| Unit Name: | 883 Naval Air Squadron |
| Dates: | Royal Navy 10 October 1941 – 15 November 1942 18 September 1945 – 23 February 1946 Royal Canadian Navy 15 May 1947 - 1 May 1951 |
| Country: | |
| Branch: | |
| Type: | Single-seat fighter squadron |
| Role: | Fleet fighter squadron |
| Command Structure: | Fleet Air Arm |
| Garrison: | See Naval air stations section for full list. |
| Garrison Label: | Home station |
| Motto: | (Royal Canadian Navy) |
| Battles: | World War II |
| Battle Honours: |
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| Identification Symbol: | Barry wavy of eight white and blue; a lozenge black surmounted by an eagle volant white grasping in the claws a lightning flash fesswise |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Squadron badge (Royal Canadian Navy) |
| Identification Symbol 2: | individual letters (Seafire) |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | Identification Markings (Royal Navy) |
| Identification Symbol 3: | VG-AAA+ (Seafire & Sea Fury) |
| Identification Symbol 3 Label: | Identification Markings (Royal Canadian Navy) |
| Aircraft Fighter: | Hawker Sea Hurricane (RN) Supermarine Seafire (RN & RCN) Hawker Sea Fury (RCN) |
883 Naval Air Squadron (883 NAS) was a naval air squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was established in October 1941,[1] and disbanded in February 1946.[2] 883 Squadron RCN formed in May 1947 as a Royal Canadian Navy unit. It was redesignated as 871 Naval Air Squadron on 1 May 1951.
883 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Somerset, on 10 October 1941 as a Fleet Fighter squadron, led by Royal Marines Captain W.H.C. Manson. It was equipped with six Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk Ib, a navalised version of the Hawker Hurricane single seat fighter aircraft.
On 28 January 1942, the squadron moved to Scotland to operate as part of No. 14 Group RAF in Fighter Command. It initially operated from RAF Fraserburgh and then from RAF Peterhead, both in Aberdeenshire.
The squadron relocated to RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), Argyll and Bute, on 11 May and was back under Fleet Air Arm control. On 16 June it embarked in the name ship of her class, . The escort carrier was assigned to Arctic convoy operations and the squadron used RNAS Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk), Orkney, as a shore base.
In September 1942 HMS Avenger was assigned to Convoy PQ18 which consisted forty Allied cargo ships sailing from Scotland and Iceland to Arkhangelsk in the Soviet Union. 883, along with 802 Naval Air Squadron, shot down five Luftwaffe aircraft and damaged seventeen others.
HMS Avenger was later entrusted with providing air cover for Operation Torch during early November. However, on 15 November she was torpedoed and sunk with a heavy loss of life and 883 Naval Air Squadron ceased to exist.
On 18 September 1945 883 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor), Angus. It was equipped with sixteen Supermarine Seafire F Mk.III fighter aircraft, a navalised version of the Supermarine Spitfire. The squadron was intended for the 10th Carrier Air Group with the British Pacific Fleet, but by the time it formed it was no longer required following V-J Day.
The squadron then moved to RNAS Nutts Corner (HMS Pintail), County Antrim, Northern Ireland, in November. Here it swapped its sixteen F Mk.III Supermarine Seafire aircraft for eighteen F Mk.XVs. The squadron was however meant for the Royal Canadian Navy, but this was halted due to resource constraints. The squadron moved to RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail) where it disbanded on 23 February 1946.
883 Naval Air Squadron was established as a unit of the Royal Canadian Navy at RCAF Station Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, on 15 May 1947. Initially, it was equipped with twelve Supermarine Seafire F Mk XV fighter aircraft, designated for fleet air defence aboard, as part of the 18th Carrier Air Group. In September 1948, the squadron transitioned to eight Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 fighter-bomber aircraft and underwent a reorganisation in November, resulting in its transfer to the 19th Carrier Air Group, with which it subsequently deployed on . However, in a shift of policy, the squadron returned to the 18th Carrier Air Group in January 1951, but was redesignated as 871 Naval Air Squadron on 1 May of the same year.
The squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including:
The battle honours awarded to 883 Naval Air Squadron are:
883 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force stations in the UK, and a Royal Navy escort carrier:1941 - 1942
1945 - 1946
883 Squadron RCN operated from a naval air station of the Royal Canadian Navy in Canada, a Royal Canadian Air Force station and a couple of airbases overseas, also a couple of Royal Canadian Navy aircraft carriers:1947 - 1951
List of commanding officers of 883 Naval Air Squadron.[1]
List of commanding officers of 833 Squadron RCN: