1850 Naval Air Squadron


1850 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. It formed in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick as a fighter squadron in August 1944, with Vought Corsair aircraft before joining HMS Reaper to cross the Atlantic. On arrival in the UK it expanded its aircraft absorbing part of the disbanded 1849 Naval Air Squadron. After working up at HMS Gadwall, at RNAS Belfast, HMS Gannet, at RNAS Eglinton and HMS Wagtail, at RNAS Ayr, the squadron undertook deck landing training on HMS Venerable during February 1945, before joining her sister ship, HMS Vengeance. The ship sailed for the Far East to join the British Pacific Fleet and the squadron went ashore to HMS Valluru at Tambaram and HMS Garuda, at Coimbatore, in southern India in June for weapon training and dive bombing practice, becoming part of the 13th Carrier Air Group. With the end of the Second World War it returned to the UK and disbanded at HMS Siskin, at RNAS Gosport, in August 1946.

History

Single-seat fighter squadron (1944–1946)

1850 Naval Air Squadron formed on 1 August 1944 in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick, which was located at United States Naval Air Station (USNAS) Brunswick, Maine, as a Single Seat Fighter Squadron, under the command of Lieutenant Commander M. Hordern, RN.
It was equipped with eighteen Vought Corsair aircraft, an American carrier-borne fighter-bomber. These were the Goodyear built FG-1D variant, designated Corsair Mk IV by the Fleet Air Arm. Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings were undertaken at the nearby Bar Harbor Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Bar Harbor, Maine. The squadron flew to RN Air Section Norfolk situated at USNAS Norfolk, to enable it to undertake Deck Landing Training with the United States Navy's escort carrier, before returning to RN Air Section Brunswick.
With working up completed the squadron left RN Air Section Brunswick and flew to RN Air Section Floyd Bennett Field, located at USNAS Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, New York City, on 15 November. Leaving the aircraft behind the aircrew travelled to Naval Station Norfolk to embarked in the,. She sailed to New York City, where she embarked the squadron aircraft and joined Convoy CU.48 for the Atlantic crossing to the United Kingdom on 24 November. On 6 December the squadron disembarked to Royal Naval Air Maintenance Yard Belfast (HMS Gadwall), Northern Ireland.
On arrival it absorbed part of the disbanded 1849 Naval Air Squadron which increased the aircraft strength of the squadron to twenty-four aircraft. While waiting for the new colossus-class aircraft carrier, HMS Vengeance, to enter service and in order to continue training, the squadron moved to RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), Derry, on 27 December, then flew to Scotland on 13 January 1945 to RNAS Ayr (HMS Wagtail), Ayr.
It undertook deck landing training on the new light fleet,, on 10 February, before eventually embarking in her sister ship,, on 25 for the British Pacific Fleet. The squadron disembarked to Royal Navy Aircraft Maintenance Yard Tambaram (HMS Valluru), Madras, and Royal Naval Aircraft Repair Yard Coimbatore, Coimbatore, in southern India, on 11 June
and undertook weapon training and dive bombing practice, before becoming part of the 13th Carrier Air Group.
The squadron was too late to take an active part in the Second World War. It returned to the United Kingdom, where it disbanded on arrival at RNAS Gosport (HMS Siskin), Gosport, Hampshire, on 12 August.

Aircraft flown

1850 Naval Air Squadron flew only one aircraft type:

Assignments

1850 Naval Air Squadron was assigned as needed to form part of a number of larger units:

Naval air stations

1850 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom, and overseas, and a couple of Royal Navy fleet carriers and an escort carrier:

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 1850 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:
Note: Abbreviation signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.