Operational History and Background

On the outbreak of war this torpedo spotter reconnaissance squadron with 9 Swordfish transferred to HMS Hermes at the outbreak of war, sailing to West Africa to join French ships operating out of Dakar and Freetown, in the search for the German battleship Graf Spee.

After the French surrender to Germany in 1940, the squadron was tasked with attacking its former allies at Dakar, damaging the French battleship Richelieu on 8 July 1940.

In December 1940 the ship sailed for the Indian Ocean, operating off the East African coast and providing support for the land forces in British Somaliland and enabling the capture of 5 enemy merchant ships and bombing of a 6^th by the cruiser HMS Hawkins in February 1941.

In May 1941 the squadron provided support to the RAF in Iraq, and subsequently after trade protection duties in the Indian ocean embarked on HMS Hermes from Ceylon in February 1942 to search for a Japanese carrier force but was ashore in April 1942 when HMS Hermes was sunk by Japanese aircraft, and disbanded at Katukurunda in December 1942.

The Squadron reformed at Stretton in July 1944 as a torpedo bomber reconnaissance squadron with Barracuda IIs and embarked on HMS Venerable in March 1945. It joined 15^th Carrier Air Group in June 1945 but saw no action by VJ-Day.

Battle Honours
Atlantic 1940

Commanding Officers and Squadron Personnel

• L/C NS Luard, DSC, RN (Sq Ldr, RAF) Dec 1938-Dec 1940
• Major WHN Martin, RM Dec 1940-Sept 1942
• Lt AF Paterson, RN Sept 1942-Dec 1942
• L/C JSL Crabbe, RN 1 July 1944-Nov 1944
• L/C(A) GR Coy, DSC, RN Nov 1944-end of WW2
Aircraft

Swordfish I Dec 1938-Dec 1942

Barracuda II July 1944-end of WW2

Ships and Squadron bases
To be listed

The Squadron Today
Link to current Fleet Air Arm squadron information


Associations and Reunions

814 Naval Air Squadron reunions - See 804 Squadron

FURTHER INFORMATION   814 squadron today. MOD website World Aircraft Carrier Lists and Photo Gallery - from 1913 to 2000. Naval History Information Center, Haze Gray & Underway American based World Aircraft Carrier Lists & Photo Gallery - one of the definitive online sources for British and world aircraft carrier & seaplane tender data, histories and images - over 1000 photos.  Sturtivant, R & Ballance, T  (1994). 'The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm' Published by Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1994 ISBN: 0 85130 223 8   Robert Horsten's FAA Squadrons

        Last Modified: 23-2-2001

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