809 Naval Air Squadron
"Immortal", "Phoenix"

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History 

15. January 1941 809 NAS formed at RNAS St Merryn
11. January 1946 809 NAS disbanded at RNAS
10. January 1949 809 NAS formed at RNAS Culdrose
10. May 1954 809 NAS disbanded at RNAS Culdrose
10. May 1954 809 NAS formed at RNAS Yeovilton
20. MArch 1956 809 NAS disbanded at RNAS Yeovilton
18. January 1963 809 NAS reformed at RNAS Lossiemouth
26. March 1965 809 NAS disbanded at RNAS Lossiemouth
25. January 1966 809 NAS reformed at RNAS Lossiemouth
13. December 1978 809 NAS disbanded at RNAS Lee-on-Solent
8. April 1982 809 NAS reformed at RNAS Yeovilton
17. December 1982 809 NAS disbanded at RNAS Yeovilton
Planes:
Jan 1941 - Mar 1943
Fulmar II
 
 

 

Mar 1943 - Jun 1943
Spitfire Va
     
 

 

Apr 1943 - Aug 1943
Seafire Ib
     
 

 

Mar 1943 - Oct 1944
Seafire IIc
     
 

 

Jul 1944 - Dec 1945
Seafire LIII
     
 

 

Nov 1945 - Dec 1945
Seafire XV
     
 

 

Nov 1945 - Jan 1946
Seafire XVII
     
.
 

 

Jan 1949 - May 1954
Sea Hornet NF.21
 
.
 

 

May 1954 - Aug 1955
Sea Venom FAW.21
 
 

 

Aug 1955 - Mar 1956
Sea Venom FAW.21
     
.
 

 

Jan. 1963 - Mar. 1965
Buccaneer S.1
   
 

 

Jan. 1966 - Dec. 1978
Buccaneer S.2
   
....
Apr. 1982 - Dec. 1982
Sea Harrier FRS.1
..
809 NAS Deployments 
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809 NAS Commanding Officers 
1941 - 1946
Lt-Cdr S. W. D. Colls, RN Jan 1941 July 1941
Lt-Cdr V. C. Grenfell, RN Jul 1941 Oct 1941
Lt-Cdr E.G. Savage, DSC, RN Oct 1941 Aug 1942
Capt R. C. Hay, DSC, RM Aug 1942 1. Jun 1943
Maj. A. J. Wright, RM 1. Jun 1943 20. Apr 1944
Lt-Cdr H. D. B. Eadon, RNVR 20. Apr 1944 10. Nov 1944
Lt-Cdr N. H. Lester 10. Nov 1944 Mar 1945
Lt-Cdr A. W. Bloomer, RN Mar 1945 11. Jan 1946
1949 - 1954
Maj. J. O. Armour RM 20. Jan 1949 1. Aug 1950
Lt-Cdr D. H. Richards 1. Aug 1950 21. Apr 1952
Lt-Cdr E. M. Frazer 21. Apr 1952 19. Jan 1954
Lt-Cdr M. W. Henley 19. Jan 1954 10. May 1954
1963 - 1965
Cdr.  A. J. Leahy, RN 15. Jan. 1963 18. Apr. 1963
Lt-Cdr F. D. Stanley, RN 18. Apr. 1963 7. Oct. 1963
Lt-Cdr L. E. Middleton, RN 7. Oct. 1963 12. Dec. 1963
Lt-Cdr JFHC de Winton, RN 12. Dec. 1963 4. Jan. 1964
Lt-Cdr WHC Watson, RN 4. Jan. 1964 26. Mar. 1965
1966 - 1978
Lt-Cdr L. E. Middleton, RN  27. Jan. 1966 10. May 1967
Lt-Cdr A. J. White, RN 10. May 1967 4. Dec. 1968
Lt-Cdr JDHB Howard, RN 4. Dec. 1968 23. Jan. 1970
Lt-Cdr D. P. Mears, RN 23. Jan. 1970 30. Mar. 1971
Lt-Cdr CCN Davis, RN 30. Mar. 1971  10. July 1972
Lt-Cdr AMD de Labilliere, RN  10. July 1972 22. Nov. 1973
Cdr M. Bickley, RN 22. Nov. 1973  21. Apr. 1975
Lt-Cdr A. Morton, RN  21. Apr. 1975  24. Jun. 1975
Lt-Cdr  M. Bickley, RN  24. Jun. 1975 4. Nov. 1975
Lt-Cdr  E. K. Somerville-Jones, RN 4. Nov. 1975 27. Apr. 1977
Lt-Cdr A.  Morton, RN 27. Apr. 1977 13. Dec. 1978
1982
Lt-Cdr Tim Gedge, RN 25. Apr. 1982 17. Dec. 1982
2017 -
Lt-Cdr    
...

History 

Formed in January 1941 as a fighter squadron at St Merryn with 12 Fulmar IIs, the squadron embarked on HMS Victorious in July 1941.

The squadron shot down 4 Me109s and Me110s during the attack on Petsamo in July, and lost 3 of its own aircraft. Subsequently being involved in North Russian convoys and a strike against Bodo in Norway.

From July 1942 with HMS Victorious in the Mediterranean, the squadron accounted for 2 enemy aircraft, but lost 3 of its own during Operation Pedestal. The squadron subsequently returned home for army cooperation training at Sawbridgeworth.

In October 1943 the squadron re-embarked on HMS Victorious and was involved in tactical reconnaissance during the North African landings, and following re-equipping with Seafire IIc’s to provide cover for the Salerno landings.

The squadron joined the 4th Naval Fighter Wing at Andover and at the end of the year embarked on HMS Stalker. In May 1944 the ship sailed for the Mediterranean where squadron detachments landed in both North Africa or became part of the Desert Air Force in Italy until July when re-embarking on the ship.

In August 1944 the squadron provided support to the landings in the South of France, and subsequently carried out operations in the Aegean.

At the end of November 1944 the squadron transferred with its Seafire L.IIIs to HMS Attacker enroute to Alexandria.

In March 1945 the squadron joined HMS Stalker for the East Indies Fleet at Ceylon, providing fighter cover for the re-occupation of Rangoon, then in June operations in Malaya and Sumatra. The ship subsequently gave cover for the reoccupation of Malaya after VJ-day.

 

 

Future
In September 2013, it was announced that 809 NAS was to be reformed to become the first Fleet Air Arm squadron to be equipped with the F-35 Lightning II. The squadron will operate alongside 617 Sqn. of the RAF, and will be stationed at RAF Marham when not deployed aboard one of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. It will consist of both Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel

 

- Has anyone more Informations about this Squadron -

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last update 19. May 2016

written 1. March 2011

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