824 Naval Air Squadron

824 Naval Air Squadron
824 Naval Air Squadron
	AgustaWestland Merlin HM2
Website	Official website
Commanders
Current; commander	Commander Chris Jones

824 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron based at RNAS Culdrose and currently operating the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 Operational Conversion Unit. It trains aircrew in Anti-Submarine warfare and Airborne Surveillance and Control.

History

The squadron was originally formed on 3 April 1933 as a Spotter Reconnaissance squadron.

destroyers. The squadron took part in the Battle of Taranto on 11 November 1940, where together with aircraft from 813, 815 and 819 squadrons flying from HMS Illustrious, it successfully attacked the Italian Battle Squadron. It was disbanded 10 times between 1934 and 1970, in that time it was equipped with the Fairey Seal, Fairey Swordfish, Fairey Barracuda, Fairey Firefly and finally the Fairey Gannet.^[1]

The squadron participated in the Falklands War, later responsible for trials of the Sea King helicopter. The squadron again disbanded in August 1989 and its aircraft were transferred to 819 Naval Air Squadron at Prestwick.^[1]

Current use

824 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 2 June 2000 at RNAS Culdrose, equipped with eight AgustaWestland Merlin HM.1 helicopters. In January 2013 824 NAS received its first new HM.2 Merlin aircraft with the squadron fully converted by the end of 2013.

It currently trains Pilots, Observers and Aircrewman on the Merlin HM.2 helicopter in

820 NAS

.

Aircraft operated

The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions:^[3]

Fairey III F
Fairey Seal
Fairey Swordfish I & II
Hawker Sea Hurricane
IIc
Grumman Wildcat V
Fairey Barracuda II
Fairey Firefly FR.1 & AS.6
Grumman Avenger TBM-3E & AS.4
Fairey Gannet AS.1, T.2 & AS.4
Westland Whirlwind HAS.7
Westland Sea King HAS.1, HAS.2/2a, HAS.2(AEW), HAS.5 & HAS,6
AgustaWestland Merlin HM.1
AgustaWestland Merlin HM.2 (current)

Battle honours

824 Naval Air Squadron has received the following battle honours:^[4]

Calabria 1940
Mediterranean 1940
Taranto 1940
Libya 1940
Malta Convoys 1942
Arctic 1944
Falkland Islands 1982

References

^ ^a ^b ^c 824 Squadron's official history
^ "824 Naval Air Squadron | Royal Navy". royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
^ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 213.
^ Fleet Air Arm Battle Honours

Bibliography

Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm.
ISBN 0-85130-223-8
.

External links

Royal Navy – 824 Squadron

[History-1] 824 Squadron's official history

[2] "824 Naval Air Squadron | Royal Navy". royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2020.

[FOOTNOTESturtivantBallance1994213-3] Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 213.

[4] Fleet Air Arm Battle Honours

[1]

[3]

[4]