771 Naval Air Squadron 771 Naval Air Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm was formed on 24 May 1939 at Lee - on - Solent as a Fleet Requirements Unit with 14 Fairey Swordfish TSR biplanes . The Squadron carried out various exercises with ships and provided towed targets for naval air gunners . World War 2 . The Squadron initially had a northern element ( X Flight ) , and a southern element ( Y Flight ) . ' X ' Flight broke away on 28 September 1939 to become 772 Naval Air Squadron . The reshaped 771 NAS was based at RNAS Hatston flying a variety of fixed - wing aircraft , ranging from Walruses to Hurricanes , from airfields across the UK and abroad . A notable point in 771s wartime history was that they started the chain that led to the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck . The Commanding Officer of HMS Sparrowhawk , Capt Henry Lockhart St John Fancourt , RN , had been ordered to identify and sink the Bismarck at the earliest opportunity . The two squadrons of Albacore TSR s he had did not have sufficient range to attack the battleship whilst in harbour . He was relying on the Royal Air Force to carry out flights over Bergen , and inform the Royal Navy when the Battleship had left port . On 22 May 1941 RAF Coastal Command deemed the weather unsuitable for flight ; however , Capt Fancourt , RN volunteered to put together a crew to fly 771s Maryland twin engined plane to carry out the sortie . Temporary Lieutenant ( A ) Noel Ernest Goddard , RNVR , at the time the Senior Pilot of 771 NAS , volunteered to pilot the sortie , with his crew of Acting Leading Airman John Walker Armstrong as TAG - WO , and Leading Airman J . D . Milne as TAG - AG . The extremely experienced observer Commander Geoffry Alexander Rotherham , at the time the Air Stations XO , stepped up to act as Mission Commander . Goddard flew on instruments at low level over the sea , making landfall on target . Having identified that the ships had sailed already they attempted to radio their discovery back to RAF Coastal Command . However , they did not receive any reply . Rotherham decided to contact the Air Station directly on the Towed Target frequency and also fly directly to HMS Sparrowhawk ' s forward airfield , Sumburgh , where the Albacores were ready to intercept . Acting on Rotherhams ' s radio message , the Home Fleet were set to sea and engage the Bismarck and her escorts intercepting her at the Battle of the Denmark Straits . On 16 September 1941 The London Gazette reported the awarding of the following honours : Rotherham received the DSO , Goddard the DSC , and Armstrong the DSM . Goddard went on to Command 771 NAS as a Temporary Lieutenant Commander ( A ) on 15 October 1941 . On 1 July 1942 771 NAS moved to RNAS Twatt to fly more modern aircraft in a similar role . Post World War 2 . In February 1945 , 771 received the Hoverfly , making it the first naval air squadron to operate helicopters , which it used until May 1947 . After victory in Europe the Fleet moved from Scapa Flow to Portsmouth and the anchorage at Portland . 771 NAS followed south to RNAS Zeals and then to RNAS Lee - on - Solent and RNAS Ford . Here the Squadron flew Martinets , Bostons , Corsairs , Wildcats , Oxfords , Hellcats , Seafires , Harvards , Mosquitos , Sea Furys , Sturgeons , as well as the Hoverfly . The Hoverflies were transferred to 705 Naval Air Squadron as it was formed . During the Defence reductions following World War II it was decided that 771 would be disbanded in August 1955 ( whilst operating the Avro Anson , de Havilland Sea Hornet , Gloster Meteor , de Havilland Sea Vampire and Fairey Firefly ) when it combined with 703 Naval Air Squadron to form 700 Naval Air Squadron . Helicopter - only squadron . 771 NAS reformed in 1961 and assumed the helicopter trials and training roles from 700 NAS with the Westland Whirlwind , Westland Dragonfly , and the Westland Wasp prototype at RNAS Portland . During this time 771 was able to pioneer and develop many Search And Rescue techniques ; including helicopter in - flight refueling ( HIFR ) , hi - line transfer , free diver drop and cliff winching techniques . Soon after standing up again , the Squadron gained two Westland Whirlwind HAR . 3s and assumed the RNAS Portland SAR commitment . The Squadron was disbanded on 1 December 1964 , on being absorbed into 829 Naval Air Squadron . On 23 June 1967 , the squadron reformed with the new primary task of anti - submarine warfare ( ASW ) Fleet Requirements Unit , in addition to the Portland SAR duty . Nine Whirlwind HAS . 7 were used by the Squadron at this time . The Westland Wessex was introduced in 1969 with the Mk 1 . This marked the beginning of a long association of the aircraft with the squadron . By 1970 , the ASW role had been passed on to 737 Naval Air Squadron , making SAR 771 ' s primary role , a role that has remained to the present day . The Squadron moved to RNAS Culdrose in September 1974 . Six of its Wessex aircraft were left at RNAS Portland , to form the basis of 772 Naval Air Squadron . The Wessex HAS . 1 was replaced by the twin turbine - powered Wessex HU . 5 in 1979 , when it was involved with the 1979 Fastnet race rescues . During the Falklands Conflict all of 771 aircraft were taken for troop transport roles , some went to 722 Naval Air Squadron , but the majority reformed 847 Naval Air Squadron and 848 Naval Air Squadron along with some of 771 NASs aircrew . The remaining crew went either to their old aircraft type , or to new roles in the Lynx or Wasp fleets . Two Wessex Mk . 5 from Wroughton were used in August 1982 to form the backbone of 771 NAS as it took the SAR commitment back from the RAF . In January 1983 the Squadron once again operated mixed fleets of rotary and fixed wing aircraft as it absorbed the Station Flight , taking ownership of two Chipmunks and 2 Sea Devons . It operated these until the end of 1989 when the Sea Devon was withdrawn from service . In 1985 the Squadron absorbed 707 Naval Air Squadron ' s Wessex helicopters when 771 NAS took over Commando Helicopter Training . The Wessex were replaced by Westland Sea King HAS . 5s , converted to HAR . 5s , in October 1987 as the Squadron assumed a long range , day / night and all weather SAR capability . In July 2001 , 771 Squadron assumed the responsibility for Advanced and Operational Flying Training for anti - submarine warfare ( ASW ) pilots and Observers , as well as the residual Sea King HAS . 5 & HAS . 6 Pilot Conversion and Refresher Courses . Today the Squadron only operates the Sea King HAR . 5 in the grey and red colours , with nine permanently stationed at RNAS Culdrose . 771 ' s sister unit , Gannet Flight operates 3 HAR . 5s performing a similar role from HMS Gannet on Prestwick Airport . 771 ' s primary role is one of military Search and Rescue , with secondary roles in civilian Search and Rescue , Pilot and Observer refresher training , utility and liaison and ab - initio Pilot Conversion and operational training . To perform these roles , one of the helicopters is on 15 minutes notice to fly during the day , and 45 minutes during the night , with a duty crew on call for 24 hours . This duty is maintained for 365 days of the year , with a second standby aircraft ready to assist should the emergency demand it . Ace of Clubs . 771s Helicopters feature the unofficial Ace of Clubs Squadron Logo . The origin of this logo is unclear , but it is widely believed to follow a similar pedigree as the Royal Navy Historic Flight Hawker Sea Hawk , wearing 806 NAS ' s Ace of Diamonds logo . Shortly after the Second World War Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm often had an in - house display team . Each of the display aircraft were painted with identification marks . Playing card suits were chosen by some Squadrons as they were a neat identification that allows clear hierarchy ; the Squadron Commanding Officer would take the Ace card , the XO the King and so on until each aircraft had a value relating to the seniority in the Squadron / display team of that pilot . Today 771 does not assign an aircraft to each pilot , instead operating a pool of aircraft allowing each pilot to fly any helicopter . It was chosen that only the Ace of Clubs would be painted on each of the helicopters in the Squadrons fleet . Rescues . 771 NAS is one of the busiest SAR units in the UK being called out an average of 220 times per year . With the limitations in civilian flight rules for the Cornwall Air Ambulance pilots 771 is also often called upon to perform patient and hospital transfers throughout the West Country . These are typically when the Air Ambulance is engaged in other duties , in poor weather , at night or where no suitable landing place is close by , allowing the Sea King to utilise its winch . Individual honours have included 4 George Medal s , 3 Air Force Crosses , 6 Queens Gallantry Medals , and 14 Queen ' s Commendation for Bravery awards . Some of the more memorable rescues have been : RN SAR 60 . As one of only two presently commissioned units of the 10 that have operated in the dedicated Royal Navy Search and Rescue role , 771 NAS are a core part of the year long celebration to recognise 60 years of RN Helicopter Search and Rescue . Events are taking place throughout the country and media all year , with the RN SAR Force raising £60 , 000 for charity . Aircraft Operated by 771 NAS . There are 68 different marks of aircraft known to have been operated by 771 NAS .