An urgent request for help was given to the Royal Navy after the extensive North Sea flooding of East Anglia and the Netherlands on the night of 31 January 1953. 12 Dragonfly HR.1 and HR.3 helicopters were dispatched from 705 Naval Air Squadron from their base at RNAS Gosport (HMS Siskin). During the 7 hours flying in response to the floods 840 people were rescued; one single pilot was responsible for 111 of these, and another for 102.