835 Naval Air Squadron 835 Naval Air Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Navy ' s Fleet Air Arm formed originally as a Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber / reconnaissance unit in February 1942 . In June 1943 , six Sea Hurricane s were added to the squadron as a fighter flight . The composite unit exchanged these in September 1944 for Grumman Wildcat s , serving on until 1 April 1945 , when the squadron disbanded . History . 1942 . The history of the squadron begins in Eastleigh near Southampton in Hampshire . There , in January 1942 , the first members of the squadron assembled at the Royal Naval Air Station ( RNAS ) Eastleigh , also known as HMS Raven . On 29 January they left for Glasgow to board the SS Andalucia Star , which brought them to Jamaica , leaving Glasgow on 4 February and arriving in Kingston on 17 February . 835 Naval Air Squadron officially forming that day at Palisadoes ( HMS Buzzard ) , Jamaica as a torpedo - bomber / reconnaissance Fairey Swordfish squadron . They left Jamaica 12 March 1942 , having done some patrols over the seas around Jamaica , going to Norfolk , Virginia , USA where a refitted lay waiting for them to take them aboard They left Norfolk on 3 April 1942 for the UK , arriving 15 April at RNAS Lee - on - Solent ( HMS Daedalus ) , Hampshire . In June 1942 they moved to RNAS Hatston ( HMS Sparrowhawk ) , Orkney , Scotland . It was a time of continuous relocation and 22 September 1942 they moved further to RNAS Stretton ( HMS Blackcap ) , Cheshire , moving on 29 October to RNAS Machrihanish ( HMS Landrail ) , Argyll . November 1942 was spent doing initial Deck Launch Training ( DLT ) on . and December saw a return to RNAS Machrihanish and a further relocation to RAF Kirkistown , County Down , Northern Ireland , where they stayed till 29 January 1943 . 1943 . On 29 January , they moved back to RNAS Machrihanish ( earning the nickname " Clapham Junction " with the squadron ) , but the next move was finally to a carrier : the squadron embarked on on 8 April 1943 for convoy duties , but they had to leave on 7 May , returning to RNAS Machrihanish for RP - 3 Rocker Projectile training . After a short return to the Battler , followed a move on 15 May to RAF BallyKelly , County Londonderry , Northern Ireland and a further one on 22 May to RNAS Eglington ( HMS Gannet ) . In June 1943 , a flight of six Sea Hurricane Mk . IIc s from 804 squadron joined the squadron , which spent part of September and October 1943 operating from , while part of the Swordfishes served on and the rest of the squadron remained at RAF Ayr , Ayrshire , Scotland . After a period ashore at RNAS Eglington , the squadron shortly embarked on , only to be taken off three weeks later and being transferred to RNAS Abbotsinch ( HMS Sanderling ) and later again to RNAS Eglington . 1944 . On 31 December 1943 , the squadron transferred to the escort carrier , returning ashore at RNAS Hatston and RNAS Machrihanish ( HMS Landrail ) in January 1944 . Most of 1944 , however , was spent onboard " Nairana " , on Atlantic convoy duties and on the Gibraltar Run . The squadron also served in 1944 with a successful submarine Hunter - Killer Group in the North Atlantic under the overall command of Captain Frederick Walker . In May – June 1944 , three Ju 290 s were shot down . In August 1944 , the squadron became involved in the Murmansk Convoy s to and from RNAS Hatston , where it faced the most dangerous flying conditions of the war , and attacked two U - Boats and shot down four enemy aircraft . September 1944 saw the arrival of the Grumman Wildcat Mk . VI s , replacing the by now ageing Sea Hurricanes . 1945 . On 9 January 1945 , Lt - Commander John Godley RNVR — who had previously been in command of ' P ' Flight of 836 Naval Air Squadron — became commander of the squadron . Before that , the squadron was led by Lieutenant - Commander Val Jones , a Swordfish Observer . The Senior Pilot of the squadron was Lieutenant Allen Burgham , DSC , MiD , who flew Sea Hurricane Mk . IIcs and later Wildcat Mk . VIs , and was Flight Commander of the Fighter Component . At this time , the squadron was flying 14 Swordfish and six Grumman Wildcat aircraft . Lieutenant - Commander John Godley served as Squadron Commanding Officer for one Murmansk Convoy in February 1945 . 835 Squadron saw further combat doing two coastal anti - shipping raids along the Norwegian coast off Trondheim , before being disbanded on 1 April 1945 at RNAS Hatston , with its fighter flight transferring to 821 Naval Air Squadron . Lt / Cdr . Godley was transferred to command 714 Naval Air Squadron .