If we return to the time of the thread, I believe a lot of the problem stemmed from the fact that prior to the war John Knott was about to cut the Navy. So when the war broke out the Navy saw it as a way to prove they were the force that was needed. An example is, what to 72 Sqn became known as Op Headless Chicken. 5 Bde was due to sail along with the Puma Force, until someone at Northwood said Pumas can't operate off ships. Oh so where is there another Wessex Squadron they said. Send 72 they said. So in typical War Film fashion we were all at a Squadron Dining In when the Sqn Cdr was given the message, you're off to war. Over the Easter weekend we all packed and flew from NI back to Benson passing the Pumas going to take over in NI. Engineers worked like beavers to modify our Cabs for the cold weather and we raided stores for war kit having handed it all in when we went to NI. Sqn Cdr went to Northwood for final briefing before embarking, to be told by Admiral Fieldhouse, "You can **** off back to Ireland, I don't want anymore Crabs in my War". We returned to NI, Pumas returned to Odiham, our wife's had had a party and drank all the Booze and the Navy reformed 847 with Wessex that had been in storage and with aircrew that had been in Desk Jobs. So from the very top it was seen as a Navy war and they didn't need any help from anyone and certainly not a fully operational RAF squadron!