826 Naval Air Squadron

826 Naval Air Squadron
826 Naval Air Squadron
	Squadron badge
Active	Royal Navy; 1940–1943; 1943–1944; Royal Canadian Navy; 1945–1946; 1947–1951; Royal Navy; 1951–1955; 1966–1970; 1970–1993;
Disbanded	27 July 1993
Country	United Kingdom; Canada
Branch	Royal Navy; Royal Canadian Navy
Type	Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadron
Role	Carrier-based: anti-submarine warfare (ASW); anti-surface warfare (ASuW);
Part of	Fleet Air Arm
Mottos	Latet anguis in aqua; (Latin for 'A snake lies concealed in the water')
Battle honours	Dunkirk 1940; North Sea 1940-44; Atlantic 1940; East Indies 1941; Mediterranean 1941-43; Matapan 1941; Crete 1941; Libya 1941-42; Falkland Islands 1982; Kuwait 1991;
Insignia
Squadron Badge Description	Blue, a sea horse white armed and langued red grasping a trident point downward in base gold (1952)
Identification Markings	L4A+, then 4A+ (Albacore); S4A+ (Albacore, later); 4A+ (Swordfish); 4A+ (Barracuda); single letters (Barracuda August 1945); 271-279 (Fairefly May 1951); 343-350 (Gannet); 340-347 (Wessex); 140-145 (Wessex October 1968); 140-147 (Sea King); 520-539 (Sea King 1983); 127-139 (Sea King) October 1985); 133-134 (Sea King OEU 1991-93);
Fin Carrier/Shore Codes	J:A:R:FD (Firefly May 1951); J (Gannet); CU (Wessex); E (Wessex October 1968); E:TG:B:H (Sea King); BD (Sea King OEU 1991-93);

826 Naval Air Squadron (826 NAS), sometimes known as 826 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated Westland Sea King anti-submarine warfare helicopter between June 1970 and July 1993.

It formed during World War II operating Fairey Albacore, Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers. Post war during the late forties the squadron flew Fairey Firefly, then briefly Grumman Avenger. The squadron transitioned to Fairey Gannet in 1955. Between 1966 and 1970 it flew Westland Wessex.