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404 Long Range Patrol and Training Squadron

Field	Value
unit_name	404 Long Range Patrol and Training Squadron RCAF
native_name	404{{sup	e}} Escadron de patrouille à longue portée et d'entraînement
image	No. 404 Squadron RCAF badge.jpg
dates	1941–1945, 1951–current
country	Canada
branch	Royal Canadian Air Force
role	Long-range patrol, training
size	200
command_structure	14 Wing Greenwood
garrison	CFB Greenwood
garrison_label	Based at
motto	Ready to fight
battle_honours	{{flatlist
website
notable_commanders
identification_symbol	The 404 Squadron's Badge shows a bison's head, representing the ferocity and power of the bison.
identification_symbol_4_label
aircraft_attack	Bristol Beaufighter, deHavilland Mosquito
aircraft_bomber	Bristol Blenheim, Avro Lancaster
aircraft_patrol	Lockheed CP-122 Neptune, Canadair CP-107 Argus, Lockheed CP-140 Aurora
aircraft_trainer	CP-140A Arcturus
aircraft_transport	Beech CT-128 Expeditor

Atlantic, 1941–45
English Channel and North Sea, 1941–45
Baltic, 1944–45
Normandy, 1944
Biscay, 1943–44

404 Long Range Patrol and Training Squadron is a long range patrol and training squadron in the Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron was originally No. 404 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and later the Canadian Forces Air Command.

History

The squadron was formed at Thorney Island in Sussex, England on 15 April 1941 under Royal Air Force operational control. It was a long-range fighter squadron which formed part of RAF Coastal Command, equipped with Bristol Blenheim Mk.IVs. The squadron moved to RAF Castletown, Caithness, Scotland on 20 June and to RAF Skitten on 27 July, before moving to RAF Dyce, Aberdeen on 9 October 1941, from where it began operations, providing fighter cover for convoys and carrying out shipping reconnaissance missions. Tasked with coastal patrol and attack, the squadron flew the Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV & later the Beaufighter. From May 1944 to September 1944 they were based at RAF Davidstow Moor in Cornwall, England.

As part of the RAF Dallachy strike wing of four Beaufighter-equipped squadrons, they took part in an attack on German ships on the Norwegian coast on 9 February 1945. The ships included a destroyer and "flak" ships as well as merchantmen. The ships were located in a fjord and German fighter aircraft scrambled in defence. As a result of the heavy losses to the Dallachy Wing the attack was subsequently called "Black Friday". The squadron disbanded on 25 May 1945.

The squadron was reformed on April 30, 1951, at RCAF Station Greenwood as 404 Maritime Reconnaissance Squadron. On 17 July 1956, 404 Squadron was redesignated as a Maritime Patrol squadron, and when the CP-140 Aurora came into service the title was changed again to 404 Maritime Patrol and Training Squadron. The current title is 404 Long Range Patrol and Training (LRP&T) Squadron.

RCAF 404 Buffalo Squadron, MP (Maritime Patrol) jacket patch manufactured by Crest Craft and possibly used between 1956 and the early 60's.

Currently, 404 Sqn serves as the Operational Training Unit (OTU) for Aircrew and Maintenance personnel who work on the CP140 Aurora.

Aircraft operated

Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Beaufighter
De Havilland Mosquito
Avro Lancaster
Beech Expeditor
Lockheed Neptune
Canadair Argus
Lockheed CP-140 Aurora and CP-140A Arcturus (trainer for CP-140)

Notable personnel

Allan Bundy
Ken Gatward

References

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

canadian-forces-aircraft-squadrons military-units-and-formations-established-in-1941 royal-canadian-air-force-squadrons rcaf-training-units

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