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Royal Canadian Air Force roundel
420 (Snowy Owl) Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force
PUGNAMUS FINITUM (We fight to the finish)

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> Units and Formations

Flying Squadrons
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349 Sqn
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416 Sqn
420 Sqn
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486 Sqn
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527 Sqn
528 Sqn
532 Sqn
538 Sqn
542 Sqn
550 Sqn
576 Sqn
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613 Sqn
616 Sqn
617 Sqn
619 Sqn
625 Sqn
626 Sqn
627 Sqn
630 Sqn

Heavy Conversion Units
1654 HCU
1656 HCU
1660 HCU
1661 HCU
1662 HCU
1665 HCU
1667 HCU
1668 HCU
21 HGCU

Advanced Flying Schools
201 AFS

Advanced Flying Units
12 AFU
15 AFU

Flying Training Schools
1 FTS
2 FTS
3 FTS
6 FTS
7 FTS
12 FTS
1 Lancaster Finishing School
Central Flying School

Operational Training/
Conversion Units
(Fighter)
6 OTU
53 OTU

56 OTU

(Bomber)
228 OCU
230 OCU

Air Armament Schools
1 AAS
2 AAS
Empire Central AS

Other schools
1 Gp Aircrew School
1 Ground Defence School
1 Air Observers School
Central Gunnery School
5 Gp Anti Air School

Other units
Bomber Command
Coastal Command
Fighter Command
HQ No 5 Group
HQ No 23 Group
1485 Gunnery Flight
2782 Defence Sqn
178 Support Unit
399 Signals Unit
Nationality based Sqns

Updated: 10 Jul 04

Formed: 19 Dec 1941, RAF Waddington

Disbanded: 5 Sep 1945

Squadron was based at:

RAF Waddington :: 19 Dec 1941 - 7 Aug 1942

RAF Skipton-on-Swale :: Aug 1942

RAF Dalton :: ?? - Dec 1943

RAF Tholthorpe :: Dec 1943 - ??

Squadron code: PT

Aircraft operated:

Manchester :: Dec 1941

Hampden :: Dec 1941 - Jul 1942

Wellington Mk III:: Jul 1942 - Apr 1943

Wellington Mk X :: Feb 1943 - Oct 1943; tropicalised from Jun 1943 - Oct 1943

Halifax Mk III :: Dec 1943 - May 1945

Lancaster X :: May 1945 - Sep 1945)

420 Sqn RCAF formed at RAF Waddington on 19 Dec 1941, the 18th RCAF sqn to be formed overseas and the 4th bomber sqn. 420 Sqn was one of the last to operate the Hampden, receiving 44 (Rhodesia) Sqn's aircraft as it converted to the new Lancaster. It took the type into night operations on 21 Jan 1942, one month after forming, with 6 aircraft bombing Emden and laying mines in the Frisian Islands.

The move to Skipton-on-Swale in Aug 1942 was part of a plan to form an all-Canadian bomber Group. From Jun 1943 to Oct 1943 it flew tropicalised Wellington from North Africa in support of the invasions of Sicily and Italy. 18 Halifaxes bombed Heligoland and another Halifax crashed in sea en route to objective on 18 Apr 1945, the last combat sortie the Sqn flew. After VE Day it was selected as part of the Tiger Force, converting to Canadian-built Lancaster and returning to Canada for reorganization and training. The sudden end of the war against Japan resulted in squadron disbandment at Debert, Nova Scotia on 5 Sep 1945. The Sqn reformed in Sep 1948 as an auxiliary fighter squadron. More details can be found on the RCAF website history section :: click here

Battle Honours

Defence of Britain 1944,
Fortress Europe 1942-1944,
France and Germany 1944-1945,
Normandy 1944

 

420 Sqn RCAF roundel

420 Sqn history on RCAF website

420 Sqn RCAF on RCAF.com

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