RAF Peterhead on 31 May, flying fighter patrols while Khedive underwent a period of defect repair, before re-embarking on the carrier on 6 July. On 15 July Khedive left for the Mediterranean to take part in Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of Southern France. The squadron helped to provide fighter cover for the invasion fleet and to carry out ground attack missions in support of the advancing Allied troops when the Dragoon landings started on 15 August. By the time Khedive was released from operations in support of Dragoon, on 23 August, 899 Squadron's Seafires had carried out 201 operation sorties for the loss of four aircraft, dropping 24 500 lb and 44 250 lb bombs. In September 1944, Khedive took part in Operation Outing, an offensive by the Royal Navy against German forces in the Aegean, with 899 Squadron flying combat air patrol and attack against surface targets in Crete and Rhodes from 14 to 19 September. The squadron disembarked from Khedive at RNAS Long Kesh on 12 October 1944. After a further period of training, the squadron embarked on the escort carrier for passage to join the British Pacific Fleet. On arrival in Australia, 899 Squadron became a pool squadron based at RAAF Station Schofields near Sydney, with its aircraft and pilots gradually dispatched to reinforce Seafire squadrons embarked on the British Pacific Fleet's operational Fleet carriers. From mid-May 1945, it was given the additional task of training pilots of the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve to fly Seafires from aircraft carriers. As the Australian pilots were all experienced Royal Australian Air Force pilots who had volunteered to join the Navy, the training process was relatively trouble free, with most of the pilots trained joining the carriers of the British Pacific Fleet after the end of the year, and several going on to have long careers with Australia's own Fleet Air Arm. It disbanded at Schofields on 27 September 1945. Cold War Sea Hawk (1955–1957) On 7 November 1955, the squadron was recommissioned at RNAS Brawdy, equipped with 12 Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6 jet fighters. After a five-month work up programme, including carrier landing training aboard in January 1956, the squadron (together with 897 NAS, embarked aboard the carrier on 16 April 1956. The carrier then sailed to join the Mediterranean Fleet. The Egyptian nationalisation of the Suez Canal on 26 July 1956 caused the Suez Crisis, resulting