815 Naval Air Squadron

HMS Illustrious, somewhere in 1942

A still flying example of a Fairey Swordfish

The squadron formed at RNAS Worthy Down on 9 October 1939, from the remnants of 811 and 822 squadrons that had survived the sinking of their carrier HMS Courageous in September 1939, with Fairey Swordfish aircraft.[3] The squadron disbanded in November 1939 but reformed the same month.[3] In May 1940 the squadron provided support to the Dunkirk evacuation.[3] In June 1940, the squadron embarked on HMS Illustrious and sailed for the Mediterranean in August, attacking and minelaying Benghazi, Rhodes and Tobruk.[3] The squadron gained early fame with its involvement in the Battle of Taranto in 1940, when the Italian Battlefleet in harbour at Taranto was raided; which redefined the use of air power from the sea. The aircraft of the commanding officer was lost, against the crippling of half the Italian fleet.[3] In March 1941, the squadron fought in the Battle of Cape Matapan. The squadron re-equipped in August 1941, with a mixture of Swordfish and Fairey Albacore aircraft, operating from shore bases in support of the North African campaign.[3] In July 1943, 815 Squadron was assigned to No. 201 (Naval Co-operation) Group with a detachment of Swordfish assigned to AHQ Malta; the units participating in Operation Husky on 10 July 1943, before 815 Squadron was disbanded.

A Fairey Barracuda

The squadron reformed in October 1943 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus) to operate Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers, operating from Indomitable with the Eastern Fleet, attacking targets in Sumatra, August–September 1944.[4] In November 1944 the squadron disbanded and reformed in December at RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), flying Barracudas for anti-submarine operations, the following month being spent doing DLT (deck landing training) on HMS Campania.[3] The squadron was transferred to the Far East aboard HMS Smiter but saw no action before VJ-Day and returned to the UK in September 1945 aboard HMS Fencer.[3]

A Fairey Gannet AS.4

A Grumman Avenger AS.5, albeit one of 744 Naval Air Squadron

The squadron disbanded some time after the war and reformed in 1947 from 744 Squadron, flying Grumman Avengers, which were replaced with Fairey Gannets, the last fixed-wing aircraft of the squadron when it disbanded at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk), July 1958.[5]

In September 1958, the squadron reformed on Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 helicopters, moving to RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey) when engine trouble started to plague the Whirlwinds. The squadron eventually disbanded here on August 1959 by being renumbered to 737 Squadron.[5] The squadron reformed again on 8 September 1959, still on Whirlwinds and after a Far East tour on HMS Albion, it disbanded again in December 1960.[5]

A Westland Wessex, probably HAS.1 XM837 at the SBAC show Farnborough 1962

On 4 July 1961, the squadron recommissioned at RNAS Culdrose with the Westland Wessex HAS.1.[6] The squadron embarked on HMS Ark Royal in November 1961, moving to HMS Centaur in 1964 and provided support against disturbances in Aden and in Tanganyika (now Tanzania). After a final deployment on Ark Royal, the unit disbanded at RNAS Culdrose in October 1966.[5]

A Westland Lynx HMA.8 of 815 NAS

In January 1981, after a gap of some 15 years, the squadron re-commissioned at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) with the Lynx HAS.2 as the Headquarters Squadron for embarked Lynx Flights. It then moved to RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey) in 1982 and it saw action during the Falklands War of 1982. The flights were shared with 829 Naval Air Squadron until they were amalgamated in 1993, to become the largest helicopter squadron in the world.[6] In 1998–99 after an absence of nearly 17 years, the unit moved back to RNAS Yeovilton, with the closure of RNAS Portland.

In September 2000 a Lynx Helicopter from 815 NAS took part in Operation Barras. The aircraft, flown by Lt Cdr Al Jones and Lt Nigel Cunningham as the Observer flew over 30 missions deep into the Sierra Leone Jungle. In 2002, a Lynx from 815 Squadron crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while participating in a joint British–American exercise, with the loss of the pilot, Lieutenant Rod Skidmore and observer, Lieutenant Jenny Lewis.[7] Several of the Lynx helicopters are stated as part of the Response Force Task Group.[8] In November 2012, the Lynx of 217 Flight deployed to the Horn of Africa for four months on board the French frigate Surcouf, the first extended deployment of a British helicopter on a French warship.[9]

The Wildcat HMA2 is currently the Fleet Air Arm’s standard small shipborne helicopter.

The squadron currently operates the AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2 from 19 April 2016 which have replaced the Lynx HMA.8s.[10]