889 Naval Air Squadron (889 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm.[1][unreliable source?]
| 889 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1942-1944 1945 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
The squadron was formed in March 1942 as a fighter squadron, operating in North Africa and the Middle East before disbanding in February 1943. It was reformed in April 1944 at Colombo, Ceylon, as a fighter squadron and disbanded again in July 1944, and reformed in July 1945 as a Photographic Reconnaissance Unit.
When the war ended, 889 Squadron FAA, equipped with 6 Hellcat Is and II (PR) photo-reconnaissance variants, was preparing to depart from Scotland for the Far East (the squadron had been based at RAF Woodvale since its re-formation after VE Day, and practising carrier operations on HMS Trouncer before moving to HMS Ravager), to replace 888 Squadron FAA, and intended to photograph Japanese beaches prior planned invasion that was forestalled by the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. With the cessation of hostilities, the squadron (which included pilot William Stevenson) was disbanded and the Hellcats dumped off the Scottish coast (the fate of many lend-lease aircraft that survived the war, which under the terms of the agreement were to be returned to the United States or paid for, while there was no requirement to refund the cost of aircraft that had been lost).[2][unreliable source?][3]