View source for 847 Naval Air Squadron

{{Short description|Flying squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 847 Naval Air Squadron
| native_name =
| image = 847 Naval Air Squadron badge.svg
| image_size = 150
| alt =
| caption = Badge
| dates = {{Hlist|1943-1944|1956–1959|1960s|1969-1971|1982|1995 – present}}
| disbanded =
| country = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| branch = {{navy|United Kingdom}}
| type = Flying squadron
| role = [[Royal Marines]] air support
| size =
| command_structure = *[[Fleet Air Arm]]
*[[Joint Aviation Command]]
*[[Commando Helicopter Force]]
| garrison = [[RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron)|RNAS Yeovilton]]
| garrison_label = Home station
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto = {{Language with name/for|la|Ex alto concutimus|We strike from on high}}
| colors = <!-- or | colours = -->
| colors_label = <!-- or | colours_label = -->
| march =
| mascot =
| anniversaries =
| equipment = [[AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat|AgustaWestland Wildcat AH1]]
| equipment_label = Aircraft
| battles =
| battles_label =
| decorations =
| battle_honours =
| battle_honours_label =
| flying_hours =
| website = {{Official URL}}
<!-- Commanders -->
| current_commander =
| commander1 =
| commander1_label =
| notable_commanders =
<!-- Insignia -->
| identification_symbol =
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}}
'''847 Naval Air Squadron''' is a [[Squadron (aviation)|squadron]] of the [[Royal Navy]] [[Fleet Air Arm]]. It operates [[AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat|AgustaWestland Wildcat AH.1]] [[helicopter]]s and provides armed reconnaissance and light transport support to [[United Kingdom Commando Force|UK Commando Force]]. 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]] on 1 September 1995.<ref name= 847_NAS_Affiliations>{{Citation
 | title = 847 NAS Affiliations
 | publisher =UK MoD
 | year =2014
 | url =http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/our-organisation/the-fighting-arms/fleet-air-arm/helicopter-squadrons/wildcat/847-naval-air-squadron/847-affiliations
 | access-date =3 Oct 2014 }}</ref>
<ref>
{{Cite report
 |date        = 12 May 1995
 |title       = Defence Council Instructions, Royal Navy
 |url         = http://www.rm-badges.com/images/DCI(RN)%20105%2012-5-1995.pdf
 |publisher   = Royal Navy
 |access-date  = 3 Oct 2014
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130702104859/http://www.rm-badges.com/images/DCI(RN)%20105%2012-5-1995.pdf
 |archive-date = 2 July 2013
 |url-status     = dead
 |df          = dmy-all
}}
</ref>
<ref>{{Cite report
 |author      = Lt Gen Sir Robert Ross KCB OBE
 |date        = 28 Jul 1995
 |title       = Royal Marines Routine Orders
 |url         = http://www.rm-badges.com/images/RMRO%2042%2028-7-1995.pdf
 |publisher   = Royal Marines
 |access-date  = 3 Oct 2014
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924091453/http://www.rm-badges.com/images/RMRO%2042%2028-7-1995.pdf
 |archive-date = 24 September 2015
 |url-status     = dead
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

The unit is based at [[RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron)|RNAS Yeovilton]] in [[Somerset]], a [[Royal Navy|Royal Naval]] establishment, with helicopters drawn from an [[Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)|Army Air Corps]] pool and flown by Royal Marines and Royal Navy aircrews.<ref name=847_NAS_Affiliations />
{{multiple image
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 | image1            = Aerospatiale Gazelle AH1 Royal Marines in Iraq 2002.JPEG
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 | caption1          = An 847 NAS Gazelle AH.1, takes off from Camp Justice, Oman in 2002
 | image2            = HMS_Ocean_conducting_a_VERTREP_with_RFA_Fort_Austin._MOD_45145962.jpg
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 | caption2          = A former 3 CBAS Lynx AH.7, in service with 847 NAS in 2005
 | image3            = Lynx Mk9A Helicopter MOD 45154638.jpg
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 | caption3          = An 847 NAS Lynx AH.9A helicopter flying over the desert training areas surrounding [[Naval Air Facility El Centro]] in California, USA during 2012
 | image4            = ZZ405 (8071796088).jpg
 | width4            = <!-- full width of the ORIGINAL UNSCALED image -->
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 | caption4          = Wildcat AH.1
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}}

==Second World War==
847 Naval Air Squadron was first formed at [[RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus)|Lee-on-Solent]] on 1 June 1943, equipped with the [[Fairey Barracuda]] torpedo bomber. After working up, the squadron deployed aboard the aircraft carrier {{HMS|Illustrious|87|2}} in November 1943.<ref name="sqd p272-3">Sturtivant and Ballance 1994, pp. 272–273.</ref> ''Illustrious'' sailed for the Indian Ocean at the end of December, arriving at [[Colombo]] in Ceylon (now [[Sri Lanka]]) on 30 January 1944.<ref name="Roh p252">Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, p. 252.</ref> On 19 April 1944, the squadron took part in [[Operation Cockpit]], a raid by aircraft from ''Illustrious'' and the American carrier {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|2}} against [[Sabang, Indonesia|Sabang]].<ref name="sqd p272">Sturtivant and Ballance 1994, p. 272.</ref><ref name="Roh p271-2">Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 271–272.</ref> The squadron took part in a raid by ''Illustrious''{{'}}s air wing against [[Port Blair]] on 19 June, but disbanded at [[Trincomalee]] in Ceylon on 30 June, its personnel and aircraft being absorbed into [[810 Naval Air Squadron]].<ref name="sqd p272-3"/><ref name="Roh p284">Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, p. 284.</ref>

==Post-war operations==
The squadron reformed at [[City of Derry Airport|RNAS Eglinton]], near [[Derry]] in [[Northern Ireland]], on 17 March 1956, equipped with three [[Fairey Gannet]] A.S.1 anti-submarine aircraft. It deployed to [[Nicosia]] in [[Cyprus]] on 8 April, with the role of carrying patrols to stop ships smuggling arms to insurgents during the [[Cyprus Emergency]]. 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 [[RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron)|RNAS Yeovilton]] on 1 December 1959.<ref name="sqd p272-3"/>

The squadron reformed again at [[RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk)|RNAS Culdrose]] in the Commando (i.e. troop support) role, equipped with [[Westland Whirlwind (helicopter)|Westland Whirlwind]] HAS.7 helicopters. It was based at [[Sembawang Air Base|Sembawang]] in [[Singapore]] (known as HMS ''Simbang'') from April 1964, briefly supplementing its Whirlwinds by a single [[Hiller OH-23 Raven|Hiller Raven]] light helicopter in June, but disbanded on 2 December that year.<ref name="sqd p272-3"/> The squadron reformed at Sembawang on 14 March 1969, being split off from [[848 Naval Air Squadron]] and equipped with 10 [[Westland Wessex]] HU.5s helicopters. The squadron operated both from shore and aboard ship, with detachments flying from the amphibious assault ships {{HMS|Fearless|L10|2}} and {{HMS|Intrepid|L11|2}} and the landing ship {{Ship|RFA|Sir Galahad|1966|2}} amongst others. In November 1970, the squadron, operating from ''Intrepid'' and {{HMS|Triumph|R16|2}}, took part in relief efforts following flooding in East Pakistan (now [[Bangladesh]]) and in January 1971 carried out relief work in [[Malaysia]]. The squadron stood down on 22 May 1971.<ref name="sqd p272-3"/>

==Falklands War==
847 Naval Air Squadron was reformed to take part in the [[Falklands War|Falklands campaign]] on 4 May 1982, operating 24 Westland Wessex HU.5 helicopters
<ref name=Burden>{{cite book|last1=Burden|first1=Rodney A.|last2=Draper|first2=Michael I.|last3=Rough|first3=Douglas A.|last4=Smith|first4=Colin R.|last5=Wilton|first5=David|title=Falklands: The Air War|year=1986|publisher=British Aviation Research Group|isbn=0-906339-05-7}}</ref>{{rp|279}} with Royal Naval personnel recruited mainly from RNAS Yeovilton. The aircraft were transported from the United Kingdom to the South Atlantic aboard [[RFA Engadine (K08)|RFA ''Engadine'']] and the container vessel ''[[Atlantic Causeway]]''.<ref name="Burden p280">Burden ''et al.'' 1986, p. 280.</ref><ref group=Note>''Atlantic Causeway'' was sister ship to ''[[Atlantic Conveyor]]'', which was hit and fatally damaged by an [[Exocet]] missile during the war.</ref>

''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 Naval Air Squadron|845 NAS]] initially operated from [[San Carlos Water|San Carlos]] and provided much needed transport support to the advance of British forces on [[Port Stanley]], with forward operating bases being set up at [[Teal Inlet]] and [[Fitzroy, Falkland Islands|Fitzroy]].<ref name=Burden />{{rp|280,2}}  After the [[Argentine surrender in the Falklands War|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.<ref name=Burden />{{rp|282}}

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.<ref name=Burden />{{rp|283}}

==1995 to the present==
847 NAS reformed at RNAS Yeovilton with [[Royal Marines]] aircrews and [[Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers|REME]] engineers on 1 September 1995, from [[3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron]], as a tactical support unit for the Royal Marines Commandos with [[Westland Lynx|Westland Lynx AH.7]] and [[Aérospatiale Gazelle|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 AW159 Wildcat|AgustaWestland Wildcat AH.1]], which enables the Squadron to continue providing Battlefield Reconnaissance as part of Commando Helicopter Force.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/our-organisation/the-fighting-arms/fleet-air-arm/helicopter-squadrons/wildcat/847-naval-air-squadron|title=847 NAS - Facts|publisher=Royal Navy|access-date=21 March 2015}}</ref>

In June 2019 the squadron embarked on [[RFA Argus (A135)|RFA ''Argus'']] for a deployment to the Baltic Sea as part of the [[Joint Expeditionary Force]]. The squadron practised amphibious landings alongside the Merlins of 845 NAS as part of exercise Baltic Protector in the Baltic Sea.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2019/june/10/190610-argus-takes-part-in-operations | title=RFA Argus takes part in front-line operations | date=10 June 2019}}</ref>

== Battle honours ==
847 Naval Air Squadron has received the following [[List of Fleet Air Arm battle honours|battle honours]]:

* East Indies 1940 - 45
* [[Operation Corporate|Falkland Islands 1982]]
* [[Operation Telic|Al Faw 2003]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

*{{cite book|last1=Rohwer |first1=Jürgen |last2=Hümmelchen |title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945|year= 1992 |publisher=Greenhill Books| location=London|isbn=1-85367-117-7}}
*{{cite book|last1=Sturtivant|first1=Ray |last2=Ballance |first2=Theo |title=The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm |year=1994 |publisher=Air Britain (Historians (Ltd) |location=Tonbridge, Kent, UK |isbn=0-85130-223-8}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}

{{Royal Naval Air Squadrons}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

[[Category:800 series Fleet Air Arm squadrons|847]]
[[Category:Air squadrons of the Royal Navy in World War II]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the Falklands War]]