824 Naval Air Squadron

824 Naval Air Squadron
Fairey Swordfish of 824 Squadron
Active	1933–1989 2001 – present day
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force (1933–1939) Royal Navy
Role	Training
Part of	Fleet Air Arm
Garrison/HQ	RNAS Culdrose
Motto(s)	Spectat Ubique Spiritus "Behold, the wind all around them"
Equipment	Merlin HM.2
Battle honours	Calabria 1940 Mediterranean 1940 Taranto 1940 Libya 1940 Malta Convoys 1942 Arctic 1944 Falkland Islands 1982

824 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron first formed on 3 April 1933, disbanding and reforming several times before assuming its current role at RNAS Culdrose as a training squadron.

The squadron was originally formed on 3 April 1933 as a Spotter Reconnaissance squadron. During World War II, the squadron carried out various duties, such as convoy protection, bombing raids, spotting for gunnery bombardments and attacks on enemy destroyers. The squadron took part in the Battle of Taranto on 11 November 1940, where together with aircraft from 813, 815 and 819 squadrons flying from HMS Illustrious, it successfully attacked the Italian Battle Squadron. It was disbanded 10 times between 1934 and 1970, in that time it was equipped with the Fairey Seal, Fairey Swordfish, Fairey Barracuda, Fairey Firefly and finally the Fairey Gannet.

The squadron participated in the Falklands War, later responsible for trials of the Sea King helicopter. The squadron again disbanded in August 1989 and its aircraft were transferred to 819 Naval Air Squadron at Prestwick.

824 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 2 June 2000 at RNAS Culdrose, equipped with eight AgustaWestland Merlin HM.1 helicopter. It trains Pilots, Observers and Aircrewman on the Merlin HM.1 helicopter in Anti-Submarine Warfare and Search and Rescue. Once trained the aircrew go to one of the front line Merlin squadrons 814 NAS, 820 NAS, 829 NAS. In January 2013 824 NAS received its first new HM.2 Merlin aircraft with the squadron fully converted by the end of 2013.