899 Squadron to HMS Eagle 1969 to 1970 7th Commission

• From early October 1968 HMS Eagle refits in Devonport Dockyard
• Under the command of Captain J.D. Treacher RN, HMS Eagle recommissions on Wednesday 5^th March 1969 in Devonport. The Lord Mayor of Exeter and his Lady plus retainers and 11 Admirals in attendance (including 6 former HMS Eagle captains)

• Cdr Air. Cdr, Ted Anson RN
• Little F.  Lt. Cdr Mike Darlington RN
• 5^th March 1969 commissioning ceremony
• 7^th March 2 weeks sea trials. 1^st Phantom F4k deck trials. Touch and Go's
• To Plymouth for 10 days
• Sailed Plymouth 2nd April 69
• C.O. 899 Sqn Lt Cdr Geoff Hunt RN. Embarked Sea Vixens of 899 Sqn

• Sailed Irish Sea to Moray Firth for work up part 1
• Anchored off RNAS Lossiemouth 3 days
• 27^th April work up part 2 complete
• North Sea to Portsmouth
• 9/19 May 1969 Leave
• Sailed 23 May 69 for Final Workup and ORI
• Sqns embarked in English Channel
• Work Up in St Brides Bay SW Wales
• 899 Missile shoot firing Redtop and Sidewinder
• Back to English Channel and Phantom F4K trials team embark for 2 weeks
• 1st arrested Phantom f4k landing 2^nd June and 1^st Catapult Shot 3^rd June 1969
• 16^th June sailed for USA after weekend in Plymouth
• 4 days flyex enter Norfolk 27 June 69 for 7 days
• 899 Sqn hosted by VF 41
• 5^th July sailed Norfolk Virginia
• 2 day flyex
• 9^th July Cape Cod heading towards Boston Massachusetts
• 14 July 69 sailed fast passage to Plymouth UK
• 20^th July 1969 arrived Plymouth Charlie Buoy
• 24^th July 1969. Sea Vixen XJ 489 lost while disembarked at RNAS Yeovilton. Both crewmen killed.
• Dress rehearsals for the Presentation of a Colour to the Western Fleet by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in Torbay 29^th July 1969. 899 Sqn practice and partake in Queens Review Flypast. Also a Fly past at RAF Linton on Ouse to mark the final passing out of the final RN pilots fixed wing course
• The Royal Dinner on board served Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles, Princess Anne and members of the Royal Staff
• CO 892 changes to Cdr Dunbar Dempsey
• Families Day off Plymouth
• 4^th September 1969 sailed from Plymouth
• Embark Squadrons
• Exercise Peacekeeper with ships of Standing Naval Force Atlantic
• Short break Plymouth
• Sailed 25^th September 69
• 27^th September 1969 enter Gibraltar
• 14 days SMP
• 899 disembark RAF North Front
• 11 October 1969 sailed for Malta area
• Off Crete
• Ex Deep Furrow Aegean Sea 2 days 17^th/18 Oct exercise with USS John F Kennedy and USN forces
• Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus area Exercise Ranular with RAF ADEX
• Entered Malta Grand Harbour 31^st October 1969
• 2 weeks SMP
• Squadrons disembark to RAF Luqa. Malta
• 13^th November 1969 sailed Malta, enter Naples 14^th November 1969
• 18^th November sailed Western Mediterranean 
• Flyex off Gibraltar Ex DECAMP and then through straits to exercise with HMS Hermes
• Return to UK in company with HMS Hermes with 893 Sqn embarked
• 5^th Dec 1969 alongside Devonport
• 12 January 1970 sail Plymouth
• 3 days flyex
• 18^th January 1970 one day in Gibraltar
• 10 day flyex
• We at anchor off Iles de Hyeres
• 30^th Jan 70 Enter Toulon
• CO 899 Sqn Sqn now Lt Cdr Mike Layard
• Short visit and flyex in local areas
• 19^th February 1970 headed to Gibraltar
• 22^nd February 1970 Gibraltar one day
• 27^th February arrive Liverpool at Princes Pier
• 4^th March 1970 sail Liverpool
• Four new 899 Sqn pilots fly from the deck for the first time at night
• 7/8/9^th March 1970 Plymouth
• Next 2 and half weeks Harrier trials
• Squadrons disembark off Spithead
• 25^th March 1970 enter Plymouth for Mid Commission DED
• RFA's Olmeda and Olna attended HMS Eagle during this commission

Acting Sub Lieutenant Martyn H. Dean RN after his first Land On. 899 Sqn. HMS Eagle. 4th April 1969. Nose Oleo Collapsed. A black circular patch on the back of the helmet was his trademark.

Royal Yacht Brittania . Solent July 27th 1969. The Royal Fleet Review.

HRH Queen Elizabeth presents the New Colour.

S/Lt Taff Davies applying the 899 Sqn Logo in the Hangar.

899 Squadron to HMS Eagle 1970 to 1972 Last Commission

• Captain I.G.W. Robertson DSC. RN takes command of HMS Eagle 1st June 1970 while ship is in Dry Dock at Devonport
• In this last Commission HMS Eagle covers withdrawal of UK Military bases in the Far East and Persian Gulf
• Friday 30^th July 1970. The last issue of the Rum Tot in the RN
• 26^th September 1970 Eagle sails for Sea Trials from Devonport. Squadrons Embark. 899 Sqn under the command of Lt. Cdr. M.H.G. Layard RN.
• Sea Trials and first workup
• 9^th October Plymouth for rectification. Hull repair after striking a rock entering Plymouth.
• 9^th November 1970 Sail from Plymouth. West CoastUK  to Moray Firth. Second Workup
• 11^th November 1970 14 Sea Vixens of 899 Sqn embark.
• 13^th November 1970 Sea Vixen Lost. . Pilot Killed and Observer safe. Accident ID 30
• Sail the East Coast of UK to Southampton for visit. Then off SW Wales (RNAS Brawdy) 27^th November 1970
• 899 Sqn conduct live missile firings in Aberporth Range
• 10^th December 1970 Plymouth for Christmas leave. One third change of personnel.
• 19^th January 1971 sail Plymouth for third workup. Squadrons embark for flying in English Channel and off the  Isle of Man for night flying. Head south 31^st January 1971 for ORI 8^th to 9^th February off Gibraltar
• 8^th to 10^th February 1971 flying stations. An old hulk named FRESHNER was to be used for target practice by the ships seacat and gunnery teams. 899 Sqn conducted a 2” RP attack and it sank (prematurely)
• 12^th to 17^th February 1971 entered Cote d’Azur, Bay of Villafranche South of France for visit.
• Flyex Ex Perfect Princess off Sardinia and enter Malta for SMP 4^th March 1971. 899 Sqn disembarks to RAF Luqa
• 899 Sqn change of CO to Lt. Cdr. F. "Dusty" Milner RN
• Since their formation in 1961, 899 Sqn have achieved 20,000 hours. With an average of 200 hours per year per aircraft. Average Sqn compliment was 10 aircraft per year. An achievement unsurpassed by any other fighter aircraft. (from Sqn records)
• 23^rd March 1970 sail Malta for exercise with the USN and CVN Frankin D Roosevelt.
• 31^st March to 2^nd April at Gibraltar. Firepower Demonstration by 899 Sqn.
• 7^th April arrive Devonport. Squadrons disembark before entering harbour
• 26^th May 1971 sail Devonport for final cruise to Far East, Australia via Cape Town. 5 days intensive flying and night flying.
• Flying off Ascension Island en route to Cape Town arriving 17^th to 22^nd June 1971
• 22^nd June 1971 sail from Cape Town via Mauritius (Fly Past), Diego Garcia (Low level High Speed Fly Past) for exercises (4 days including night flying) in the Penang areas before Singapore.
• 8^th July 1971 enter Singapore for DMP
• 899 Sqn disembark 8 aircraft to RAF Tengah
• 21^st July sail Singapore
• 4^th August 1971  enter Sydney Harbour, Australia after flyex and Flypast over Sydney
• 9^th August 1971 sail Sydney for exercises (cancelled due weather) and visit Wellington, New Zealand 20^th August 1971
• 26^th August 1971 sail Wellington for Fremantle 9th September 1971
• 14^th September 1971 sail for Singapore arrive 20^th September 1971
• Only three days flyex before Fremantle and 2 days before Singapore.
• With the run down of far east UK forces the Far East Colour parades and is transferred to HMS Eagle. 899 Sqn disembarked at Tengah exercise with Hunters of SAF and Mirages of RAAF
• 5^th October 1971 sail from Singapore for Hong Kong. Exercises at Subic Bay cancelled due bad weather
• 15^th October 1971 enter Hong Kong for SMP. 899 Sqn disembark five aircraft to Kai Tak. 899 Sqn conduct flypast for outgoing governor of Hong Hong and for the visit of HRH Princess Anne.
• 27^th October 1971 sail Hong Kong
• To Singapore for decommissioning of the Far East Fleet and mass Fly Past
• Flying exercises off Singapore . Ex Curtain Call. Nightly 8 Sea Vixens launched for Lepus Attacks before sailing for Gan (flyex 6 days and nights) then to Persian Gulf to cover the withdrawal of British forces from that area.
• Operations off RAF Maseira with 899 Sqn conducting live ground attack practice exercises. Situation required an extra week at sea
• Events in Pakistan required support operations for HMS Albion and Commando forces and helicopter support.
• Mombasa visit was bypassed
• 22^nd December 1971 enter Durban after 56 days at sea
• 4^th January 1972 sail Durban for Gibraltar arriving 19^th January 1972
• Squadrons disembark  in Bay of Biscay for the last time
• 25^th January 1972 anchored off Spithead
• 26^th January 1972 HMS Eagle enters Portsmouth harbour in Procedure Alfa and full ceremonial, exchanging gun salutes with the Royal Marine paraded
• End of the Last Commission and life of HMS Eagle.
• End of Sea Vixen Operations