Blue, in base two bars wavy white on a rock issuant from sinister a panther couchant all proper (1955)[2]
Identification Markings
6A+ R6A+ (October 1944) 131-146, 162-163 (March 1945) 201-206, 252-264
to 891-896Firefly 257-258 to 897-898 (January 1956) Sea Balliol 892-896Avenger
Tail Codes
W (March 1945) BRFirefly, Sea Balliol & Avenger
Military unit
A Fleet Air Arm Grumman Hellcat
1844 Naval Air Squadron (1844 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm between 1943 and 1945 and then a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Squadron from 1954 to 1957. It formed in Northern Ireland at HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, in December 1943, as a fighter squadron. It embarked in HMS Begum, in February 1944, for the Far East, arriving in Ceylon, in June and joining HMS Indomitable the following month. August, September and October saw the squadron undertake photographic reconnaissance and provide fighter cover for the attacks on Indaroeng and Emmahaven in Sumatra, then on Sigli, followed by the Nicobar Islands respectively.
During the first two months of 1945 it performed similar roles attacking the oil installations at Belawan Deli, airfields at Pangkalan Brandan, and oil refineries at Palembang. Raids on the Sakashima Islands and also Formosa followed. When the Second World War ended, its aircraft were left behind at HMS Nabbington and the squadron's personnel returned to the UK, disbanding on arrival in November 1945.
In February 1954, the squadron reformed at HMS Gamecock, RNAS Bramcote, as a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Branch anti-submarine squadron in the Midland Air Division. However, in March 1957, 1844 RNVR Air Squadron disbanded under that year's defence cuts.
At the beginning of September the squadron CO, Lieutenant Commander Harrington, was appointed as the new 5th Naval Fighter Wing leader,[7] he was replaced as CO by Lieutenant Commander(A) M.S. Godson RN.[6]
It returned to Ceylon, flying to RN Air Section China Bay, on 21 October, but later in 1944, in December, the squadron re-embarked for operations, in HMS Indomitable, participating in attacks on the oil installations at Belawan Deli in Sumatra, Operation Robson. In January 1945, airfields were attacked at Pangkalan Brandan, Operation Lentil and later in the same month, oil refineries were attacked at Palembang in Operation Meridian.[3] Sailing to Australia, 1844 Naval Air Squadron disembarked to RNAS Nowra (HMS Nabbington) (Mobile Naval Air Base No. 1), which was at RAAF Nowra, New South Wales, and here it exchanged its aircraft and received eighteen improved Grumman Wildcat fighters.[8] These were the F6F-5 Hellcat, known as Hellcat F. Mk. II in Fleet Air Arm service.[4]
The squadron re-embarked in HMS Indomitable on 27 February, for Operation Iceberg, which included the attacks on the Sakishima Gunto group of islands, and also Formosa.[2] During Operation Iceberg, on 12 May, the squadron CO, Lieutenant Commander M.S. Godson, was killed. His aircraft was hit by flak, while dive bombing at Hirara airfield on Miyako, causing a fire and the aircraft dived and exploded on hitting the ground.[5] His replacement was Lieutenant Commander(A) P.J.P. Leckie, RN.[3]
On 5 June the squadron disembarked back to RNAS Nowra (HMS Nabbington) and on 30 the 5th Naval Fighter Wing was disbanded.[5] It was immediately replaced with the 11th Carrier Air Group (11 CAG), which included 1839 and 1844 Naval Air Squadrons from the Wing, and along with 857 Naval Air Squadron.[9] The Admiralty had decided to move to the American system of all ships squadrons under a single Carrier Air Group (CAG).[10]
However, following the Japanese surrender, further planned operations during August were cancelled. The aircraft remained in Australia at RNAS Nowra (HMS Nabbington), while the squadron personel sailed on HMS Indomitable for the United Kingdom , where it disbanded on arrival, on 30 November.[2]
It was equipped initially with six Fairey Firefly, a British anti-submarine aircraft. These were the AS.Mk 5 variant which carried American sonobuoys and equipment. In December 1955 these were swapped for six AS.Mk 6, which carried British equipment.[13] The squadron replaced the Fairey Firefly aircraft in March 1956, when it received six Grumman Avenger, an American torpedo bomber. These were the TBM-3S variant, known as Avenger AS5 by the Fleet Air Arm.[14]
In 1957, the Minister of Defence’s White Paper on Defence, announced the ending of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Branch, The organisation, and its squadrons, were disbanded on 10 March 1957.[12]
Aircraft flown
The squadron has flown a number of different aircraft types, including:[2]
^"Okinawa 1945". britainsnavy.co.uk. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
Bibliography
Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN978-0-85130-489-2.
Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN0-85130-223-8.
Thetford, Owen (1991). British Naval Aircraft since 1912. London, UK: Putnam Aeronautical Books, an imprint of Conway Maritime Press Ltd. ISBN0-85177-849-6.
