| 886 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Squadron badge | |
| Active | 1942–1944 |
| Disbanded | 19 July 1944 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Single-seat fighter squadron |
| Role | Fleetfighter squadron |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Home station | SeeNaval air stations section for full list. |
| Mottos | Vires acquiret eundo (Latin for 'It gains strength as it goes') |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Battle honours |
|
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge Description | White, a Chinese dragon torqued green breathing flames proper (1943)[1] |
| Identification Markings | uncoded (Fulmar) 3A+ (Spitfire) single letters (Swordfish) single letters, then 2A+ (Seafire) |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Bomber | Fairey Swordfish |
| Fighter | Fairey Fulmar Supermarine Seafire Hawker Hurricane Supermarine Spitfire |
886 Naval Air Squadron (886 NAS), also referred to as 886 Squadron, was aFleet Air Arm (FAA)naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’sRoyal Navy (RN).[2] It was formed at HMSMerlin, RNAS Donibristle, as aFleet Fighter squadron during March 1942. Active only during the Second World War, it flewFairey Swordfish,Fairey Fulmar,Supermarine Seafire,Hawker Hurricane andSupermarine Spitfire.
The squadron was loaned to RAF Fighter Command during the summer of 1942, returning the Fleet Air Arm later on in the year. 1943 saw it participate in Operation Avalanche, part of the Allied invasion of Italy. The following year it was involved with operations over Normandy, spotting for the allied invasion of France from 6 to the end of June 1944, disbanding the following month.
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886 Naval Air Squadron formed atRNAS Donibristle (HMSMerlin), Fife, Scotland, on 15 March 1942, Lieutenant J. Harman commanding. Its role was as a Fleet Fighter squadron and it was equipped with sixFairey Fulmar Mk II, a carrier-basedreconnaissance andfighter aircraft.[3]
The squadron personnel underwent type familiarisation and after working-up it flew south on 23 May toRNAS St Merryn (HMSVulture), Cornwall. One month afterwards it moved east toRNAS Yeovilton (HMSHeron), Somerset, on 22 June. A third shorter move, on 10 July, saw the squadron based atRNAS Charlton Horethorne (HMSHeron II), Somerset, for more training,[4] and being one of the first FAA units to use the newly acquired airbase.[5]
The squadron had a supernumerary role. Lieutenant Commander(A) R. Oliphant, was appointed as CO from 27 July and the squadron was loaned toFighter Command on 11 August, initially operating withNo. 13 Group RAF atRAF Turnhouse, in Edinburgh, Scotland, and a couple of days later moved toRAF Peterhead,Aberdeenshire underNo. 14 Group RAF.[1]
886 Naval Air Squadron returned to the Fleet Air Arm atRNAS Stretton (HMSBlackcap),Cheshire, on 7 October. The following nine months saw the squadron at various airbases in Scotland and Northern Ireland and in March 1943, it swapped the Fairey Fulmar for nineSupermarine Seafire L Mk.IIc fighter aircraft, thenavalised development of theSupermarine Spitfire.[3]
In June 1943 the squadron created a ‘B’ Flight when it acquired sixFairey Swordfishbiplanetorpedo bomber aircraft out of837 Naval Air Squadron which had disbanded.[1]
886 Naval Air Squadron embarked in thename ship of herclassHMS Attacker on 19 June. Upon arrival in theMediterranean the squadron provided fighter cover duringOperation Avalanche, the Solerno landings. The Fairey Swordfish of ‘B’ Flight provided anti-submarine patrols from theUnited States Army Air Forces'Paestum Airfield, in theprovince of Salerno, and RN Air Section Gibraltar, atRAF North Front.[3]
On returning to the United Kingdom, atRNAS Burscough (HMSRingtail), Lancashire, on 7 October,[6] the Fairey Swordfish 'B' Flight was disbanded, the squadron joined the3rd Naval Fighter Wing and Lieutenant Commander P. Bailey was appointed commanding officer on 28. Training in spotting and reconnaissance atRNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMSDaedalus), Hampshire, was undertaken from February 1944 and the squadron used Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft until these could be replaced by ten Supermarine Seafire L Mk.III, in March.[1]
FromD-Day, 886 Naval Air Squadron formed part of and operated as part of theAir Spotting Pool ofNo. 34 Reconnaissance Wing, of theRAF Second Tactical Air Force. Its duties includedanti-submarine patrols,bomber escort, aerial spotting forNaval gunfire support and offensive fighter sweeps. It disbanded, being absorbed into885 Naval Air Squadron on 19 July 1944.[3]
The squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including:[1]
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Thebattle honours awarded to 886 Naval Air Squadron are:[3]
886 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number ofnaval air stations of the Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force stations in the UK and overseas, and also a number ofRoyal Navy escort carriers and other airbases overseas:[1]
List ofcommanding officers of 886 Naval Air Squadron:[3]