847 Naval Air Squadron is a

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...

. It operates AgustaWestland Wildcat AH.1

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

s and provides armed reconnaissance and light transport support to

3 Commando Brigade 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), previously called the 3rd Special Service Brigade, is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces. It is composed of the Royal Marine Commandos, alongside commando qualified sailors, soldiers and airmen from ...

Royal Marines. Along with 845 and 846 naval air squadrons, it forms part of the Commando Helicopter Force. The squadron was re-formed from

3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron, Royal Marines, was formed in 1968 in Singapore by the amalgamation of three Commando Air Troops and the Brigade Flight. The squadron moved to Plymouth in 1971 and the two remaining UK Commando Air Troops became p ...

on 1 September 1995. The unit is based at

RNAS Yeovilton Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, (HMS ''Heron'') is an airfield of the Royal Navy and British Army, sited a few miles north of Yeovil, Somerset. It is one of two active Fleet Air Arm bases (the other being RNAS Culdrose) ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, a Royal Naval establishment, with helicopters drawn from an

Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...

pool and flown by Royal Marines and Royal Navy aircrews.

Second World War

847 Naval Air Squadron was first formed at

Lee-on-Solent Lee-on-the-Solent, often referred to as Lee-on-Solent, is a seaside district of the Borough of Gosport in Hampshire, England, about five miles (8 km) west of Portsmouth. The area is located on the coast of the Solent. It is primarily a res ...

on 1 June 1943, equipped with the

Fairey Barracuda The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber designed by Fairey Aviation. It was the first aircraft of this type operated by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA) to be fabricated entirely from metal. The Barracuda ...

torpedo bomber. After working up, the squadron deployed aboard the aircraft carrier in November 1943.Sturtivant and Ballance 1994, pp. 272–273. ''Illustrious'' sailed for the Indian Ocean at the end of December, arriving at

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...

in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) on 30 January 1944.Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, p. 252. On 19 April 1944, the squadron took part in

Operation Cockpit Operation Cockpit was an Allied attack against the Japanese-held island of Sabang on 19 April 1944. It was conducted by aircraft flying from British and American aircraft carriers and targeted Japanese shipping and airfields. A small number of ...

, a raid by aircraft from ''Illustrious'' and the American carrier against Sabang.Sturtivant and Ballance 1994, p. 272.Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 271–272. The squadron took part in a raid by ''Illustrious''s air wing against

Port Blair Port Blair () is the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India in the Bay of Bengal. It is also the local administrative sub-division (''tehsil'') of the islands, the headquarters for the district of South An ...

on 19 June, but disbanded at

Trincomalee Trincomalee (; ta, திருகோணமலை, translit=Tirukōṇamalai; si, ත්‍රිකුණාමළය, translit= Trikuṇāmaḷaya), also known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee Dis ...

in Ceylon on 30 June, its personnel and aircraft being absorbed into

810 Naval Air Squadron 810 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed on 3 April 1933 with the amalgamation of the 12 Blackburn Dart aircraft from 463 and 44 Flight (Fleet Torpedo) Flights Royal Air Force to the Fleet Air Arm. The ...

.Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, p. 284.

Post-war operations

The squadron reformed at

RNAS Eglinton Royal Naval Air Station Eglinton or RNAS Eglinton was a Royal Naval Air Station located north east of Eglinton, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It opened as a Royal Air Force Station (RAF Eglinton) in 1941, before being transferred to the ...

, near Derry in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, on 17 March 1956, equipped with three

Fairey Gannet The Fairey Gannet is a carrier-borne aircraft that was designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer the Fairey Aviation Company. It was developed for the Royal Navy, being the first fixed-wing aircraft to combine both the search an ...

A.S.1 anti-submarine aircraft. It deployed to Nicosia in

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

on 8 April, with the role of carrying patrols to stop ships smuggling arms to insurgents during the

Cyprus Emergency The Cyprus Emergency ( gr, Απελευθερωτικός Αγώνας της Κύπρου 1955–59), also known as the Greek Cypriot War of Independence or Cypriot War of Independence, was a conflict fought in British Cyprus between November 1 ...

. The squadron received newer Gannet A.S.4s in June 1958, but returned to the United Kingdom in November 1959 after the end of the Emergency, disbanding at

on 1 December 1959. The squadron reformed again at

RNAS Culdrose Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose (RNAS Culdrose, also known as HMS ''Seahawk''; ICAO: EGDR) is a Royal Navy airbase near Helston on the Lizard Peninsula of Cornwall UK, and is one of the largest helicopter bases in Europe. Its main role is serv ...

in the Commando (i.e. troop support) role, equipped with Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 helicopters. It was based at

Sembawang Sembawang is a planning area and residential town located in the North Region of Singapore. Sembawang planning area is bordered by Simpang to the east, Mandai to the south, Yishun to the southeast, Woodlands to the west and the Straits of Jo ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

(known as HMS ''Simbang'') from April 1964, briefly supplementing its Whirlwinds by a single Hiller Raven light helicopter in June, but disbanded on 2 December that year. The squadron reformed at Sembawang on 14 March 1969, being split off from

848 Naval Air Squadron 848 Naval Air Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It operated the Westland Sea King HC.4 helicopter and previously provided advanced flying training to pilots for the other squadrons in the Commando Helicopter Force. The s ...

and equipped with 10

Westland Wessex The Westland Wessex is a British-built turbine-powered development of the Sikorsky H-34 (in US service known as Choctaw). It was developed and produced under licence by Westland Aircraft (later Westland Helicopters). One of the main chang ...

HU.5s helicopters. The squadron operated both from shore and aboard ship, with detachments flying from the amphibious assault ships and and the landing ship amongst others. In November 1970, the squadron, operating from ''Intrepid'' and , took part in relief efforts following flooding in East Pakistan (now

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

) and in January 1971 carried out relief work in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. The squadron stood down on 22 May 1971.

Falklands War

847 Naval Air Squadron was reformed to take part in the Falklands campaign on 4 May 1982, operating 24 Westland Wessex HU.5 helicopters with Royal Naval personnel recruited mainly from RNAS Yeovilton. The aircraft were transported from the United Kingdom to the South Atlantic aboard RFA ''Engadine'' and the container vessel '' Atlantic Causeway''.Burden ''et al.'' 1986, p. 280.''Atlantic Causeway'' was sister ship to '' Atlantic Conveyor'', which was hit and fatally damaged by an

Exocet The Exocet () is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Etymology The missile's name was given by M. Guillot, then the technical director ...

missile during the war. ''Atlantic Causeway'' disembarked 12 Wessexes of 847 NAS on 1 June 1982, with the detachment from ''Engadine'' arriving on 9 June. The squadron's Wessexes, together with those of 845 NAS initially operated from San Carlos and provided much needed transport support to the advance of British forces on

Port Stanley Stanley (; also known as Port Stanley) is the capital city of the Falkland Islands. It is located on the island of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2016 census, the city had a popula ...

, with forward operating bases being set up at

Teal Inlet Teal Inlet (), once named Evelyn Station, is a settlement on East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands, on the south shore of Salvador Water. It is overshadowed by Jack's Mountain. The settlement played a minor part in the Falklands War, when B ...

and

Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...

. After the surrender of Argentine forces on the Falklands on 14 June 847 NAS relocated to Navy Point, a headland directly north of Port Stanley. 847 NAS remained in the Falklands until September 1982, providing air support to UK Forces. 847 NAS was one of the longest serving units to see action in the Falklands war, spending some 4 months on the islands in total, and leading some members of the squadron to refer to the unit as "84-who?" The squadron was disbanded on 24 September 1982.

1995 to the present

847 NAS reformed at RNAS Yeovilton with Royal Marines aircrews and

REME The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME ) is a corps of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's Professional Engineers". History Prior to REME's for ...

engineers on 1 September 1995, from

, as a tactical support unit for the Royal Marines Commandos with Westland Lynx AH.7 and Westland Gazelle AH.1 helicopters. The squadron has been active in Sierra Leone and in Kosovo. The most significant deployment of recent years was to Operation Telic in Iraq in which it participated in the Battle of Basra (2003), Battle of Basra. On 6 May 2006, one of the squadron's Lynxes, ''XZ614,'' was shot down over Basra in Iraq, by a surface-to-air missile (a Man-portable air-defense system, Man Portable Air Defence System), killing 5 service personnel on board. Among the 5 killed were 847's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Darren Chapman; Wing Commander Coxen, who had been due to take command of the region's British helicopter forces, and Flight Lieutenant Sarah-Jayne Mulvihill; Coxen was the most senior British officer to die in the conflict and Mulvihill was the first British servicewoman to die in action in 22 years. This was the first British helicopter and only the second British aircraft downed (the first was an Royal Air Force, RAF Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Hercules) due to enemy fire, in the war. At the crash scene, British troops reportedly encountered rioting Iraqi civilians and were fired on by militia, while civilians were killed in the ensuing clashes. The crash led to a review of the vulnerability of helicopter transports in southern Iraq. In 2005, the Gazelle reconnaissance helicopter was retired from service with the squadron. Later, the Lynx AH.7s were replaced with the Lynx AH.9A variant, by the unit between May 2011 and Summer 2012. From September 2008 the unit was deployed to Camp Bastion as part of Operation Herrick for a 7-month deployment supporting troops on the ground and aerial movements. The unit returned in January 2011 for 5 months and again during January 2013 for 5 months.

Current role

In late 2013, it became the first front-line military squadron to receive the AgustaWestland Wildcat AH.1, which enables the Squadron to continue providing Battlefield Reconnaissance as part of Commando Helicopter Force. In June 2019 the squadron embarked on RFA Argus (A135), RFA ''Argus'' for a deployment to the Baltic Sea as part of the UK Joint Expeditionary Force. The squadron practised amphibious landings alongside the Merlins of 845 NAS as part of exercise Baltic Protector in the Baltic Sea.

Battle honours

847 Naval Air Squadron has received the following Battle honour, battle honours: * East Indies 1944 * Falklands 1982 * Iraq 2003

Notes

References

* *

External links

{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 800 series Fleet Air Arm squadrons, 847 Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the Falklands War