# 871 Naval Air Squadron

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 1951 and was disbanded in March 1959.

## 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 Majestic-class light aircraft carrier, HMCS Magnificent, 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 Majestic-class aircraft carrier, HMCS Bonaventure. 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 (ex-883 Sqn) (1 May - August 1951)
* HMCS Magnificent (August - October 1951)
* HMCS Shearwater (October 1951 - 2 June 1952)
* HMCS Magnificent (2 June - 9 October 1952)
* HMCS Shearwater (9 October - November 1952)
* HMCS Magnificent (November - 2 December 1952)
* HMCS Shearwater (2 December 1952 - February 1953)
* RCAF Station Rivers (February - March 1953)
* HMCS Shearwater (March - 30 May 1953)
* HMCS Magnificent (30 May - July 1953)
* HMCS Shearwater (July - 17 August 1953)
* HMCS Magnificent (17 August - September 1953)
* HMCS Shearwater (September 1953 - 2 July 1954)
* HMCS Magnificent (2 July - September 1954)
* HMCS Shearwater (September 1954 - 4 April 1955)
* HMCS Magnificent (4 April - 7 June 1955)
* HMCS Shearwater (7 June - September 1955)
* HMCS Magnificent (September - 7 December 1955)
* HMCS Shearwater (7 December 1955 - 15 February 1958)
* HMCS Bonaventure (15 February - 29 April 1958)
* Key West (29 April - 15 June 1958)
* HMCS Shearwater (15 June - 13 October 1958)
* RCAF Station Rivers (CJATC) (13 October - 10 November 1958)
* HMCS Shearwater (10 November - 15 January 1959)
* HMCS Bonaventure (15 January - 27 February 1959)
* HMCS Shearwater (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