Fleet Air Arm Patch 845 Naval Air Squadron NAS Bosnia Black Edged

Fleet Air Arm FAA Patch Royal Navy 845 Naval Air Squadron NAS Sea King HAS 5 HAS 6 UN Bosnia Operations Black Edge RNAS Yeovilton mid 1990s Fully embroidered cut edge 66mm by 56mm two and five eighth inches by two and one quarter inches.

Squadron History 1961 2016

After disbandment following WWII service 845 Naval Air Squadron reformed Whirlwind HAS 22 helicopters from 706 Squadron on 15 March 1954 at Gosport as the Royal Navys first front line anti submarine warfare helicopter squadron and deployed to the Mediterranean. The Squadron returned to the UK and disbanded at Lee on Solent in October 1955.

The Squadron reformed again in November 1955 at Lee on Solent equipped with Whirlwind HAS 22 helicopters initially for anti submarine operations and added Whirlwind HAR 3 to its inventory. The Squadron exercised and eventually worked up in the Mediterranean with the Royal Marines Commando. On 6 November 1956 845 Squadron contributed to the first ever major helicopter assault as part of Operation Musketeer at Port Said Egypt with specially modified Whirlwind helicopters. On returning to Lee on Solent Whirlwind HAS 7 helicopters were received during June 1957. Whilst aboard HMS Bulwark R08 in the Indian Ocean the Squadron was sent to assist in Aden but its deployment aboard HMS Centaur R06 in January 1959 ended with the Squadron grounded with engine problems. On returning to the UK HMS Bulwark went for refitting as a Commando Assault Carrier. The Squadron disbanded at RNAS Culdrose in April 1959.

845 Naval Air Squadron reactivated on 10 April 1962 at RNAS Culdrose with Wessex HAS 1 as the first of the Commando Helicopter squadrons. It embarked on HMS Albion in September and deployed to Brunei in November 1962. Transferring to HMS Bulwark In February 1964 the Squadron took control of 6 Wessex HAS 1s and 3 Hiller HT 2 from B Flt 706 Squadron when they arrived in the Far East in April 1964. The Squadron operated with great success with British Forces in Brunei and later Borneo and returned to the UK in September 1965. During these operations UK ground forces began to nickname the Commando Helicopter Squadrons as Junglies.

Wessex HU 5 were received in January 1966 and the Squadron sailed to the Far East again aboard HMS Bulwark in August 1966 picking up a liaison Wasp and returning to the UK in 1968. In June 1966 B Flight flew to Singapore and on to Borneo where the relieved 848 Squadron in Bario and Sepulot. HMS Bulwark sailed to Labuan in October 1966 and B flight joined the rest of the squadron on board. 845 Squadron was the last Squadron involved with Far East operations and became the last Junglies.

Transferred to HMS Albion in May 1970 with Wessex HU 5 and a Wasp the Squadron sailed for Cyprus September November 1970 to operate in the Mediterranean returning to the UK in December 1971. The Squadron reembarked on HMS Bulwark with 41 Commando RM for the WESTLANT
deployment May to July 1972 disembarking on 17 Jul 1972 for RNAS Culdrose..

While aboard HMS Albion from August 1972 the Squadrons home base was transferred from RNAS Culdrose to RNAS Yeovilton in September 1972. 845 NAS transferred to HMS Hermes in 1973 and sailed for the Mediterranean and its Wessex HU 5 and Sea King HAS 1s of 814 Squadron airlifted 1500 people from the beaches around Kyrenia following the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. In April 1976 the Squadron was reduced to eight Wessex HU 5 increasing again when it absorbed 846 Squadron in September 1977. From October 1977 845 Squadron provided a detachment in Northern Ireland.

845 Squadron took part in the Falklands War with A Flt operating from RFA Resource B Flt from RFA Fort Austin C Flt from RFA Tidespring D Flt from Wideawake Base on Ascension and E Flt from HMS Intrepid and HMS Invincible. The Squadron lost two Wessex on South Georgia on 22 April 1982 and a further Wessex on 25 May 1982 when mv Atlantic Conveyor was sunk. While the Squadron returned to UK in July 1982 a
detatchment deployed back to the Falklands and absorbed the Wessexs of 847 Squadron in August returning in December 1982. 845 NAS reequipped with Sea King HC 4 at RNAS Yeovilton in 1986.

The Squadron deployed to the Gulf for Operation Granby 1990 and subsequently was heavily involved in the First Gulf War before returning to the UK and reestablishing a presence in Northern Ireland between 1992 and 2002. The 1990s also saw deployment on operations in Bosnia with 845 NAS being the first British helicopter squadron into Bosnia and to leave in 2005. During this period the Squadron also met commitments in Sierra Leone.

The Squadron detached Sea King HC 4 helicopters to Iraq in January 2003 aboard HMS Ocean and took the first troops into Iraq during the assault on the Al Faw Peninsula remaining initially at Az Zubayr Port and after a brief return home moved to Basra International Airport from 2004. Leaving Iraq in 2007 the Squadron deployed to Afghanistan based at Camp Bastion and operating in Helmand Province. In October 2011 the Squadron returned to Yeovilton to provide aviation support to infantry training for Response Force Task Group UKs maritime contingent capability to respond to unexpected global events taking part in Operation Ellamy Libya 2011.

This patch dates from the mid 1990s