Planned as a Reserve Amphibious Bomber Reconnaissance squadron, it formed as a Communications Unit in March 1940 and operated a large variety of aircraft.

After the Allied invasion of Normandy the squadron flew to various Royal Navy units on the continent and established an ‘X’ Flight based in France and then Germany.

The squadron picked up the Boyd Trophy for efficiency with the Communications role in 1959 and also that year saw the first helicopters, Westland Whirlwind, arrived on strength.

[3] It was Fairey's Great West Aerodrome, for the use of the Admiralty, before moving to Heston by October and then became 701 Naval Air Squadron in April 1945.

[3] The Allied Naval Commander, Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay KCB, KBE, MVO, had a Lockheed Hudson as his personal aircraft.

[2] From early July 1944, 781 NAS flew to various airstrips on the Continent for Royal Navy units using de Havilland Dominie, Lockheed Hudson and Airspeed Oxford aircraft.

The ‘X’ Flight which was now equipped with Avro Anson XIX and Beech Expeditor, and operated on the Continent, returned to 781 NAS and then later disbanded during November 1947.

Although when the Supermarine Sea Otter aircraft were withdrawn in the October, the unit no longer provided Search and Rescue duties.

[5] It formed a Junior Officers Air Course (JOAC) Flight in November 1952, equipped with four Fairey Firefly, two Gloster Meteor, an Avro Anson and a Percival Sea Prince.