RNoAF Patch Royal Norwegian Air Force 330 Skv Squadron Sea King

RNoAF 330 Skv Squadron Patch Royal Norwegian Air Force Skvadron SAR Sea King Helicopter 1970s Bodo Main Air Base Embroidered on twill cut edge 85mm three and three eighth inches diameter

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RNoAF 330 Skv Squadron Patch Royal Norwegian Air Force Skvadron Sea King SAR

History

WWII N 3PB float plane PBY 5 Catalina flying boat Sunderland Mk II Mk III and Mk V flying boat

The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service ordered eighteen N 3PB single engine floatplanes on 12 March 1940 the first order for Northrop Corporation. Operated by three crew the pilot a navigator bombardier and a wireless operator rear gunner the aircraft had a range of 870 nautical miles. The N 3PB was armed with four fixed forward .50 machineguns and two .30 machine guns dorsal and ventral positions and could carry 2000 pounds of bombs depth charges or torpedo. Before their completion Germany Had invaded and taken over Norway and the aircraft were delivered to Little Norway Toronto Canada. In autumn 1940 the Free Norwegian cabinet agreed that the RAF could use the aircraft with exiled Norwegian forces to operate reconnaissance and escort services around Iceland.

The Royal Air Force activated 330 Norwegian Squadron at RAF Reykjavík Iceland on 25 April 1941 with Norwegian volunteers equipped with the N 3PB assigned to RAF Coastal Command in Reykjavík. RAF Squadrons formed from foreign volunteers were numbered by the RAF from 300 onwards. The Squadron was tasked with maritime patrol anti submarine operations and escorting Allied Arctic convoys around Iceland. The aircraft arrived by convoy in Iceland on 22 May 1941 assembled and operational on 23 June 1941. The Squadron located B Flight to Valhall Akureyri on 20 June 1941 and C Flight at Camp Norse Búðareyri on 14 September 1941. A Flight and Headquarters remained at Corbett Camp RAF Reykjavík. On patrol south of Iceland a 300 Norwegian Squadron floatplane attacked U 570 and an adjacent trawler with small bombs and machine guns on 28 August 1941. The crew were unaware that U 570 had surrendered and the trawler was anti submarine trawler HMT Northern Chief. The N 3PB was ordered away by other Royal Navy ships.

330 Norwegian Squadron experienced issues with the N 3PB. Being so far North the aircrafts compass did not operate correctly leading to two aircraft losses. The Squadron was retasked to air ambulance missions in Iceland in late 1941.

The Squadron added six PBY 5A Catalina twin engine flying boat aircraft to its fleet in June 1942 for reconnaissance anti submarine patrol and convoy escort. The Squadron retained six N 3PB aircraft for C Flight at Camp Norse Búðareyri as it was unsuitable for Catalina operations. B Flight at Valhall Akureyri was relocated to Corbett Camp RAF Reykjavík in December 1942. Before its move to RAF Oban the Squadron accumulated 3524 hours flying with the N 3BP and 855 hours with the PBY 5 Catalina and lost 21 airmen.

330 Norwegian Squadron Headquarters and A and B Flights moved to RAF Oban Scotland on 23 January 1943 and reequipped with six Sunderland Mk II and six Sunderland Mk III four engine flying boat aircraft. C Flight remained at Camp Norse Búðareyri Iceland operating the N 3PB float plane aircraft. The squadron became operational on 20 April 1943 and deployed a detachment to RAF Scatsta Shetland Islands on 23 April 1943. The Squadron continued reconnaissance anti submarine patrol and meteorological surveys of the areas between Shetland and Iceland including the Faeroe Islands. C Flight at Camp Norse Búðareyri was withdrawn on 11 June 1943. Patrols intensified when German submarines operations moved further north following the invasion of France on 6 June 1944 and patrolling moved closer to Norway as German submarine tactics changed after August 1944 when its bases in France became unusable.

The Squadron upgraded to Sunderland Mk V flying boat aircraft in April 1945. While in Scotland 330 Norwegian Squadron accumulated 12000 hours operations with its Sunderland fluing boats during 655 sweeps and patrols escorting 50 convoys and undertaking 22 search and rescue missions by the German surrender on 8 May 1945 losing six aircraft.

Following the German surrender the Squadrons role was changed to air transport from the United Kingdom to Norway and within Norway. 330 Norwegian Squadron was relocated to Sola Air Station Norway in June 1945. The Squadron provided a daily coastal route from Sola to Bergen Airport Sandviken and Trondheim with many flights continuing to Tromsø Airport Skattøra.

330 Norwegian Squadron was handed to the newly formed Royal Norwegian Air Force on 21 November 1945 as the RAF withdrew from Norway. To honour its achievements during the War the Royal Norwegian Air Force was permitted to retain its RAF Squadron numbers. 330 Skvadron RNoAF was officially deactivated on 15 December 1945 with Most personnel transferred to 333 Skvadron which had just relocated to Sola Air Station.

F 84G Thunderjet

330 Skv Squadron was reactivated on 20 July 1953 at Gardermoen AB equipped with F 84G Thunderjet interceptor fighter bombers becoming operational in March 1954. 330 Skvadron became responsible for operational conversion training with bombing practice at Sola AB and participating in exercises.

F 86F Sabre

The Squadron relocated to Rygge AB on 28 August 1956 and converted to F 86F Sabre fighters before deactivating on 5 July 1958.

HU 16B Albatross

RNoAF 330 Skv Squadron reactivated at Sola AB on 1 March 1962 equipped with HU 16B Albatross flying boats for anti submarine warfare and maritime patrol and was designated operational training unit for 330 and 333 Squadrons. 330 Skv established a detachment at Bardufoss Air Station and was declared operational on 15 July 1963. With the limited capacity of the Albatrosses to carry out sweeps the Norwegian aircraft were retasked with surveillance with British and US aircraft providing patrol cover. With the introduction of the P 3 Orion and the reduction in Albatross aircraft 330 Squadron was deactivated on 1 October 1968.

Sea King Mk 43 helicopter

330 Sqn reactivated on 25 April 1973 equipped with Sea King Search and Rescue SAR helicopters with headquarters and A Flight at Bodo Main AB B Flight at Banak AB C Flight at Orland AB and D Flight at Sola AB. The Flights were redesignated Detachments in 1980. In addition to maritime SAR the Squadron increasingly undertook SAR over land air ambulance missions and aerial firefighting. RNoAF 330 Skv Squadron became part of the National Air Ambulance Service when set up in 1988 and began carrying a civilian anaesthetist as part of the crew.  The Squadron lost several aircraft through accidents during the 1970s and 1980s and two Sea Kings were received in 1995 and a new Detachment established at Rygge AB on 22 March 1999. 330 Squadrons funding became the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice and the Police in 2004 and on call rooms were introduced to improve response time to 15 minutes and the Squadron introduced a new detachment at Floro Airport in 2009.

AW101 SAR Queen helicopter

The AW101 was chosen to replace the RNoAF 330 Skv Squadron Sea King helicopters on a base by base rolling programme. The Sola Air Base Detachment was the first declared operational with the AW101 helicopters on 1 September 2020 with the Detachment at Ørland Air base next in May 2021. The AW101 were named SAR Queen. Detachments at Bodo and Banak followed with Rygge the last base to reequip with the SAR Queen The last Sea King Mk 43B made its last sortie a visit to all Norwegian bases it operated from between 22 to 27 November 2023.

This RNoAF 330 Skv Squadron Patch dates from the 1970s.