About This Unit
No. 808 Squadron, RAN
The 808 Naval Air Squadron was initially a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed in July 1940. It served on a number of the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers during the Second World War, serving in most of the theatres of the war, before decommissioning at the end of the war.
It was re-formed in 1950 as No. 808 Squadron RAN, a carrier-based attack squadron of the Royal Australian Navy's Fleet Air Arm, equipped with Hawker Sea Fury fighter aircraft, the fastest piston engined aircraft of its era and heavily armed. It was assigned to operate with the Royal Australian Navy and was embarked aboard HMAS Sydney as part of the 21st Carrier Air Group.
No. 808 Squadron was one of three RAN squadrons embarked aboard Sydney during her deployment to the Korean War. No. 808 Squadron's tour of Korea primarily consisted of combat air patrols, ground attack support, armed reconnaissance, and anti-shipping strikes. No. 808 Squadron of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) played a crucial role in the Korean War as part of the 20th Carrier Air Group. Operating Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 fighter aircraft, the squadron conducted intense ground attack and combat missions against North Korean forces and supply lines between October 1951 and January 1952.
In 1954, the squadron was decommissioned, but was re-formed a year later, equipped with de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.53s, and assigned to the new Australian carrier, HMAS Melbourne.
808 Squadron remained in service for a further three years, and was finally decommissioned on 1 December 1958. 808 Squadron re-formed in 2011 to operate the RAN's six MRH90 helicopters. The squadron was formally recommissioned on 11 July 2013.
Korean War Aircraft - Hawker Sea Fury Mk II, de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.53
RAN Battle honours
Korea 1951-2
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