As part of Fleet Air Arm (Royal Navy Aircraft), 1841 had no fixed location, but was assigned to Aircraft Carriers. At the time of Lieutenant Gray's Victoria Cross, 1841 was assigned to HMS Formidable.
1944 - 1945
1841 NAS formed at NAS Brunswick, Maine, USA on 1. March 1944 as a single seater fighter squadron equipped with 18 Corsair Is, IIs and IIIs. These were replaced in June by Mk.IIs with which the squadron embarked in HMS Smiter for passage to the UK. After a period working up in the Clyde in HMS Formidable, the squadron helped to provide escort in July and August for bombing attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz, then lying in a Norwegian Fjord. In September 1841 NAS became part of the Fighter 6th Naval Wing, and the following month the HMS Fornidable sailed for the Far East. Intended operations in Crete en route were cancelled, and the squadron spent periods at Gibraltar and Dekheila before continuing with the ship in January 1945 to Ceylon.The squadron went ashore in southern India, and after re-equipping with 18 Corsair IVs saw action against targets in the Sakishima Gunto group of islands in the East China Seas in April and May 1945. In June the Wing was Merged into the 2nd Carrier Air Group, and shortly before VJ-Day strikes were ferried out in the Tokyo area. During one of these, Lt R. H. Gray, DSC, RCNVR lost his life whilst making an attack on a Japanese destroyer on 9. August 1945, being subsequently awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.The ship sailed for Australia after VJ-Day, where the squadron aircraft were withdrawn. The pilots then embarked in HMS Victorious for passage to the UK, disbanding on arrival on 31. October 1945.
1952 - 1957
1841 NAS reformed at RNAS Stretton on 18. August 1952 as an Anti-Submarine squadron in the Northern Air Division of the RN Volunteer Reserve. Equipment was 5 Firefly FR.1s, these being replaced in March 1955 by 8 Firefly AS.6s, which in turn gave way in December 1955 to 6 Avenger AS.6s. 1841 NAS disbanded on 10. March 1952 as part of that year's defence cuts. (Source: wings-aviation.ch)
1841 Squadron Diary
Royal Navy 1841 Squadron History