Flying Marines

1. Name	William Herbert Charles MANSON
2. Date Commissioned	1 January 1930
3. Date retired	Killed in aircraft accident 9 April 1942
4. Rank	Captain RM
5. Awarded wings	December 1935
6. Flying schools	RAF Leuchars. 22 May 1934
7. Aircraft types flown	Fighters - Nimrod, Sea fire Floatplanes - Walrus etc
8. Squadrons	801 Sqdn. Furious and Courageous, 16 January 1936 - 17 February 1937 700 Sqdn. Orion 1940 710 Sqdn. Albatross in Command, 8 August 1940 - 14 July 1941 883 Sqdn. In command, 10 Octiober 1941 - 9 April 1942
9. Aircraft Carriers	Furious 16 January 1936 - 22 September 1936 Courageous 23 September 1936 - 17 February 1937
10. Senior Appointments	CO 710 Squadron - Albatross 8 August 1940 - 14 July 1941 CO 883 Squadron 10 October 1941 - 9 April 1942
11.Decorations	None - killed
12. General	Manson was typical of those who volunteered for the FAA in the mid-thirties. He had already completed one tour and returned to General Service by the outbreak of World War II. Having started as a fighter pilot his record suggests that he switched temporarily to floatplanes whilst serving in HMS Orion for the RM Detachment. In 1941 he took the fighter conversion course at Yeovilton and was appointed to command 883 Seafire Squadron. As the result of an aircraft accident, details unknown, he died on 9 April 1942.
13. R.A.F Rank	Flying Officer 22 May 1934 Flight Lieutenant 1 January 1938 - 26 July 1939 Note: 883 Squadron was wiped out when HMS Avenger was torpedoed and blew up on 15 November 1942. The Cdr (F) who was also lost was Major Skene RM.