Aircraft Carrier Fighter/Supersonic Interceptor
Ground Attack/Strike.
Ground Attack/Strike.
Phantom Post Operational Conversion Unit (PPOCU)
It consisted of a flight of five aircraft based at RAF Leuchars in Fife Scotland.
Maintainance Personnel and Aircrew would train to operational standard between front line tours prior to joining or returning to 892 Squadron Front Line on HMS Ark Royal.
The CO (OC) was a Squadron Leader RAF and the Flight was the cost base of 111 Sqn an F4K Squadron based at RAF Leuchars.
Roles were Ground Attack/Interception/Deck Landing Practice/Instrument Ratings and General Flying.
Tail Identifier U: XT 857
Tail Identifier V: XT 861
Tail Identifier W: XT 866
Tail Identifier X: XV 569
Tail Identifier Y: XV 570
Airframe numbers supplied by (EA (Air) 1st Class) Colin Puddick, who served in The PTF Flight. November 2022.
Evaluation and testing of the Phantom F4K prior to formation of 892 Sqn and embarkation to HMS Ark Royal.
Formed at RNAS Yeovilton. Somerset, England on 30th April 1968 and disbanded 31th March 1969.
Homebase RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, England.
Mother Ship. HMS Ark Royal.
892 Squadron's badge is prominent on the fin in red, white and black; the black letter "Omega" Ω was chosen for the marking as it is the last letter of the Greek alphabet, and at the time it was thought that 892 would be the last fixed-wing Naval Squadron. The white letter "R" is the code for HMS Ark Royal and the white "001" on the nose is the individual aircraft ident. The Squadron's Phantoms carried codes between 001 and 017.
892 Squadron Commanding Officers in Chronological Order
Lt Cdr (P) Nick Kerr RN SP. Lt Cdr. (P) Richard Moody RN SOBS Lt Cdr (O) John Ellis RN
Lt Cdr (P) Chris Hunneyball RN SP. Lt Cdr. (P) Richard Moody RN SOBS Lt Cdr (O) Hugh Drake RN.
Cdr (O) Hugh Drake RN SP. Lt Cdr (P0 Nigel Ward RN SOBS Lt Cdr (O) Doug McDonald RN.
Lt. Cdr. (P) Nick Taylor RN SP. Lt Cdr. (P) Andy Auld RN SOBS Lt Cdr (O) Bernie Steed RN.
Lt Cdr (O) John Ellis RN SP. Lt Cdr. (P) Andy Auld RN SOBS Lt Cdr (O) Bernie Steed RN.
CO Commanding Officer
SP Senior Pilot
SOBS Senior Observer
Updated and corrected March 2024. Information from Lt Cdr Richard Moody RN
Formed at RNAS Yeovilton 14th January 1969.
Sea Vixen aircrew converted to the Phantom F4K.
Disbanded 01 August 1972.
Detachment to Dutch Airforce Base KLU Leeuwarden 14th April 1972 to 17th April 1972.
above: 1976 on HMS Ark Royal with CO. Cdr. Hugh Drake RN.
archive NAM Alan Sheppard (1974/77)
above: June 1977 at RNAS Yeovilton. Prior to flying in the Queens Royal Review at Spithead. With CO Lt. Cdr. Nick Harris RN.
above: September 1977 at RAF Leuchars with CO. Lt. Cdr. John Ellis RN.
Rear of group: Neil Thomas/ Pete Budd/Tim Wright/Dick Lotinga/Andy Tomlinson/Selwyn Rodda/Andy Auld/Pat Gravitt/Taff Davies/Bill Alexander/Dave Bunnell/ Murdo MacLeod/Trevor Newby
Front row: Ken McKelvie/Tim Hewlett/John Eyton-Jones (EJ)/ Paul Bennett/ Steve Riley/ John Ellis/Dave Hanson/Bernie Steed/ Dave Braithwaite/Bob Rowley/Barry Nocher
above: 1978 on HMS Ark Royal at St Thomas Virgin Islands. The last Commission.
archive Lt. Cdr. Bernie Steed RN
