Aircraft of the ADF – N4 DH Sea Venom

The FAW.21 followed, introducing the uprated Ghost 104, an American radar, improved frameless canopy and power operated controls, while Martin Baker Mark 4 ejection seats were retrofitted. The first, WM568, flew on April 22 1954, and 167 were produced. The final RN production version was the FAW.22 (serialled from XG681), which introduced the more powerful Ghost 105. 39 of this type were produced, making a total of 256 Sea Venom deliveries to the RN. Export orders were 39 to the RAN, as the FAW.53, and the Mark 52, a version of the FAW.20 for the French Navy. In French service the aircraft was known as the Aquilon 202, and 75 were manufactured in France under licence.

The Australian Sea Venom FAW.53s differed only from the Royal Navy’s FAW.21 with the AI Mark 17 radar and in avionic equipment. The RAN aircraft, manufactured at the de Havilland factory at Christchurch aerodrome, near Bournemouth in Hampshire, were numbered, as was the policy at the time, with the RN serials WZ893 to WZ911, and WZ927 to WZ946 (DH c/n 12750 to 12788). A follow-on order for ten aircraft, WZ947 to WZ956 (c/n 12789 to 12798), was subsequently cancelled.

On August 10 1955, 808 Squadron reformed at RNAS Culdrose in UK with Sea Venoms. Meanwhile, HMAS Melbourne had been commissioned on October 28 1955 at Barrow-in-Furness, and the three squadrons to be embarked, 808 with Sea Venoms, and 816 and 817 with Gannets, were ashore working up. Sea Venom crews underwent training with the RN’s 891 Squadron at Yeovilton. One aircraft was lost during this work-up in a fatal crash at Yeovilton on January 5 1956.

The 39 Australian Sea Venoms were accepted by the RAN in England on February 27 1956, and the air group personnel were embarked the following month at Portsmouth. Melbourne then sailed to Glasgow for final stocking with equipment before sailing to Australia, arriving in Sydney on May 9. Some aircraft were disembarked the previous day in Jervis Bay, while others were transported from Sydney to HMAS Nirimba for storage.

The RAN’s first all weather fighter initially equipped 808 Squadron on HMAS Melbourne, followed by 724 Squadron in 1957 for land-based operational training from HMAS Albatross. A defect was found during early 1957 with the Venom’s wing structure, which temporarily prevented catapult launches and the Venoms operated ashore at Albatross. Ejection seats had not initially been fitted to the Sea Venoms, and this modification was incorporated by de Havilland during 1957.

The first deployment for Melbourne had been over September/November 1956 to Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines and New Guinea. 1957 saw deployments to New Zealand, and the Far East again. During October 1958, 805 Squadron, which had reformed on March 31 1958, embarked aboard Melbourne and replaced 808 Squadron, which then disbanded on December 1 1958.

The Defence Plan in late 1960 called for the cessation of flying from Melbourne, but this was partially reversed in 1963 with the intention to retain the Melbourne as a helicopter carrier. The period of Confrontation with Indonesia then prompted the retention of the Fleet Air Arm’s fixed wing aircraft until 1967.

A weary WZ930 rests in the late afternoon sun at Tocumwal in 1990. The Sea Venom is reportedly for sale. (Bill Lines) — 36 Australian Aviation October 1995

A spectacular incident involving two 805 Squadron Sea Venoms occurred during 1962 in view of the residents of Sydney. On October 2, two aircraft of a four-ship formation collided while giving an aerobatic performance over Sydney Harbour. WZ940, flown by Lieut A Riley, crashed into the Harbour near Cremorne Point, with the pilot escaping serious injury. Meanwhile, WZ893, flown by Lieut B Roberts, was able to fly his damaged aircraft back to Nowra, where he made an emergency landing.

Wessex helicopters of 817 Squadron were embarked in July 1963, which changed the structure of the air wing. On June 30 1963, 805 Squadron was disbanded and the Sea Venoms were absorbed into 724 Squadron at Nowra, and from July 1964, the Sea Venoms were operated by both 724 Squadron and B Flight 816 Squadron. Embarking aboard Melbourne from January 1965, B Flight operated with a maximum of four Venoms at any one time. 816 Squadron was then retained as a composite squadron until disbanding on August 25 1967, in anticipation of re-equipment with new types of aircraft from the US.

Meanwhile, 724 Squadron had been reactivated as an all jet pilot conversion squadron with Vampires and Venoms in October 1966, in preparation for the A-4G Skyhawk. The last Vampires and Venoms were phased out of VC-724, as the unit had become in 1969, as Macchis arrived in 1970. In September 1967, Melbourne sailed to the US to embark the Venom’s replacement the A-4 Skyhawk, in addition to the S-2E Trackers to replace the Gannets.

WZ933 of 808 Squadron on HMAS Melbourne, some time between 1956 and 1958. (Defence PR)

When the RAN had adopted its new aircraft serialling system in 1964, the N4 designator was allotted to the Sea Venom. At least 11 aircraft were renumbered with N4- serials over 1965 and 1966 before the type was withdrawn from service. These aircraft were N4-897, N4-901, N4-904, N4-910, N4-930, N4-931, N4-935, N4-939, N4-943, N4-944 and N4-946. At least four of these aircraft were converted as target towers. The last two, N4-935 and N4-943 were struck off charge in June 1973. N4-943 had been the last Sea Venom to fly, and this now sits on static display on a pole in Nowra.

The Navy has been able to retain several examples for the Australian Naval Aviation Museum (ANAM) at HMAS Albatross. WZ895 is being restored to airworthy condition with the Historic Flight, and N4-935 and WZ937 have been restored to static display. Another aircraft, N4-931, on loan from ANAM, has been restored by the South Australian Aircraft Historical Society for display at Port Adelaide. Numerous other examples survive around the country. However, two that did get away were WZ903 and N4-944, which had been owned by the Warbirds Museum at Mildura. Both have been sold abroad in the US, and are reportedly under restoration to airworthiness at Chino in California.