855 Naval Air Squadron

855 Naval Air Squadron (855 NAS), also referred to as 855 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN).^[1] It operated Grumman Avenger Mk.II aircraft during 1944.

855 Naval Air Squadron
Active	1 February - 21 October 1944
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Type	Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadron
Role	Carrier-based maritime attack
Size	Twelve aircraft
Home station	See Naval air stations section for full list.
Motto(s)	Delere ut protegemu (Latin for 'Annihilate in order to protect')
Engagements	World War II European theatre of World War II Operation Neptune
Battle honours	Normandy 1944 English Channel 1944 North Sea 1944
Insignia
Identification Markings	5BA+ (Avenger) 5A+ (Avenger May 1944)
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Grumman Avenger

A brief history began in February 1944, when this Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadron was established at Naval Air Station Squantum, United States. They boarded HMS Queen in June to head to the UK. After arriving at RAF Hawkinge, the squadron was quickly assigned to 157 Wing, RAF Coastal Command, and supported the Normandy landings. The squadron was disbanded in October 1944, at HMS Landrail, RNAS Machrihanish.

History

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance squadron (1944)

The squadron was officially established on 1 February 1944 at RN Air Section Squantum, which was situated at Naval Air Station Squantum, Quincy, Massachusetts, designated as a Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance unit, equipped with twelve Grumman Avenger Mk.II torpedo bomber aircraft, which later embarked aboard the Ruler-class escort carrier, HMS Queen.^[2]

The aircraft were disembarked at Greenock, Scotland and subsequently transported to RAF Hawkinge, Kent, England. For the following three months, the squadron operated under RAF Coastal Command, within 157 Wing, engaging in anti-shipping patrols that included operations along the coasts of occupied France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.^[3]

Following the successful consolidation of the Normandy invasion, the services of the squadron were deemed unnecessary, leading to its disbandment on 21 October, at RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail) in Scotland.^[4]

Aircraft flown

855 Naval Air Squadron flew only one aircraft type:^[3]

• Grumman Avenger Mk.II torpedo bomber (February - October 1944)

Battle honours

The following Battle Honours have been awarded to 855 Naval Air Squadron:

• Normandy 1944^[5]
• English Channel 1944^[6]
• North Sea 1944^[6]

Naval air stations / Royal Air Force stations

855 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy and a number of Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom:^[3]

• RN Air Section Squantum, Massachusetts, (1 February - 1 May 1944)
• RN Air Section Norfolk, Virginia, (1 - 6 May 1944)
• HMS Queen (6 - 23 May 1944)
• Royal Air Force Renfrew, Renfrewshire, (23 - 25 May 1944)
• RN Air Section Speke, Merseyside, (25 - 26 May 1944)
• Royal Air Force Hawkinge, Kent, (26 May - 3 August 1944)
• Royal Air Force Thorney Island, West Sussex, (3 - 7 August 1944)
• Royal Air Force Docking, Norfolk, (7 - 18 August 1944)
• Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), Hampshire, (18 August - 7 September 1944)
• Royal Air Force Bircham Newton, Norfolk, (7 - 14 September 1944)
• Royal Air Force Docking, Norfolk, (14 September - 13 October 1944)
• Royal Naval Air Station Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), Argyll and Bute, (13 - 21 October 1944)
• disbanded - (21 October 1944)

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 855 Naval Air Squadron:^[4]

• Lieutenant Commander J.B. Harrowar, RNR, from 1 February 1944
• disbanded - 21 October 1944