History 

Lt-Cdr (A) R. L. Bigg-Wither, DSC & bar, RN

History 

1944 - 1945
1841 NAS formed at NAS Brunswick, Maine, USA on 1. March 1944 as a single seater fighter squadron equipped with 18 Corsair Is, IIs and IIIs. These were replaced in June by Mk.IIs with which the squadron embarked in HMS Smiter for passage to the UK. After a period working up in the clyde in HMS Fornidable, the squadron helped to provide escort in July and August for bombing attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz, then lying in a Norwegian Fjord. In Septenber 1841 NAS became part of the Fighter 6th Naval Wing, and the following month the HMS Fornidable sailed for the Far East. Intended operatiotrs in Crete en route were cancelled, and the squadron spent periods at Gibraltar and Dekheila before continuing with the ship in January 1945 to Ceylon.
The squadron went ashore in southern India, and after re-equipping with 18 Oorsair IVs saw action against targets in the Sakishima Gunto group of islands in the East Chrina Seas in April and May 1945. In June the Wing was Merged into the 2nd Carrier Air Group, and shortly before VJ-Day strikes were erried out in the Tokyo aera. During one of these, Lt R. H. Gray, DSC, RCNVR lost his life whilst making an attack on a Japanese destroyer on 9. August 1945, being subsquently awarded a posthrmous Victoria cross.
The ship siled for Australia after VJ-Day, where the squadron aircraft were withdrawn. The pilots then embarked in HMS Victorious for passage to the UK, disbanding on arrival on 31. October 1945.