890 NAS insignia

[aerobelly]

A good old boy in my local served in 890 NAS on Ark Royal (& a few other ships) in the late 1950s and 1960s. I've accompanied him to the De Havilland Heritage Museum, and heard some details of his service life, and the big thing that he wants is to find the Squadron insignia. I've found a pic of a Sea-Vampire allegedly in 890 colours, but he's not sure it's right. Witchety-something, which he thinks is Yeovilton "you bend 'em, we mend 'em", not 890. He admits he could be confused because he spent time at Yeovilton too, including sweeping out the hangar that was used for the first FAA Museum.
Can anyone point me to usable photos of serving 890 aircraft I can print off for him? Or even clarify who the witch-on-a-broomstick was used by?
Full disclosure: If I give him a picture of a genuine serving 890 aircraft he'll probably want to buy my beer for a year....
... but he can't afford it, so I'd have to refuse.
'belly

[jabberwok]

Witch on a broomstick - black on a three quarter yellow moon.

I have a poor photo of a Sea Vixen showing this but there is a much better shot online. I'm not sure what the rules are here about linking to other sites so I'll send you the URL via PM.

[Archimedes]

Yes, 890 did use the witch on a broomstick badge. They used them on Sea Venoms and Sea Vixens.

However... this isn't actually the formal squadron badge, which is a knight (in armour) sweeping the sky with a broom (or, to quote Ray Sturtivant's heraldic description ' on a white field, issuant from water barry wavy in base blue and white, a knight in armour to the sinister holding in his hands a broom proper; a chief wavy blue'...)

Some FAA units have had a tendency to use emblems on the aircraft that aren't drawn from the squadron badge. 892, squadron, for instance, has a badge that bears no resemblance to anything worn on the last two types it used. IIRC (and I probably don't...), 890 used the witch on a broom badge because of the night fighter role adopted when it took on the Sea Venom.

airliners.net photo of 890 Sea Vixen

[aerobelly]

Thanks Archimedes, that happily counters some info he was given (presumably by someone who doesn't know about PPRuNe) that the squadron badge was never officially issued.

Now all I need is to find a picture of the proper Squadron badge. FAAM Yeovilton will accept questions, but say the wait is a about one year for a reply.....

I'd already found the Airliners.net photo and printed it for him on my cheap bubble-jet, and he plans to frame it!


'b

[jabberwok]

[Archimedes]

In less colour, but larger (and at a bit of an angle to boot...)

[aerobelly]

Prima! The angle I can fix. If I (or the end recipient via me) could send some beer tokens your way please PM me.


'b

[Archimedes]

Kind of you, 'b, but just happy to be of help.