871 Naval Air Squadron (871 NAS), also known as VF 871, was a squadron of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). It was established in May 1951871 NAS Fleet Air Arm and was disbanded in March 1959.VF-871 Naval Air Squadron Badge
History
Fighter squadron (1951-1959)
871 Naval Air Squadron was established within the numbering system of the Commonwealth Navies as a Royal Canadian Navy unit, resulting from the renumbering of 883 Naval Air Squadron at HMCS Shearwater, Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 1 May 1951. Initially equipped with ten Hawker Sea Fury FB. 11 fighter aircraft, it served as part of the 30th Carrier Air Group on light aircraft carrier, , primarily tasked with fleet air defense.
In November 1952, the squadron adopted an American-style designation, becoming VF 871. Following a re-equipment phase in August 1956, it transitioned to eight McDonnell F2H Banshee jet fighter aircraft. By 1958, these aircraft were upgraded to carry AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, and that same year, the squadron was deployed aboard the , . Ultimately, VF 871 was integrated into VF 870 at RCAF Station Dartmouth on 16 March 1959.
Aircraft operated
The squadron has operated a couple of different aircraft types:
Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 fighter-bomber (May 1951 - August 1956) McDonnell F2H Banshee jet fighter aircraft (August 1956 - March 1959)
Naval air stations and aircraft carriers
871 Naval Air Squadron, VF 871, operated from a naval air stations of the Royal Canadian Navy in Canada and also a couple of Royal Canadian Navy light aircraft carriers:
HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (ex-883 Naval Air Squadron) (1 May - August 1951) (August - October 1951) HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (October 1951 - 2 June 1952) HMCS Magnificent (2 June - 9 October 1952) HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (9 October - November 1952) HMCS Magnificent (November - 2 December 1952) HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (2 December 1952 - February 1953) RCAF Station Rivers, Manitoba, (February - March 1953) HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (March - 30 May 1953) HMCS Magnificent (30 May - July 1953) HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (July - 17 August 1953) HMCS Magnificent (17 August - September 1953) HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (September 1953 - 2 July 1954) HMCS Magnificent (2 July - September 1954) HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (September 1954 - 4 April 1955) HMCS Magnificent (4 April - 7 June 1955) HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (7 June - September 1955) HMCS Magnificent (September - 7 December 1955) HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (7 December 1955 - 15 February 1958) (15 February - 29 April 1958) Key West (29 April - 15 June 1958) HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (15 June - 13 October 1958) RCAF Station Rivers, Manitoba, (CJATC) (13 October - 10 November 1958) HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (10 November - 15 January 1959) HMCS Bonaventure (15 January - 27 February 1959) HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia, (27 February - 16 March 1959) absorbed into VF 870 (16 March 1959)
Commanding officers
List of commanding officers of 871 Naval Air Squadron, VF 871:
Lieutenant(N) W.D. Munro, RCN, from 1 May 1951 Lieutenant-commander D.H.P. Ryan, RCN, from November 1951 Lieutenant(N) R. Heath, RCN, from July 1952 Lieutenant-commander M. Wasteneys, RCN, from 23 March 1953 Lieutenant-commander J.W. Logan, RCN, from 2 July 1954 Lieutenant-commander R.A.R. Laidler, CD, RCN, from 13 January 1956 Lieutenant-commander J.J. Harvie, CD, RCN, from 22 July 1957 absorbed into VF 870 16 March 1959
References
Citations
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