808 Naval Air Squadron 808 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed in July 1940 . It served on a number of the Navy ' s aircraft carriers during the Second World War , serving in most of the theatres of the war , before decommissioning at the end of the war . It was re - formed in 1950 as 808 Squadron RAN , a carrier - based attack squadron of the Royal Australian Navy ' s Fleet Air Arm , and saw action during the Korean War before disbanding again in 1958 . History . Royal Navy . 808 Squadron was formed at RNAS Worthy Down in July 1940 , flying twelve Fairey Fulmar s in the role of a Fleet Fighter squadron . They were initially assigned to the Isle of Man to carry out patrols over the Irish Sea , but were soon transferred to Wick for the defence of the dockyards . Following this , the squadron was reassigned to RAF Fighter Command , and was one of only two Allied naval aviation squadrons to take part in the Battle of Britain , the other being 804 Naval Air Squadron . In September 1940 , the squadron was assigned to the aircraft carrier , which was part of Force H , operating in the Mediterranean . The squadron shot down two enemy aircraft in an attack on Sardinia in November , followed by another two in operations over Sicily in January 1941 , and a fifth while defending Malta in May . The carrier was reassigned to the Atlantic in late May , as part of the hunt for the . Following the successful sinking of the " Bismarck " , the carrier returned to the Mediterranean , with 807 and 808 Squadrons claiming fifteen aerial kills during July and August . 808 Squadron was embarked when " Ark Royal " was torpedoed and sunk by the on 13 November 1941 . Although all of the squadron personnel survived the sinking , many of the aircraft were lost in the attack : the surviving aircraft were flown from " Ark Royal " before the carrier sank , and on arrival in Gibraltar were merged with the survivors of 807 Squadron , which had also been embarked . 808 Squadron was re - formed with six Fulmar IIs aboard in January 1942 . They came aboard HMS " Battler " between April and May 1943 , and took part in operations covering the Salerno landings in September 1943 . They then formed part of the 3rd Naval Fighter Wing , returning to the United Kingdom aboard HMS " Hunter " . The Squadron was re - equipped in May 1944 at RNAS Lee - on - Solent with 20 Supermarine Seafire L . IIIs . At the same time , they were attached to No . 345 Reconnaissance Wing of the Royal Air Force ' s Second Tactical Air Force . While part of this wing , 808 Squadron , along with three other FAA squadrons ( 885 , 886 and 897 ) and two RAF squadrons ( 26 and 63 ) , plus the USN ' s VCS - 7 , all flying Spifire VBs , provided valuable target coordinates and fire control for RN and USN battleships and cruisers during 20 days of operations . On D - Day " pooling " of the spotting units ' aircraft meant that all units flew either Spitfires or Seafires . Normandy Landings . This role of " spotters " lasted until 26 June , by which time the fighting was too far inland to be covered by the ship ' s guns . Following this , the squadron was re - equipped with 24 Hellcat Is and IIs . 808 Squadron was assigned to the British Eastern Fleet in January 1945 , embarked aboard the escort carrier HMS " Khedive " . While part of the Eastern Fleet , the squadron operated off Malaya and Sumatra , with periods spent flying off HMS " Emperor " . They covered the re - occupation of Rangoon in May , carried out strikes against Japanese airfields in Sumatra in June , and covered the re - occupation of Malaya after the Japanese surrender . The squadron was decommissioned at the end of the war . Royal Australian Navy . 808 Squadron was re - formed on 25 April 1950 at RNAS St Merryn , equipped with Hawker Sea Furies and assigned to operate with the Royal Australian Navy . The squadron was embarked aboard HMAS " Sydney " as part of the 21st Carrier Air Group . 808 Squadron was one of three RAN squadrons embarked aboard " Sydney " during her deployment to the Korean War . 808 Squadron ' s tour of Korea primarily consisted of combat air patrols , ground attack support , armed reconnaissance , and anti - shipping strikes . In 1954 , the squadron was decommissioned , but was re - formed a year later , equipped with de Havilland Sea Venom FAW . 53 s , and assigned to the new Australian carrier , HMAS " Melbourne " . 808 Squadron remained in service for three years , and was finally decommissioned on 1 December 1958 . 808 Squadron re - formed in 2011 to operate the RAN ' s six MRH90 helicopters . The squadron was formally recommissioned on 11 July 2013 .