857 Naval Air Squadron


857 Naval Air Squadron, also known as 857 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. It most recently operated the Westland Sea King ASaC.7 Airborne Early Warning helicopter between December 2006 and January 2015.
It was established at Squantum in the United States as a Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadron in April 1944. It boarded HMS Rajah in June, landed in HMS Gadwall, RNAMY Belfast, Northern Ireland, in July, with anti-submarine training at HMS Landrail, RNAS Machrihanish, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The squadron re-embarked in September for Ceylon, spending time on land at HMS Garuda, RNARY Coimbatore, India and HMS Ukussa, RNAS Katukurunda, Ceylon, before boarding HMS Indomitable in November. Throughout the winter, using the carrier and HMS Nabbington, RNAS Nowra, Australia as a shore base, the squadron targeted locations in Sumatra, including Palembang, before shifting focus to Sakashima Gunto and Formosa in the spring. The squadron returned to the Far East after VJ-Day to engage Japanese suicide boats off Hong Kong. After leaving its aircraft in Australia, the squadron returned home and was disbanded in November 1945.
857 Naval Air Squadron reformed at Culdrose from 849 Naval Air Squadron 'B' Flight in December 2006, conducting maritime security operations in February 2007 off the Horn of Africa, a section of the squadron returning early to the UK to embark in HMS Illustrious for a trip to the United States. The squadron deployed in the Indian Ocean in March 2008 and deployed to Afghanistan in October 2009, for surveillance operations in support of coalition forces and helping to combat the flow of drugs and IEDs around Helmand Province. The squadron again deployed to Camp Bastion in July for a further five months. Due to return to Afghanistan in 2011, the squadron instead embarked in HMS Ocean in May and saw operational service off Libya. It relieved 854 Naval Air Squadron at Camp Bastion in February 2012. After a final deployment on Operation Kipion towards the end of 2014, the squadron disbanded in January 2015, becoming 849 Naval Air Squadron "Palembang Flight".

History

Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadron (1944–1945)

On 23 February 1944, the personnel for 857 Naval Air Squadron gathered at Royal Naval Air Establishment Townhill Camp, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, in preparation for their journey to the United States.

Formation and work-up

The squadron was officially established on 1 April in 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 embarked aboard the escort carrier HMS Rajah on 29 June.
The escort carrier's cargo comprised the aircraft belonging to both 857 and 1842 Naval Air Squadron, which were being transported to the UK, along with the aircrews and personnel from both squadrons. After completing the loading process, HMS Rajah departed for New York, where it joined the eastbound convoy TCU 30, consisting of troopships and merchant vessels, on 2 July. HMS Rajah reached Liverpool on 12 July, where it unloaded supplies and the aircraft of 1842 Naval Air Squadron, before continuing to Belfast the following day.
On 13 July, the squadron disembarked to RNAMY Belfast (HMS Gadwall), County Antrim, Northern Ireland and subsequently received an additional nine Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber aircraft and the squadron were prepared for anti-submarine warfare training at RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

Far East

It sailed for the Far East in September 1944 embarked on and transferring to in November 1944. HMS Rajah had set sail on 9 September for Ceylon, where the squadron spent some time on land at RNARY Coimbatore (HMS Garuda), Peelamedu, Coimbatore, Southern India and RNAS Katukurunda (HMS Ukussa), Katukurunda, Ceylon, before it embarked in the fleet carrier HMS Indomitable on 27 November.
During the remainder of the winter season, the squadron utilised the aircraft carrier and the MONAB, at Nowra, Australia, as a shore base of operations to conduct assaults on various targets in Sumatra, such as Belawan Deli, Pangkalan Brandan, and Palembang. Subsequently, in the spring, the squadron shifted its focus to targets located in the Sakashima Gunto, in the East China Sea and Formosa regions. In March, the commanding officer experienced two separate incidents in which he was forced to abandon his aircraft. Following the first incident, he successfully returned to his squadron the next day, while after the second incident, he re-joined his unit four weeks later. In both cases, he and his crew were ultimately rescued by a submarine.
Following the conclusion of World War II, specifically after Victory over Japan Day, the squadron redeployed to the Far East to engage in operations targeting Japanese suicide boats in the vicinity of Hong Kong on the dates of 31 August and 1 September. The aircraft utilised for these missions were left in Australia, and subsequently, the squadron made its way back to the UK. Ultimately, the squadron was officially disbanded on 30 November 1945.

Sea King (2006–2015)

857 Naval Air Squadron was reformed at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk) in Cornwall, England, with Westland Sea King ASaC.7 airborne early warning variant, on 13 December 2006, originating from B Flight of 849 Naval Air Squadron. The squadron commenced maritime security operations off the Horn of Africa aboard in February 2007, with aims of denying the passage of the seas to Al Qaeda, pirates, traffickers and smugglers. The squadron then embarked in and headed to NAS Norfolk in Virginia, United States, for exercises with United States Navy fighter planes and carrier battle groups.
857 Naval Air Squadron returned to the Middle East in the first half of 2008, replacing its sister squadron 854 Naval Air Squadron on Operation Calash. It returned to carrying out maritime security operations. The squadron carried out operations in the North Sea on board HMS Illustrious, testing airborne early warning capabilities.
In October 2009, 857 Naval Air Squadron was deployed to Afghanistan, once again replacing 854 Naval Air Squadron, to conduct surveillance operations in support of coalition forces and to assist in countering the trafficking of drugs and improvised explosive devices in Helmand Province. The squadron returned to RNAS Culdrose in March 2010, only to redeploy to Camp Bastion in July for an additional five months.
In 2011, several of the Sea Kings were stated to be part of the Response Force Task Group.
Although scheduled to return to Afghanistan in 2011, the squadron instead embarked on in May, participating in operational missions off the coast of Libya before returning to RNAS Culdrose later that year. In February 2012, it relieved 854 Naval Air Squadron at Camp Bastion. By the time of its withdrawal in May 2014, the two squadrons had collectively achieved over 9,000 hours of operational flying in the theatre. Following a final deployment to the Gulf for Operation Kipion from September to December 2014, the squadron was disbanded in January 2015, subsequently becoming "Palembang Flight" of 849 Naval Air Squadron.

Aircraft operated

The squadron has operated two variants of a fixed wing and a single rotary wing aircraft type:

Battle honours

The following Battle Honours have been awarded to 857 Naval Air Squadron.

Assignments

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

Naval air stations and aircraft carriers

857 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy in the UK and overseas, and also a number of Royal Navy fleet carriers and escort carriers and other airbases overseas:
1944 - 1945
2006 - 2015

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 857 Naval Air Squadron:
1944 - 1945
2006 - 2015
  • Lieutenant Commander P.M. Jefferson, RN, from 13 December 2006
  • Lieutenant Commander G.C.S. Smith, RN, from 9 February 2007
  • Lieutenant Commander S. Lynch, RN, from 28 May 2008
  • Lieutenant Commander G. Haywood, RN, from 13 July 2010
  • Lieutenant Commander M.H. Gill, RN, from 5 November 2012
  • Lieutenant Commander J.E. Hall, RN, from 7 March 2014
  • disbanded - 30 January 2015
Note: Abbreviation signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.