802 Naval Air Squadron

802 Naval Air Squadron
802 Naval Air Squadron
	Squadron badge
Active	Royal Air Force; 1933–1939; Royal Navy; 1939–1940; 1940–1941; 1942; 1945; 1946–1947; 1947–1952; 1953–1955; 1956–1959;
Disbanded	10 April 1959
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Type	Single-seat fighter squadron
Role	Carrier-based fighter squadron
Part of	Fleet Air Arm
Mottos	Prima Ferire; (Latin for 'First to Strike')
Aircraft	See Aircraft flown section for full list.
Engagements	World War II Norwegian campaign; Battle of the Atlantic; Arctic convoys of World War II; Operation Torch; Korean War Air Battle of South Korea; Suez Crisis Operation Musketeer;
Decorations	Boyd Trophy 1952
Battle honours	Norway 1940; Atlantic 1941; Arctic 1942; North Africa 1942; Korea 1952;
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Lieutenant Peter Carmichael, RN,
Insignia
Squadron Badge Description	In a blue field, Issuant from water, in base barry wavy white and blue, an arm embowed gold, the hand grasping an arrow white, winged gold
Identification Markings	561-576 (Nimrod); 548-549, 560 (Osprey); G6A+ (Sea Gladiator); single letters (Martlet); single letters (Seafire); to 131-145 (Seafire January 1946); 101-123 (Sea Fury); to 171-182 (Sea Fury February 1953); 171-182 (Sea Hawk November 1954); 131-142 (Sea Hawk from February 1956);
Fin Carrier Codes	V (Seafire January 1946); Q:T (Sea Fury); to T:O (Sea Fury February 1953); J (Sea Hawk November 1954); O:Z:R:E (Sea Hawk from February 1956);

802 Naval Air Squadron (802 NAS), colloquially called 802 Squadron, is an inactive Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Hawker Sea Hawk FB.5 fighter-bomber aircraft between April 1957 and March 1959, based at RNAS Lossiemouth, Moray.

Established in April 1933, the squadron flew various biplane fighter aircraft and was initially deployed from HMS Glorious, but was ultimately lost when the carrier was sunk in June 1940. Reformed in November with Grumman Martlet, these aircraft were assigned to operate from HMS Audacity and HMS Argus during July and August 1941; the latter detachment, designated 802B Flight, was soon reassigned to HMS Victorious. The squadron regrouped aboard HMS Audacity, however, it faced its second loss at sea when HMS Audacity was sunk by U-741 in December 1941.

Reformed in February 1942 with Hawker Sea Hurricane, the squadron embarked in HMS Avenger in September for an Arctic convoy and later to offer air cover for a segment of the North African invasion force. However, the squadron was lost when the carrier was torpedoed by U-155 in November 1942. It did not reform until May 1945 and operated with Supermarine Seafire. During the Korean War of 1950 to 1953 the squadron flew Hawker Sea Fury where notably one of the squadron was credited with shooting down a MiG-15.