809 Naval Air Squadron
Encyclopedia
WWII
Formed in January 1941 at St MerrynSt Merryn
St Merryn is a civil parish and village in north Cornwall, United Kingdom approximately three and a half miles south of the fishing port of Padstow and approximately 11 miles northeast of the coastal resort of Newquay....
with 12 Fairey Fulmar
Fairey Fulmar
The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942...
s, the squadron embarked in HMS Victorious
HMS Victorious (R38)
HMS Victorious was the second Illustrious-class aircraft carrier ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme. She was laid down at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1937 and launched two years later in 1939...
in July 1941. At first involved in operations against Petsamo and Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...
, and then the convoys to North Russia, Victorious and her air group fought in the Mediterranean from July 1942, including participating in Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was the base from which surface ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys carrying essential supplies to the Italian and German armies...
.
After being trained in army co-operation duties at Sawbridge, 809 re-embarked in Victorious in October 1943 and conducted tactical reconnaissance for the North African landings of Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
. After being re-equipped with the Seafire IIc
Supermarine Seafire
The Supermarine Seafire was a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire specially adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. The name Seafire was arrived at by collapsing the longer name Sea Spitfire.-Origins of the Seafire:...
, the squadron provided cover for Operation Avalanche, the allied landings at Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
.
The squadron flew Supermarine Seafires off HMS Stalker
HMS Stalker (D91)
The USS Hamlin was one of a large group of escort aircraft carriers built on Maritime Commission C-3 hulls and transferred to the United Kingdom under lend-lease during World War II. Launched by Western Pipe and Steel Company, San Francisco, California, 5 March 1942, as AVG-15, aircraft escort...
during 1944, including landing detachments in North Africa and Italy between May and July. Stalker and 809 formed part of Task Force 88
Task Force 88 (Operation Dragoon)
Task Force 88 was the escort carrier force, commanded by Rear-Admiral T H Troubridge, that supported Operation Dragoon, the allied invasion of southern France. It was activated in August 1944, and dispersed on 29 August when the carrier force departed to operate in the Aegean.The TF88 was a mixed...
covering the Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
landings in Southern France in August 1944. In November 1944 the squadron transferred to HMS Attacker
HMS Attacker
Three ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Attacker: was a Bogue-class escort carrier launched in 1941. Transferred to the Royal Navy under lend-lease in 1942, returned in 1946. Twice sold for civilian use but did not trade. Following conversion started at New York and finished at...
, rejoining Stalker in March 1945, bound for the Eastern Fleet at Ceylon.
The final days of World War II saw 809 providing fighter cover for Operation Dracula
Operation Dracula
During World War II, Operation Dracula was the name given to an airborne and amphibious attack on Rangoon by British and Indian forces, part of the Burma Campaign. When it was launched, the Imperial Japanese Army had already abandoned the city.-Background:...
, the re-occupation of Rangoon, then in June operations in Malaya and Sumatra. The ship subsequently gave cover for Operation Zipper
Operation Zipper
During the Second World War, Operation Zipper was a British plan to capture either Port Swettenham or Port Dickson, Malaya as staging areas for the recapture of Singapore. However, due to the end of the war in the Pacific, it was never fully executed. Some of the proposed landings on Penang went...
, the re-occupation of Malaya after VJ-day.
Post-WWII
Between May 1954 and August 1959 the squadron operated De Havilland Sea Venoms, including active service during the Suez CrisisSuez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
in 1956.
Cold War
809 NAS re-formed on 15 January 1963 as the second frontline Blackburn BuccaneerBlackburn Buccaneer
The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War...
S Mk1 sqn (after 801 NAS) and was formed using aircraft and crews from the recently disbanded 700Z NAS (the Buccaneer S1 trials and training unit) under the command of 700Z's commanding officer, commander 'Spiv' Leahy. The squadron was tasked with continuing 700Z's duties and became the Buccaneer Headquarters squadron. The aircraft at the time were painted in 'anti flash' white with toned-down markings because of the Buccaneer's nuclear role, with the squadron badge of a Phoenix on the sides of the jet intakes. By 1965 the Buccaneer force had switched to the standard Fleet Air Arm finish of Dark Sea Gray upper surfaces and white undersides, and the squadron badge was moved to the tail. In April 1965 809 NAS disbanded again and its role was taken over by 736 NAS
736 Naval Air Squadron
736 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy. She was recommissioned at RNAS Lossiemouth in June 1959. The squadron was equipped with Supermarine Scimitar F MK1 aircraft under the command of Lieutenant Commander J.D. Baker, to provide support for operational squadrons...
at RNAS Lossiemouth.
809 re-formed in 1966 under the command of Lt Cdr Lyn Middleton and was now equipped with the Rolls-Royce Spey-powered Buccaneer S Mk2
Blackburn Buccaneer
The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War...
. Royal Navy Buccaneers were now being painted Dark Sea Grey overall with all markings other than roundels in either light grey or light blue to reduce visibility. 809 embarked in with six aircraft for the next two years, then from 1968 were shore-based again at Lossiemouth, during which time they formed a display team and attended many air shows.
In 1970, having increased its complement to 14 Buccaneer S2s, 809 embarked in and, from 1972 onward, became the last Royal Navy Buccaneer squadron following the disbandment of 800 Naval Air Squadron. In 1972, Ark Royal and 809 RNAS were despatched "with haste" from the North Atlantic to 'show presence' over British Honduras, now Belize, in the face of neighbouring Guatemalan threats to invade and 'take back Belice' which they viewed as their own. Steaming hard at 27 knots, and when eventually off Bermuda, two Buccaneers were launched along with two more 'buddy tanker' versions to make one of the longest journeys of its type. In a six hour round trip the two Buccaneers 'showed presence' over Belize and made the Guatemalan government, with its P51D Mustangs and limited ground forces, hesitate long enough for other events to intervene. Later the squadron transferred its home base from RNAS Lossiemouth (which was being transferred to RAF control, later becoming the home base of the last RAF Buccaneer sqns) to RAF Honington
RAF Honington
RAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Although used as a bomber station during the Second World War, RAF Honington is now the RAF Regiment depot and home to the Joint CBRN Regiment.-RAF use:...
. 809 NAS continued to alternate between RAF Honington and HMS Ark Royal until November 1978, when after flying off the carrier for the last time in the Mediterranean, the squadron flew direct to RAF St Athan, where the aircraft were formally handed over to the RAF. 809 squadron was officially disbanded at HMS Daedalus on the 13 December 1978, and the aircraft were used to form 216 squadron
No. 216 Squadron RAF
No. 216 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Lockheed Tristar K1, KC1 and C2 from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.- History :216 Squadron was formed at RAF Manston by re-numbering No. 16 Squadron RNAS when the RAF was established in 1918, hence it is always spoken of as 'two-sixteen Squadron'...
in 1979.
Falklands War
During the Falklands WarFalklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
of 1982, the Fleet Air Arm only had three Sea Harrier squadrons, 800 and 801
801 Naval Air Squadron
801 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm squadron of the Royal Navy formed in 1933 which fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Falklands War.- Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force:...
(with five aircraft each for frontline operations from HMS Hermes and ) and 899 NAS (with around twelve Sea Harriers operating as the headquarters and training squadron). At the outbreak of war, 899 sent three aircraft to join 801 aboard HMS Invincible and seven aircraft to join 800 aboard HMS Hermes. These aircraft sailed with the Task Force whilst the remains of 899 set about bringing the remaining Sea Harriers in store or on other duties into operational use.
It was planned to form a third frontline sqn with ten Sea Harriers, but only eight could be brought together initially. These aircraft were painted a lighter low visibility grey than the rest of the Sea Harrier fleet, and were then issued to the reformed 809 NAS, under Lt Cdr Tim Gedge, which were transported south on the ill-fated Atlantic Conveyor
Atlantic Conveyor
The Atlantic Conveyor was a British merchant navy ship, registered in Liverpool, that was requisitioned during the Falklands War and sunk on 25 May 1982 after being hit by two Argentine Exocet missiles, killing 12 sailors...
. After arriving with the Task force, the aircraft and pilots were split between the two carriers and were absorbed by their sqns, as 899's aircraft had been earlier. After the ceasefire, 809 re-formed as a single unit and returned to the UK aboard Hermes, where after a very short break they embarked aboard the newly completed and returned to the South Atlantic, remaining on station until relieved by RAF F-4M Phantom
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
FGR2s of 29 Squadron
No. 29 Squadron RAF
No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit for the RAF's newest fighter.-Service in World War I:This unit was...
now based at Port Stanley Airport
Port Stanley Airport
Port Stanley Airport is a STOLport in the Falkland Islands, two miles outside the capital, Stanley. The airport is the only civilian airport in the islands with a paved runway...
. Illustrious returned home in December, and 809 NAS finally disbanded on 17 December 1982.
Aircraft flown
During its life 809 squadron has flown 6 different aircraft types:- Sea Harrier FRS1BAE Sea HarrierThe British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...
- Blackburn BuccaneerBlackburn BuccaneerThe Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War...
- De Havilland Sea Venom
- Supermarine Seafire IIc & IIISupermarine SeafireThe Supermarine Seafire was a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire specially adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. The name Seafire was arrived at by collapsing the longer name Sea Spitfire.-Origins of the Seafire:...
- Supermarine Spitfire Ib & VaSupermarine SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
- Fairey FulmarFairey FulmarThe Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942...