Air War WW2 Portal 
History
For operations from Merchant Aircraft Carriers the Dutch established a new Naval Squadron (no.860).
During the war 19 MAC ships were on duty on the Atlantic Ocean, of these two were Dutch, the Shell tankers 'Gadila' and 'Macoma'. Their main task was escorting the Atlantic Convoys. The MACs were very effective against U-boat attacks. Of the 217 transatlantic convoys since the first MAC entered service in May 1943 only two convoy-losses were counted!
To equip the two Dutch MACs the Dutch established the no. 860 (Dutch) Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It started operations with Swordfish mk.I, mk.II and mk.III aircraft.
The first Swordfish aircraft arrived in june 1943. The Swordfish aircraft served with no. 860 Squadron until May 1945. The aircraft were lend form the British Fleet Air Arm and returned after their service with the Dutch.
Just after the ending of war, in june 1945 the Squadron was equipped with Barracuda aircraft. These aircraft came from no. 822 squadron FAA. The aircraft were only used for training purposes on board of HMS Nairana. After the Dutch decided not to buy the Barracuda but the Fairey Firefly, the Barracuda aircraft were returned to the FAA and conversion to the Firefly started.
Conversion to the Firefly started on May 9th 1946.
No.860 (Dutch) Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm was founded on June 15th 1943 at Donibristle, UK.
The Dutch Navy supplied the personnel:
12 Officer-Pilots,
4 Sergeant-pilots,
11 technicians
5 other crew
The British supplied 36 men to serve the squadron.
The squadron started with six Swordfishes
The squadron was divided into two operational flights:
The 'S' flight for service on MAC Gadila from February 1944
The 'O' flight for service on MAC Macoma from June 1944
Later the O-flight was succeeded by the 'F' flight aboard the Macoma
Before the Macoma was delivered the 'O' flight served on the MAC Acavus from January 1944 to April 1944.
The rest of the squadron served from a landbase.
