885 Naval Air Squadron was first formed on 1 March 1941 at RNAS Dhekeila (HMS Grebe) in Egypt, the pre-war Alexandria airport, as a carrier fighter squadron, equipped with a mix of Brewster Buffalo, an American fighter aircraft and Gloster Gladiator, a British biplane fighter.[2] The squadron briefly served aboard the carrier Eagle later that month, but was disbanded on 1 May 1941.[3]
The squadron was reformed at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Somerset, equipped with Hawker Sea Hurricane fighters, a navalised version of the Hawker Hurricane, on 1 December 1941.[3] In June 1942, 885 NAS embarked on the carrier Victorious, strengthening the carrier's air wing before Victorious formed part of the distant escort for the disastrous arctic convoyPQ 17 and the return convoy QP 13.[3][4]
The squadron re-embarked its six Hawker Sea Hurricane aboard Victorious on 31 July 1942 before the carrier set out to take part in the Malta Convoy,Operation Pedestal.[5][6] In September 1942, the squadron was ordered to RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), Argyll and Bute, to re-equip with the Supermarine Seafire F Mk.IIc, a navalised Supermarine Spitfire, and then embarked on Formidable for Operation Torch, the Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa in November that year.[6][7] The Squadron remained on Formidable as the carrier covered the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943 and Operation Avalanche, the Allied landings near Salerno, Italy in September 1943.[3][8][9] The squadron returned to Britain in October 1943 and was disbanded on 15 November 1943.[3]
The squadron embarked on the escort carrierRuler in December 1944,[10] with Ruler meeting up with the British Pacific fleet in April 1945.[11]Ruler was tasked with providing fighter and anti submarine protection for the Fleet Train replenishment ships supporting the fleet, with 885 Naval Air Squadron supplementing its eighteen Grumman Hellcats with four Grumman Avenger torpedo bombers for anti-submarine duties.[11][12] On 14–15 May, the squadron provided air cover while the British Pacific Fleet replenished during the Battle of Okinawa, with the squadron's aircraft also being used as targets to train the fleet's fighter controllers and anti-aircraft gunners.[13]
After the end of Okinawa operations, the squadron disembarked at RNAS Ponum (HMS Nabaron), Ponam Island off New Guinea, providing continuation flying for replacement pilots for the fleet, and temporarily adding some Vought Corsair, an American fighter aircraft, while ashore to improve the training it could offer.[14] From June, 885 Naval Air Squadron operated from Ruler to cover more refuelling operations during operations against Japan.[11][15] The squadron was disbanded at RAAF Station Schofields, near Sydney Australia on 27 September 1945.[10]
Aircraft operated
The squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including:[1]
Lieutenant Commander(A) R.H.P. Carver, DSC, RN, from 2 February 1942
disbanded - 15 December 1943
Lieutenant Commander(A) S.L. Devonald, RN, from 15 February 1944
Lieutenant Commander(A) J.R. Routley, RNVR, from 7 November 1944
disbanded - 27 September 1945
References
Citations
^ a b cBallance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 256.
^Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, pp. 309, 390
^ a b c d eSturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 309
^Apps 1971, p. 83
^Shores, Cull & Malizia 1991, p. 451
^ a b cSturtivant & Ballance 1994, pp. 309–310
^Shores et al. 2016, pp. 48–49
^Roskill 1960, p. 128
^Shores et al. 2018, pp. 346–347
^ a bSturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 310
^ a b cHobbs 2013, p. 168
^Hobbs 2017, p. 159
^Hobbs 2017, pp. 189–190
^Hobbs 2017, p. 200
^Hobbs 2017, p. 259
^Wragg 2019, p. 182.
^Wragg 2019, p. 183.
Bibliography
Apps, Michael (1971). Send Her Victorious. London: William Kimber. ISBN 0-7183-0102-1.
Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN 978-0-85130-489-2.
Hobbs, David (2013). British Aircraft Carriers: Design, Development and Service Histories. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-138-0.
Hobbs, David (2017). The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-0283-8.
Roskill, S. W. (1960). The War at Sea 1939–1945: Volume III The Offensive Part I: 1st June 1943–31st May 1944. History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Military Series. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
Shores, Christopher; Cull, Brian; Malizia, Nicola (1991). Malta: The Spitfire Year 1942. London: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-16-X.
Shores, Christopher; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell; Olynyk, Frank; Bock, Winfried (2016). A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: Volume Three: Tunisia and the End in Africa: November 1942 – May 1943. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-910690-00-0.
Shores, Christopher; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell; Olynyk, Frank; Bock, Winfried; Thomas, Andy (2018). A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: Volume Four: Sicily and Italy to the Fall of Rome: 14 May, 1943 – 5 June 1944. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-911621-10-2.
Sturtivant, Ray; Ballance, Theo (1994). The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.