439 Combat Support Squadron

Last updated
439 Combat Support Squadron
439e Escadron de soutien au combat
No. 439 Squadron RCAF badge.jpg
Active
  • 1942–1945
  • 1951–1963
  • 1964–present
CountryFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Branch Royal Canadian Air Force ensign.svg Royal Canadian Air Force
RoleCombat support
Part of 3 Wing Bagotville
Garrison/HQ Bagotville, Quebec
Nickname(s)Westmount (World War II), Sabre-Toothed Tiger
Motto(s)Fangs of death
Battle honours
  • Fortress Europe, 1944
  • France and Germany, 1944–1945
  • Normandy, 1944
  • Arnhem
  • Rhine
  • Gulf and Kuwait
Website rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/squadron/439-squadron.page OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Insignia
Squadron Code5V (1944–1945) [1]
Aircraft flown
Fighter Hawker Hurricane, Hawker Typhoon, F-86 Sabre, CF-104 Starfighter, CF-18 Hornet
Transport CH-146 Griffon

439 Combat Support Squadron (French: 439e Escadron de soutien au combat) is a squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, based in Bagotville, Quebec.

Contents

It was formed as No. 123 (Army Co-operation) Squadron in early 1942 for army training operations in eastern Canada during World War II, being renumbered No. 439 Squadron RCAF in late 1943 when it transferred to England. The squadron briefly flew the Hawker Hurricane before receiving the Hawker Typhoon, flying ground attack missions with the Second Tactical Air Force in support of Allied advances in northwestern Europe from mid-1944 to the end of the war in May 1945.

Disbanded shortly after the end of the Second World War, the squadron was reformed in 1951, operating the Canadair Sabre from England and France until 1963, when it was disbanded. It was quickly reformed as 439 Reconnaissance/Attack Squadron, operating the CF-104 Starfighter. Moved to Germany in 1967, it underwent several redesignations before assuming a ground attack mission at CFB Baden–Soellingen as 439 Tactical Fighter Squadron. After converting to the CF-18 Hornet in the mid-1980s, the squadron participated in the Gulf War. It assumed its current title in 1993, operating the Bell CH-146 Griffon helicopter.

World War II

A Typhoon IB of the squadron landing at Advanced Landing Ground Goch, 1945 Hawker Typhoon 2 ExCC.jpg
A Typhoon IB of the squadron landing at Advanced Landing Ground Goch, 1945

No. 123 (Army Co-operation) Squadron was formed on 15 January 1942 during World War II from the School of Army Co-Operation. The latter had been formed on 22 October 1941 at Rockcliffe, Ontario under the command of Squadron Leader W.W.S. Ross, who continued in that position for No. 123 Squadron. The school was administratively part of No. 3 Training Command and operationally under RCAF Headquarters. Equipped with North American Harvard Mark IIB trainers and Westland Lysander Mark II army co-operation aircraft, the squadron trained with the 4th and 7th Canadian Divisions in close support and reconnaissance. It relocated to Debert, Nova Scotia, on 16 February 1942, joining Eastern Air Command. A detachment of three Lysanders was stationed at Sydney to patrol the harbour entrance there between 8 October and 27 January 1943, flying 98 sorties and 194 flying hours. [2]

It transferred to Wellingore, England on 31 December 1943 and was renumbered No. 439 (Fighter-Bomber Squadron) on New Year's Day 1944. [3] Though the squadron was slated to become a fighter-bomber unit operating the Hawker Typhoon Mark IB, it initially operated the Hawker Hurricane Mark IV in addition to the Typhoon until April 1944. [1]

No. 439 Squadron relocated to Ayr on 8 January and Hurn on 18 March. From the latter, on 27 March, it flew its first ground attack mission against V-1 flying bomb launch sites as part of No. 143 Wing RCAF. The squadron also attacked German bases and communications targets in preparation for the Normandy landings of 6 June. During this period, it moved to Funtington on 2 April, back to Hurn on 19 April, to Hutton Cranswick on 11 May, and back to Hurn on 20 May. Following the Normandy landings, the squadron was moved to Advanced Landing Ground Lantheuil (B-9) on 27 June to provide close air support for the advancing Allied forces. [1]

The squadron moved forward to Advanced Landing Ground St-André de l'Eure (B-24) on 31 August, Amiens – Glisy (B-48) on 3 September to keep pace with the advance, ultimately moving to Melsbroek (B-58) in Belgium on 6 September and Eindhoven in The Netherlands on 25 September. 439 Squadron remained there for the northern hemisphere winter and during the last months of the war attacked communications and shipping in sweeps over Germany. In the final weeks of the war the squadron moved yet again to Goch (B-100) in Germany on 30 March 1945, to RAF Warmwell on 3 April, and to Hustedt (B-150) on 23 April. [1] Its final base in Germany was Flensburg (B-166), where it was located from 29 May to its disbandment on 26 August. [4] [1]

Postwar

A CF-104D Starfighter Mark 2 at Baden-Soellingen, 1972 Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter Mk2, Canada - Air Force AN1280891.jpg
A CF-104D Starfighter Mark 2 at Baden–Soellingen, 1972
A CF-18A of the squadron taxiing out of its shelter during the departure from Baden-Soellingen, 1993 CF-18A 439 sq (23780173449).jpg
A CF-18A of the squadron taxiing out of its shelter during the departure from Baden–Soellingen, 1993

They reformed at Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Station Uplands (CFB Uplands) on September 1, 1951, and went to 1 Wing North Luffenham on May 4, 1952, they then moved to 1 Wing Marville, France, on April 1, 1955. The squadron was equipped with the F-86 Sabre. They were deactivated between November 30, 1963, and February 28, 1964, and reactivated on March 1, 1964, as 439 Strike/Attack Squadron, equipped with CF-104 Starfighters. They moved with 1 Wing to Lahr, Germany on April 1, 1967, then to CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany in 1971 as 439 Tactical Fighter Squadron. The squadron disbanded in November 1984 and reformed in November 1985 with the CF-18. During the Gulf War, the squadron fought as part of the Coalition of the Gulf War. They were disbanded at Baden-Soellingen on 15 May 1993 and reactivated shortly after at 3 Wing Bagotville as 439 Combat Support Squadron; the redesignation was officially carried out on 1 April. [3] The squadron is now equipped with the CH-146 Griffon. [4]

Casualties, decorations, and battle honours

As No. 123 Squadron, it suffered no casualties and had one of its members awarded the British Empire Medal. [2]

The following battle honours are borne on the colours of the squadron: [5]

Related Research Articles

441 Tactical Fighter Squadron Military unit

441 Tactical Fighter Squadron was a unit of the Canadian Forces. It was originally formed as a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during the Second World War. The squadron operated the McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet fighter jet from CFB Cold Lake in Alberta, Canada. It was deactivated in 2006.

No. 143 Wing RCAF was a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force which served with the Royal Air Force in Europe during the Second World War.

438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron Unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force

438 "City of Montreal" Tactical Helicopter Squadron is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron operates the CH-146 Griffon tactical helicopter from the Hartland de Montarville Molson Hangar of CFB St. Hubert in Quebec, Canada. Its tasks include armed and unarmed tactical utility transport, training aircrew personnel in basic and advanced aviation tactics, technical training of groundcrew personnel and flight engineers and the periodic maintenance of CH-146 fleet aircraft. They also include as residual capabilities search and rescue, reconnaissance and support to federal, provincial and local law enforcement agencies. A "total force" unit composed of members of the Regular Force, and both full time and part time reservists, the squadron is part of 1 Wing at CFB Kingston Ontario.

CFB Bagotville Royal Canadian Air Force base in central Quebec

Canadian Forces Base Bagotville, commonly referred to as CFB Bagotville, and also known as Bagotville Airport or Saguenay-Bagotville Airport, is a Canadian Forces base located 4.5 nautical miles west of Bagotville in the city of Saguenay. Located in the centre of Quebec, less than 200 km (120 mi) north of Quebec City, CFB Bagotville is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is one of two bases in the country using the CF-18 Hornet fighter/interceptor, the other being CFB Cold Lake. Its primary RCAF lodger unit is 3 Wing, commonly referred to as 3 Wing Bagotville.

Canadian Forces Base Baden–Soellingen or CFB Baden–Soellingen, formerly known as RCAF Station Baden–Soellingen (Baden), was a Canadian Forces base located near the farming community of Söllingen, part of the municipality of Rheinmünster in the West German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is now a commercial area called Baden Airpark, which also includes the regional airport Flughafen Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden.

No. 432 Squadron RCAF Military unit

No. 432 Squadron RCAF was a squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force formed during the Second World War.

419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron Military unit

419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron was originally formed during the Second World War and is currently based at CFB Cold Lake. It is responsible for advanced tactical fighter training for pilots of the RCAF and as part of the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program using nine CT-155 Hawk trainers.

RCAF Station Marville was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) station located near Marville in the Meuse department, Lorraine, northeastern France. It was one of four RCAF wings consisting of three fighter squadrons each, established in Europe in the early 1950s to support the goals of NATO in Europe during the Cold War. These wings were part of No. 1 Air Division. Two wings were located in France, and two were located in West Germany.

409 Tactical Fighter Squadron Military unit

409 Tactical Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron operates the CF-18 Hornet from CFB Cold Lake in Alberta, Canada.

413 Transport and Rescue Squadron Military unit

413 Transport and Rescue Squadron is an air force squadron of the Canadian Armed Forces. It was originally a flying boat squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. It currently operates the C-130 Hercules and the CH-149 Cormorant in transport plus search and rescue roles at CFB Greenwood.

Canadian Forces Base Lahr Airport in Lahr, Germany

Canadian Forces Base Lahr was a military operated commercial airport located in Lahr, Germany. It was operated primarily as a French air force base, and later as a Canadian army base, beginning in the late 1960s. The military base was closed in 1994 and converted to civilian use. It is now known as the Flughafen Lahr.

434 Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron Military unit

434 Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron is a Royal Canadian Air Force bomber squadron that flew bombing operations over Europe during World War II and was later a post-war fighter and combat support unit. It was disbanded in 2000. The squadron was reactivated in May 2018 as 434 Operational Test and Evaluation.

1 Canadian Air Division Military unit

1 Canadian Air Division is the operational-level command and control formation of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Prior to 2006 the official abbreviation for the division was 1 CAD. It is commanded by an air force major-general.

No. 414 Squadron RCAF Military unit

No. 414 Squadron RCAF is a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron. It is currently located in Ottawa and conducts electronic warfare support training for other units in the Canadian Armed Forces.

427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron Military unit

427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron is a tactical helicopter unit that provides aviation support to Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. The squadron is based at CFB Petawawa, Ontario with a fleet of Bell CH-146 Griffon helicopters. It was founded during the Second World War as No. 427 Squadron RCAF.

Canadian Forces Europe was the Canadian Forces military formation in Europe during the Cold War. The CF assisted other NATO allies in watching the military activities of Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union.

425 Tactical Fighter Squadron Military unit

425 Tactical Fighter Squadron (French: 425e Escadron d'appui tactique, also "Alouette" Squadron, is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. It operates CF-18 Hornet fighter jets from CFB Bagotville in Quebec, Canada. The squadron was originally formed during the Second World War.

440 Transport Squadron Unit of the Canadian Forces

440 Transport Squadron is a unit of the Canadian Armed Forces under the Royal Canadian Air Force. It is part of 8 Wing and works closely with Joint Task Force (North) located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

No. 421 Squadron RCAF Canadian air force squadron

No. 421 Squadron RCAF was a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. It was the last RCAF fighter squadron to be formed in the UK during World War II.

Jack Rife Beirnes

Jack Rife Beirnes was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron leader who flew Kittyhawk fighters on home defense in Canada and then commanded a squadron of Hawker Typhoons over Europe during the Second World War. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar for his successes while serving with No. 438 Squadron RCAF. He lost his life in a flying accident at the end of his third combat tour.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Halley 1988, p. 516.
  2. 1 2 Kostenuk & Griffin 1977, p. 58.
  3. 1 2 Directorate of History and Heritage 2000, p. 196.
  4. 1 2 "439 Combat Support Squadron". Royal Canadian Air Force. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  5. ↑ Directorate of History and Heritage 2000, p. 195.

Bibliography

Commons-logo.svg Media related to 439 Squadron RCAF at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.