871 Naval Air Squadron

871 Naval Air Squadron, also known as VF 871, was a squadron of the Royal Canadian Navy. It was established in May 1951 and was disbanded in March 1959.

History

Fighter squadron (1951-1959)

871 Naval Air Squadron was established within the numbering system of the Commonwealth Navies as a Royal Canadian Navy unit, resulting from the renumbering of 883 Naval Air Squadron at HMCS Shearwater, Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 1 May 1951. Initially equipped with ten Hawker Sea Fury FB. 11 fighter aircraft, it served as part of the 30th Carrier Air Group on light aircraft carrier,, primarily tasked with fleet air defense.
In November 1952, the squadron adopted an American-style designation, becoming VF 871. Following a re-equipment phase in August 1956, it transitioned to eight McDonnell F2H Banshee jet fighter aircraft. By 1958, these aircraft were upgraded to carry AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, and that same year, the squadron was deployed aboard the,. Ultimately, VF 871 was integrated into VF 870 at RCAF Station Dartmouth on 16 March 1959.

Aircraft operated

The squadron has operated a couple of different aircraft types:

Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 fighter-bomber
McDonnell F2H Banshee jet fighter aircraft

Naval air stations and aircraft carriers

871 Naval Air Squadron, VF 871, operated from a naval air stations of the Royal Canadian Navy in Canada and also a couple of Royal Canadian Navy light aircraft carriers:

HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
HMCS Magnificent
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
HMCS Magnificent
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
RCAF Station Rivers, Manitoba,
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
HMCS Magnificent
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
HMCS Magnificent
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
HMCS Magnificent
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
HMCS Magnificent
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
HMCS Magnificent
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
Key West
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
RCAF Station Rivers, Manitoba,
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
HMCS Bonaventure
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
absorbed into VF 870

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 871 Naval Air Squadron, VF 871:

Lieutenant(N) W.D. Munro, RCN, from 1 May 1951
Lieutenant-commander D.H.P. Ryan, RCN, from November 1951
Lieutenant R. Heath, RCN, from July 1952
Lieutenant-commander M. Wasteneys, RCN, from 23 March 1953
Lieutenant-commander J.W. Logan, RCN, from 2 July 1954
Lieutenant-commander R.A.R. Laidler, CD, RCN, from 13 January 1956
Lieutenant-commander J.J. Harvie, CD, RCN, from 22 July 1957
absorbed into VF 870 16 March 1959