411 Squadron

General Information:

Role(s):

Based:

• RAF Digby, Lincs. 16 Jun 41 – 18 Nov 41.
• No. 11 Group,
• RAF Hornchurch, Essex 19 Nov 41 – 5 Mar 42.
• RAF Southend, Essex 7 Mar 42 – 29 Mar 42.
• RAF Digby, Lincs. 30 Mar 42 – 21 Mar 41.
• RAF Kenley, Surrey 22 Mar 43 – 7 Apr 43.
• RAF Redhill, Surrey 8 April 1943 – 6 August 1943.
• RAF Staplehurst, Kent 7 Aug 43 – 12 Oct 43.
• RAF Biggin Hill, Kent 13 Oct 43 – 15 Apr 44.
• No. 15 Armament Practice Camp, Peterhead, Scotland, 24-29 Feb 44,
• RAF Tangmere, Sussex, England, 16 Apr 44 – 18 Jun 44.
• No. 11 Armament Practice Camp, Fairwood Common, Wales 17-22 Apr 44.
• B.(Base) 4 Beny-sur-Mer, France. 19 Jun 44 – 7 Aug 44.
• B.18 Cristot, France. 8 Aug 44 – 31 Aug 44.
• B.24 St André, France. 1 Sep 44.
• B.26 Illiers l’Evéque, France. 2 Sep 44.
• B.44 Poix, France. 3 Sep 44 – 6 Sep 44.
• B.56 Evére, Belgium. 7 Sep 44 – 20 Sep 44.
• B.68 Le Culot, Belgium. 21 Sep 44 – 3 Oct 44.
• B.84 Rips, Netherlands. 4 Oct 44 – 19 Oct 44.
• No. 17 Armament Practice Camp, Warmwell, Dorset., England. 15-23 Oct 44.
• B.80 Volkel, Netherlands. 20 Oct 44 – 5 Dec 44.
• B.88 Heesch, Netherlands. 6 Dec 44 – 11 Apr 45.
• B.108 Rheine, Germany. 12 Apr 45 – 14 Apr 45.
• B.116 Wunstorf, Germany. 15 Apr 45 – 13 May 45.
• B.152 Fassberg, Germany. 14 May 45 – 4 Jul 45.
• No. 17 Armament Practice Camp, Warmwell, Dorset, England. 21 May – 7 Jun 45
• B.174 Utersen, Germany, 5 July 1945 – 21 March 1946
• RCAF Station Downsview, Ontario, 1 Oct 50 – 31 Jan 68.

Years Active:

• 1941-1946
• 1947
• 1950-1996

Aircraft Used:

• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IA (Jun – Jul 41, not on operations)
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIA (Jul – Oct 41)
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk. VB (Oct 41 – Oct 43)
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXB (Sep 43 – Sep 44)
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXE (Sep 44 – May 45)
• Supermarine Spitfire L.F.Mk.IX (Apr – May 45)
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVI (May 45, not on operations)
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIV (Jun 45 – Mar 46, not on operations)
• North American Harvard Mk.II (Feb 51 – Sep 58)
• de Havilland Vampire Mk. III Jul 51 – Nov 55)
• Canadair Silver Star Mk.3 (October 1955 – October 1958)
• Canadair Sabre Mk.5 (October 1956 – September 1958)
• Beechcraft Expeditor Mk.3 (September 1958 – October 1966)
• de Havilland Otter (February 1962 – 1981)
• Bell CH-136 Kiowa Helicopter 1981-1996

Commanding Officer:

Squadron Leader P.B. Pitcher .	16 Jun 41 – 16 Dec 41
Squadron Leader P.S. Turner (Can/RAF), DFC and Bar .	17 Dec 41 – 11 Feb 42
Squadron Leader R.B. Newton (RAF), DFC .	12 Feb 42 – 27 Sep 42
Squadron Leader N.H. Bretz, DFC .	28 Sep 42 – 21 Mar 43
Squadron Leader D.G.E. Ball Killed in action	22 Mar 43 – 12 Apr 43
Squadron Leader B.D. Russel, DFC .	16 Apr 43 – 7 Jul 43
Squadron Leader G.C. Semple	8 Jul 43 – 25 Sep 43
Squadron Leader L.C. Ormston, DFC inj.’	26 Sep 43 – 20 Dec 43
Squadron Leader J.D. McFarlane .	21 December 1943 – 9 April 1944
Squadron Leader N.R. Fowlow, DFC Killed in action	10 Apr 44 – 19 May 44
Squadron Leader G.D. Robertson	20 May 44 – 4 Aug 44
Squadron Leader R.K. Hayward, DFC .	5 Aug 44 – 9 Oct 44
Squadron Leader E.G. Lapp, DFC .	10 Oct 44 – 10 Dec 44
Squadron Leader J.N. Newell .	19 Dec 44 – 25 Jun 45
Squadron Leader B.E. Innes, DFC .	19 Sep 45 – 21 Mar 45
Wing Commander R.LA, Smith, DFC and Bar .	1 Oct 50 – 10 Jul 52
Wing Commander R.H. Rohmer, DFC .	2 Sep 52 – 10 Mar 53
Wing Commander C. Darrow, DFC .	11 Mar 53 – 3 Sep 54
Squadron Leader M.F. Cliff .	8 Oct 54 – 15 Aug 55
Wing Commander J.W.P. Draper, DFC .	7 Nov 55 – 6 Nov 58
Wing Commander F.}. Mills .	7 Nov 58 – 13 Sep 61
Wing Commander E.M. Lane, CD .	14 Sep 61 – 30 Nov 64
Wing Commander J.R.R. Neroutsos, CD .	1 Dec 64 – 17 Mar 66
Wing Commander T.H. Ussher, CD	18 Mar 66 – 31 Jan 68

Battle Honors:

Defence of Britain	1941-1944
English Channel and North Sea	1942-1943
Fortress Europe	1941-1944
Dieppe
France and Germany	1944-1945
Normandy	1944
Arnhem,
Rhine.

Daily Diary / Historical Reports / ORB Links:

Key Dates / Notes:

• Authorized as ‘411 (Fighter) Squadron’ 16 June 1941.
• Disbanded 15 March 1946.
• Reformed as ‘411 Fighter Squadron (Auxiliary)’ 1 February 1947.(1)
• Disbanded 1 October 1947.
• Reformed as ‘411 (Fighter) Squadron’ 1 October 1950.
• Redesignated ‘411 “County of York” (Fighter) Squadron’ 2 June 1952.
• Redesignated ‘411 Squadron’ 1 October 1958.
• Redesignated ‘411 Squadron (Auxiliary)’ 22 February 1964.
• Redesignated ‘411 Air Reserve Squadron’ 1 January 1969.
• Redesignated ‘411 Tactical Aviation Squadron’ 22 October 1991.
• Redesignated ‘411 Tactical Helicopter Squadron’ 1 April 1993.
• Disbanded 1 January 1998.

(1) Formation date was to have been 1 February 1947, but only the Radar Convoy Section was formed on 18 April 1948.

Ephemera:

External Links:

• Government of Canada
  • Official Webpage – Squadron is currently disbanded, no official webpage.
  • Official lineage webpage
• Wikipedia
• CASPIR – Canadian Aircraft Serials Personnel Information Resource

Sources:

• RCAF Squadrons and Aircraft, John Griffin and S. Kostenuk, 1977