849 Naval Air Squadron

849 Naval Air Squadron
Primus video (The first to see)
Active	1943-1945, 1952-1978, 1984-present
Country	UK
Branch	Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm
Type	Carrier based squadron
Role	Airborne Early Warning
Size	3 flights
Garrison/HQ	RNAS Culdrose
Anniversaries	none
Engagements	Normandy 1944, Palembang 1945, Okinawa 1945, Japan 1945, Iraq 2003
Commanders
Notable commanders	L/C(A) K G Sharp RN Lt Cdr Charles Gidley Wheeler (Senior Pilot, 1969-1970)

L/C(A) K G Sharp RN

849 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm, the Air Arm of the British Royal Navy. It was formed during the Second World War as a carrier based torpedo-bomber, unit, flying missions against Japanese targets in the Far East. Its service since the Second World War has been as an airborne early warning squadron, flying fixed winged Skyraiders and Gannets from the Royal Navy's fixed wing carriers from 1952 until 1978, and airborne early warning Sea King helicopters since 1982.

849 Naval Air Squadron was formed on 1 August 1943 at the Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island with Grumman Avenger Is. It returned to the UK and provided anti-surface vessel and anti-submarine patrols over the English Channel prior to and during the D-Day operations.

In August 1944, it was sent to Ceylon to join the British Eastern Fleet, embarking on HMS Victorious (and becoming part of the British Pacific Fleet in November 1944). It took part in Operation Lentil against oil installations at Pangkalan Brandan in Sumatra on 4 January 1945, and in the larger carrier strikes against the oil refineries at Palembang Sumatra (Operation Meridian on 24 and 29 January.