890 Naval Air Squadron

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History 

15. June 1942 890 NAS formed at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
1. August 1944 890 NAS disbanded at Puttalam
30. January 1952 890 NAS reformed at RNAS Ford
3. December 1952 890 NAS disbanded at RNAS Ford
20. March 1954 890 NAS reformed at RNAS Yeovilton
18. October 1955 890 NAS renumbered 766 NAS at RNAS Yeovilton
1. February 1956 890 NAS reformed at RNAS Yeovilton
25. June 1956 890 NAS disbanded at RNAS Yeovilton
1. February 1960 890 NAS reformed at RNAS Yeovilton
7. October 1966 890 NAS disbanded at RNAS Yeovilton
14. August 1967 890 NAS reformed at RNAS Yeovilton
6. August 1971 890 NAS disbanded at RNAS Yeovilton
Planes:
 

 

 

Jun. 1942 - Aug. 1942
Wildcat F4F-3
   
 

 

 

Sep. 1942 - Oct. 1943
Martlet IV
     
 

 

 

Oct. 1943 - Aug. 1944
Wildcat V
     
....
 

 

 

Jan. 1950 - Dec. 1952
Attacker FB.2
   
....
 

 

 

Mar. 1954 - Oct. 1955
Sea Venom FAW.20
(9)
   
....
 

 

 

Feb. 1956 - Jun. 1956
Sea Venom FAW.21
(6)
 
....
 

 

 

Feb. 1960 - Oct. 1966
Sea Vixen FAW.1
(10)
 
....
 

 

 

Aug. 1967 - Aug. 1971
Sea Vixen FAW.2
(6)
   
....
890 NAS Deployments 
1942 - 1944
8. December 1942 - 8. January 1943

HMS Battler

- Martlet VI (6) -
14. June 1943 - 18. October 1943 HMS Illustrious - Martlet VI (10) -
17 February 1944 - 14 March 1944 HMS London - - none . -
13. May 1944 - 11. July 1944 HMS Atheling - Martlet V (10) -
1952
29. October 1952 - 3. December 1952 HMS Eagle - Attacker FB.2 111-119 J
1954 - 1955
19. July 1955 - 12. September 1955 HMS Albion - Sea Venom FAW-20 200-208 Z
1960 - 1966
6. July 1960 - 24. August 1960

HMS Hermes

- Sea Vixen FAW.1 240-254 H
11. November 1960 - 8. May 1961

HMS Hermes

- Sea Vixen FAW.1 240-254 H
29. May 1961 - 23. June 1961

HMS Hermes

- Sea Vixen FAW.1 240-254 H
30. June 1961 - 24. July. 1961

HMS Hermes

- Sea Vixen FAW.1 240-254 H
30. July 1961 - 10. September 1961

HMS Hermes

- Sea Vixen FAW.1 240-254 H

13. November 1961 - 10. January 1962

HMS Ark Royal

- Sea Vixen FAW.1 240-254 R

10. March 1962 - 14. December 1962

HMS Ark Royal - Sea Vixen FAW.1 240-254 R
19. February 1963 - 28. February 1963 HMS Ark Royal - Sea Vixen FAW.1 240-254 R
7. March 1963 - 19. March 1963 HMS Ark Royal - Sea Vixen FAW.1 240-254 R
4. May 1963 - 31. December 1963 HMS Ark Royal - Sea Vixen FAW.1 240-254 R
23. January 1965 - 16. March 1965 HMS Ark Royal - Sea Vixen FAW.1 240-254 R
17. June 1965 - 13. June 1966 HMS Ark Royal - Sea Vixen FAW.1 001-007 R
2. August 1966 - 25. August 1966 HMS Ark Royal - Sea Vixen FAW.1 001-007 R
20. September 1966 - 1. October 1966 HMS Ark Royal - Sea Vixen FAW.1 001-007 R
1954 - 1955
Operational trials and training squadron, Headquarters squadron, no deployment
..
890 NAS Commanding Officers 
1942 - 1944
Lt-Cdr J. W. Sleigh, DSC, RN 15. Jun. 1942 4. Nov 1943
Lt-Cdr N. A. Bartlett, RN 4. Nov 1943 1. Aug. 1944
1952
Lt-Cdr R. W. Kearsley, RN 30. Jan. 1952 3. Dec. 1952
1954 - 1955
Lt-Cdr A. Gordon-Johnson, RN 20. Mar. 1954 18. Oct. 1955
1956
Lt-Cdr P. S. Brewer, RN 1. Feb. 1956 25. Jun. 1956
1960 - 1966
Lt-Cdr W. R. Hart, AFC,RN 1. Feb. 1960 11. Sep. 1961
Lt-Cdr D. Monsell, RN 11. Sep. 1961 15. Jul. 1963
Lt R. G. M. Campbell, RN 15. Jul. 1963 15. Apr. 1965
Lt-Cdr A. M. G. Pearson, RN 15. Apr. 1965 7. Oct. 1966
1967 - 1971
Lt-Cdr M. F.  Kennett, RN 14  Aug. 1967 2. Feb. 1668
Lt-Cdr W. R. Patterson, RN 2. Feb. 1668 6. Jan. 1969
Lt-Cdr M. J. Bateman, RN 6. Jan. 1969 23. Jan. 1970
Lt-Cdr F. Milner, RN 23. Jan. 1970  14. Jan. 1971
Lt-Cdr P. R. Sheppard, RN  14. Jan. 1971 6. Aug. 1971
...

History 

1942 - 1944
890 NAS assembled on 20. May 1942 Eastleigh, Southampton for passage, officially forming at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia as a single seater fighter squadron on 15 June 1942. Moving to NAS Norfolk, VA the squadron initially received a number of US Navy F4F-3s, known to the Royal Navy as Martlet IIIs. In September these gave way to 6 Martlet IVs, which after work-up embarked in HMS Battler for the RAF Machrihanish in December 1942, where 'A' Flight ol No 881 NAS was absorbed.
From January to June 1943 the squadron was shore-based at RNAS Donibristle, RAF Machrihanish and subsequently RNAS Hatston. After futher training the Squadron joined HMS Illustrious in June 1943 carrying out patrols off Iceland and Norway.
This was followed in August by a spell in the Mediteranean with Force H, support being provided in September for the Salerno landings. In October 1943 the squadron joined 15 Group RAF Fighter Command at Port Ellen, leaving for RNAS Eglington in December 1943.
After retuning home, 890 NAS requipped with 10 Wildcat Vs. In February 1944 the squadron personnel embarked on HMS London for Ceylon, remaining at RNAS Puttalam from March to May. Re-embarking this time on HMS Atheling the squadron remained with the ship until July when it returned to RNAS Puttalam, where it disbanded in August 1944.

1952
On 30. January 1952 the squadron reformed at RNAS Ford as a fighter squadron, but it was not until 22. ApriI that it commissioned with 8 Attacker F.1s, its main task being to act as a pool to provide pilots and aircraft as required to 800 NAS and 803 NAS. In October 1952 it embarked in HMS Eagle, but disbanded aboard her on 3. December 1952, the aircraft being dispersed amongst the other two  Squadrons.

1954 - 1955
The number was next taken up when 890 NAS reformed at RNAS Yeovilton on 20. March 1954 as an All-Weather Fighter squadron. Equipped with 9 Sea Venom FAW.20, lt embarked in HMS Albion in Julv 1955, but was relegated to second-line status on 18. October 1955, becoming 766 NAS.

1956
890 NAS next reformed at RNAS Yeovilton on 1 February 1956, again as an All-Weather Fighter squadron, equipped this time with 6 Sea Venom FAW.21s. It disbanded into 893 NAS on 25. June 1956 after losing two of its crews in accidents, including the CO Lt-Cdr P. S. Brewer, RN.

1960 - 1966
The squadron again reformed at RNAS Yeovilton on 1.February 1960 in the All-Wether Fighter capacity, this time with 10 Sea Vixen FAW.1s. These joined HMS Hermes in July, being initially in the Mediterranean before sailing on the Far Fast.
Retuning in ülay 1961, the squadron transferred in November to HMS Ark Royal for a further spell in the Mediterranan. Returning home early in 1962, it rejoined her in March and sailed by way of the Mediterranean to the Far East, visiting Australia in August, to arrive back at RNAS Yeovilton for Christmas.
A third voyage in HMS Ark Royal during 1963 included some weeks in the Indian Ocean, with visits to Aden and Mombasa as well as a detachment to Nairobi before sailing on to the Far Eest. Again returning at the end of the year, most of 1964 was spent ashore, apart from brief periods in HMS Hermes and HMS Eagle. A detachment rejoined HMS Ark Royal when she recommissioned in November 1965, for catapult and arrester wire trials, then after a brief spell in Home waters 890 NAS joined the ship on the Beira patrol off the coast of Mozambique before she sailed on once again to the Far Fast.
Several more spells were spent on the Beira Patrol in 1966, but 890 NAS disbanded at RNAS Yeovilton on 7. October 1966.

1967 - 1971
On 14. August 1967 the sqadron again reformed at RNAS Yeovilton as an All-Wether Fighter squadron, with 6 Sea Vixen FAW.2s for operational trials and training on this type. From December 1969 its aircraft were maintained by Airwork, then on 10 October 1970 its Fleet Requirements Unit and tanking tasks were landed over to the locally based Airwork FRU, which als took over the Sea Vlxens in replacement for its own ageing Sea Venoms. 890 NAS then absorbed the aircraft of 766 NAS to operate for a tine as the Sea Vixen FAW.2 Headquarters squadron, but on 6. August 1971 it disbanded at RNAS Yeovilton.

- Has anyone more Informations about this Squadron -

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last update 1. Februay 2013

written 1. March 2011

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