880 Naval Air Squadron
880 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed in January 1941. The squadron served throughout the Second World War being embarked in the carriers, Indomitable, Argus and Implacable serving off East Africa, in the Mediterranean, off Norway and in the Far East. 880 Squadron was disbanded two weeks after VJ day at the Mobile Naval Air Base HMS Nabswick at Schofields, Sydney, Australia.
The squadron was re-formed as an anti-submarine squadron of the Royal Canadian Navy in May 1951 and was renamed VS-880 following the USN naming convention in 1952. In March 1975 its role was significantly altered and the squadron was re-designated as 880 Maritime Reconnaissance Squadron under which name it served until CFB Summerside was closed in 1990. From 1981 onwards 880 Squadron provided support for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the government department responsible for managing Canada's ocean resources. 880's CP-121 Trackers were used to patrol Georges Bank and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to monitor foreign fishing fleets. The squadron has never been officially disbanded and still exists as a "zero strength" unit.
