| 878 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Squadron badge | |
| Active | 1 March 1943 - 25 January 1944 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Single-seat fighter squadron |
| Role | Fleet fighter squadron |
| Size | Twelve aircraft |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Home station | SeeNaval air stations section for full list. |
| Motto(s) | Feles non pusilla (Latin for 'A cat - but no weakling') |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Battle honours |
|
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Lieutenant Commander(A)M.F. Fell,RN |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge description | Black, the face of a wildcat white fimbriated red (1943)[1] |
| Identification Markings | single letters |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Grumman Martlet |
878 Naval Air Squadron (878 NAS) was aFleet Air Arm (FAA)naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’sRoyal Navy (RN).[2] Established in March 1943 as a fleet fighter squadron, it conducted its initial training at HMSSparrowhawk, RNAS Hatston on Mainland, Orkney, prior to boarding HMSIllustrious in June. The squadron operated from the aircraft carrier off the coast of Iceland before delivering air support during the Salerno campaign in Italy. It ultimately disbanded at HMSGannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland in January 1944, with its aircraft being transferred to 816 and 1832 Naval Air Squadrons.
878 Naval Air Squadron formed atRNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMSDaedalus),Hampshire, on 1 March 1943, Lieutenant Commander(A) M.F. Fell, RN, commanding. Its role was as a Fleet Fighter squadron and it was equipped with twelveGrumman Martlet Mk IV, an American carrier-basedfighter aircraft.[1]
Following a period of training atRNAS Hatston (HMSSparrowhawk), in Orkney, in Scotland, the squadron boarded thelead ship of herclass,HMS Illustrious on 8 June and commenced operations in theIcelandic region the subsequent month.[3] In August 1943, the aircraft carrier proceeded to theMediterranean, where 878 Naval Air Squadron engaged in combat over theSalerno beachhead.[1]
In October 1943, while stationed atRAF Port Ellen, on the island ofIslay inArgyll and Bute, the squadron transitioned to ten Grumman Martlet Mk V fighter aircraft, which were subsequently distributed between816 and1832 Naval Air Squadrons upon the disbandment of 878 Naval Air Squadron, atRNAS Eglinton (HMSGannet), in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on 25 January 1944.[3]
The squadron has operated different variants of only one aircraft type:[1]
Thebattle honours awarded to 878 Naval Air Squadron are:[3]
878 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number ofnaval air stations of the Royal Navy, and a Royal Air Force station in the UK and also aRoyal Navy fleet carrier:
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List ofcommanding officers of 878 Naval Air Squadron:[3]
Note: Abbreviation (A) signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.[4]