marines Cadets have been given the opportunity of viewing naval aviation's latest drone technology up close. During a visit to the Somerset county town's cadet unit Royal Marines Commandos gave a presentation on Uncrewed Aerial Systems.
The Malloy T-150 UAS can be deployed by the Royal Marines for resupply use. It can be flown manually or autonomously with an underslung cargo load airlifting nutritional foodstuffs, first aid kit and other essential supplies to frontline units. 👍
fleetairarmfriends.org.uk/jabberwock

826 on the offensiveThe Fairey Albacore biplane entered Royal Navy service in March 1940 with 826 Naval Air Squadron at ...
31/05/2026

826 on the offensive
The Fairey Albacore biplane entered Royal Navy service in March 1940 with 826 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Ford, Sussex. It was designed as both a torpedo and dive bomber. The Fleet Air Arm squadron deployed to East Anglia's RAF Bircham Newton in May 1940 to support RAF Coastal Command in the light strike role.
On 31 May 1940 their first operation took place against German targets around Nieuwpoort on the Belgian coast. Aircraft were forward based at RAF Detling in Kent for the daylight raid and carried six 250lb bombs each. The attack was to support the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) as it fell back towards Dunkirk.
826 NAS remained under Coastal Command control until October 1940, when a German invasion of Britain across the English Channel was considered less of a threat.
fleetairarmfriends.org.uk/jabberwock

Naval aviation in the south westLook out for 825 Squadron's Black Cats helicopter display team of solo Wildcat HMA2 this...
30/05/2026

Naval aviation in the south west
Look out for 825 Squadron's Black Cats helicopter display team of solo Wildcat HMA2 this weekend as it transits Somerset and Devon. The Wildcat is appearing at the English Riviera Airshow, Torbay.
750 Squadron in Cornwall have taken delivery of their first upgraded Avenger T1, which features a new high-tech interior of trainee flight consoles. The training aircraft is used as a flying classroom for Royal Navy and Royal Air Force aircrew who will operate combat system mission workstations on Merlin helicopters and Poseidon P-8 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA).
Photos: Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose and Royal Navy Black Cats

fleetairarmfriends.org.uk

Fleet Air Arm Battle Honour: Bismarck 1941May 1941 was a worrying time at the Admiralty. In the Mediterranean theatre ...
27/05/2026

Fleet Air Arm Battle Honour: Bismarck 1941
May 1941 was a worrying time at the Admiralty. In the Mediterranean theatre the battle for Crete was going the enemy's way (yesterday's post) seeing significant warship losses and to compound the Royal Navy's problems Kriegsmarine battleship Bismarck had sortied from occupied Norway into the North Atlantic seeking Allied convoys to destroy.
Fleet Air Arm Fairey Swordfish launched from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal had successfully torpedoed Bismarck during the night of 26 May jamming her steering rudder and, on the morning of 27 May, the torpedo damage inflicted by the RN aerial attack proved fatal as Home Fleet battleships caught and sank her.

800, 808, 810, 818, 820 and 825 Naval Air Squadrons were all awarded this battle honour covering the period 23-27 May 1941. 825 Squadron CO Lt Cdr Eugene Esmonde RN received the DSO.
It's surprising 771 Squadron were not given it; a Maryland reconnaissance aircraft's exhaustive search of Bergen's Grimstadtfjord (flown in atrocious weather) had confirmed on 22 May Bismarck was absent from her Norwegian anchorage.
Carriers Ark Royal and Victorious both hold the RN battle honour.

The epic British naval war story was immortalised in the 1960 Film Sink the Bismarck!
'Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' written by naval historian Iain Ballantyne Books comes recommended.

fleetairarmfriends.org.uk/jabberwock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sink_the_Bismarck!

Fleet Air Arm Battle Honour: Crete 194185th Anniversary commemorations have been held across the Greek Mediterranean Is...
26/05/2026

Fleet Air Arm Battle Honour: Crete 1941
85th Anniversary commemorations have been held across the Greek Mediterranean Island of Crete to recall Allied defensive operations against Germany's airborne invasion in May 1941.
This battle honour was awarded to Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Formidable, together with 700 NAS (Ship's Flts), 803, 805, 806, 826 & 829 Naval Air Squadrons tasked in the defence and evacuation of Crete between 20 May – 1 June 1941.

During the Allies chaotic evacuation of Crete Admiral Cunningham was determined not to let the Army down, declaring: “It takes three years to build a ship, it takes three centuries to build a tradition.” Two Royal Navy battleships, six cruisers and seven destroyers were badly damaged, and another three cruisers and six destroyers sunk with the loss of over 2,000 men.

On 26 May 1941 Fairey Albacores and Fulmars from 803, 826 and 829 Squadrons embarked onboard HMS Formidable attacked enemy held Scarpanto airfield on Karpathos in the Dodecanese, 50 miles east of Crete.
Returning to Alexandria after launching the air strike, Formidable was herself attacked by German dive-bombers and hit by two 1000kg bombs, causing serious damage. She underwent emergency repairs in Alex until July, then sailed for refitting in Norfolk, Virginia, via the Cape arriving on 25 Aug 1941.

NZ Defence Force Photo: CWGC Souda Bay ceremony with RAF Red Arrows flypast; the red, white and blue being representative of the flags of UK, Australia and New Zealand. 🇬🇷🇬🇧🇦🇺🇳🇿

fleetairarmfriends.org.uk/jabberwock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Crete

25/05/2026

More on the recent arrival at Yeovilton of RN Fairey Barracuda wreck LS551 recovered from Arctic Norway last summer.
Superb teamwork by the museum's Barracuda Live: The Big Rebuild staff. 🇬🇧🇳🇴👍

As reported in our 40-page quarterly Jabberwock journal, RNMNA's Barracuda Rebuild Live team in Hall 4 have recovered Br...
25/05/2026

As reported in our 40-page quarterly Jabberwock journal, RNMNA's Barracuda Rebuild Live team in Hall 4 have recovered British wartime Fleet Air Arm airframe LS551 from Arctic Norway. An 829 Naval Air Squadron Barracuda 4M manufactured in Britain, it has been returned to the UK with assistance from Tolletaten Norwegian Customs.
LS551 was the only 829 Fairey Barracuda bomber shot down during the Royal Navy's April 1944 aircraft carrier strike against Kriegsmarine battleship Tirpitz – codenamed Op Tungsten.
The lengthy process of inspecting, cataloguing and preserving wreckage of this historic aircraft for DP872's rebuild now begins.

Our society has previously supplied essential workshop tooling to aid the national museum's Barracuda aircraft restoration project and a membership directly benefits Royal Navy Museums Naval Aviation at Yeovilton, south Somerset.
Photos: RNMNA
fleetairarmfriends.org.uk/jabberwock
fleetairarmfriends.org.uk/membership

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Tungsten

Lt Cdr Danielle Welch Royal Navy was our guest speaker in April and the society thanks her for an enthralling presentati...
23/05/2026

Lt Cdr Danielle Welch Royal Navy was our guest speaker in April and the society thanks her for an enthralling presentation on a naval flying career that started on helicopters, but led to an exchange posting as a fast jet pilot on the Royal Air Force Typhoon air defence and ground attack fighter.
All monies raised from the evening help support the Royal Navy Museums Naval Aviation as the Fleet Air Arm Museum has now officially become.
For full details on our regular Lecture Programme, which is also available Online (via zoom) head to ...
fleetairarmfriends.org.uk/talks

Westland Lynx World Speed Record - 28 May 19.30Our society lecture evening next Thursday features Yeovil's own Westland ...
20/05/2026

Westland Lynx World Speed Record - 28 May 19.30
Our society lecture evening next Thursday features Yeovil's own Westland product the Lynx helicopter, which holds the world speed record 400.87 km/h (249.10 mph). A record set 40 years ago no less.
All welcome, for full details see....
fleetairarmfriends.org.uk/talks

The Guild of Aviation Artists - GAvA Aviation Paintings of the Year 2026 Annual Summer Exhibition is being held at the S...
17/05/2026

The Guild of Aviation Artists - GAvA Aviation Paintings of the Year 2026 Annual Summer Exhibition is being held at the Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden, Bedfordshire.
Public Open Day viewings are on Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th June.

fleetairarmfriends.org.uk/jabberwock

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Royal Navy Museums Naval Aviation
Yeovilton
BA228HW

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