418 Squadron

General Information:

Role(s):

Based:

• Debden, Essex 15 Nov 41 – 14 Apr 42.
• Bradwell Bay, Essex 15 Apr 42 – 14 Mar 43.
• Ford, Sussex 15 Mar 43 – 7 Apr 44.
• Holmsley South, Hants. 8 Apr 44 – 13 Jul 44.
• Hurn, Hants. 14 Jul 44 – 28 Jul 44.
• Middle Wallop, Hants. 29 Jul 44 – 26 Aug 44,
• Hunsdon, Herts. 28 Aug 44 – 20 Nov 44.
• Hartford Bridge, Hants. 21 Nov 44 – 14 Mar 45.
• B.(Base) 71 Coxyde, Bel. 15 Mar 45 – 25 Apr 45.
• B.80 Volkel, Neth. 26 Apr 45 – 7 Sep 45.
• RCAF Station Edmonton, Alberta – Apr 1946 – Sep 1955.
• RCAF Station Namao, Alberta – Oct 1955 – 1994
• CFB Comox, British Columbia – March 2019 – Present

Years Active:

Aircraft Used:

• Douglas Boston Mk.II (Nov 41 – Jul 43)
• de Havilland Mosquito
  • Mk.II (Mar 43 – Nov 44)
  • F.B.Mk.VI (Nov 44 – Sep 45)?
• North American Harvard Mk.II (Oct 46 – Jan 53)
• North American Mitchell Mk.II & Ill (Jan 47 – Mar 58)
• Beechcraft Expeditor Mk.3 (Apr 48 – Nov 66)
• Canadair Silver Star Mk.3 (Aug 56 – May 58)
• de Havilland Otter (Oct 60 – Jan 68)
• Airbus CC-295 Kingfisher – March 2019 – Present

Commanding Officer:

Wing Commander G.H. Gatheral (RAF) .	22 Nov 41 – 14 May 42
Wing Commander A.E. Saunders (RAF) .	15 May 42 – 11 Dec 42
Wing Commander J.H. Little (RAF), DFC Killed in action	12 Dec 42 – 13 Jun 43
Wing Commander P.Y. Davoud, DFC	15 Jun 43 – 7 Jan 44
Wing Commander D.C.S. MacDonald, DFC	8 Jan 44 – 24 Feb 44
Wing Commander R.J. Bennell, DFC Killed in Action	25 Feb 44 – 9 Mar 44
Wing Commander A. Barker	30 Mar 44 – 9 Oct 44
Wing Commander R. Bannock, DFC and Bar	10 Oct 44 – 22 Nov 44
Wing Commander J.C. Wickett Prisoner of War	23 Nov 44 – 22 Feb 45
Wing Commander D.B. Annan	23 Feb 45 – 23 May 45
Wing Commander H.D. Cleveland, DFC	24 May 45 – 7 Sep 45
Wing Commander D.R. Jacox, AFC	1 May 46 – 13 Mar 50
Wing Commander A.W. Speed	14 Mar 50 – 17 Jun 52
Wing Commander A.D.R. Lowe, DFC, AFC	18 Jun 52 – 16 Sep 54
Wing Commander J.M. Flint, CD	17 Sep 54 – 18 Sep 55
Wing Commander J.K. Campbell, CD	19 Sep 55 – 30 Jan 59
Wing Commander O.W. Cornish, CD	31 Jan 59 – 14 Oct 61
Wing Commander E.T. Guest, CD	15 Oct 61 – 31 Dec 62
Wing Commander R. Klesko, CD	1 Jan 63 – 1 Oct 66
Wing Commander S.E.W.]J. Wood, CD	2 Oct 66 – 31 Jan 68
Lieutenant-Colonel _. Jeffers	March 2019 –

Battle Honors:

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

Daily Diary / Historical Reports / ORB Links:

Key Dates / Notes:

• 15 November 1941 – Authorized as ‘418 (Intruder) Squadron’
• 7 September 1945 – Disbanded
• 15 April 1946 – Reformed as ‘418 (Fighter Bomber) Squadron’
• 1 January 1947 – Redesignated ‘418 (Light Bomber) Squadron’
• 1 April 1947 – Redesignated ‘418 (Tactical Bomber) Squadron’
• 1 April 1949 – Redesignated ‘418 (Light Bomber) Squadron’
• 3 September 1952 – Redesignated ‘418 “City of Edmonton” (Light Bomber) Squadron’
• 31 March 1958 – Redesignated ‘418 “City of Edmonton” Squadron’
• 22 February 1964 – Redesignated ‘418 Squadron (Auxiliary)’
• 1 January 1969 – Redesignated ‘418 Air Reserve Squadron’
• 1 April 1994 – Redesignated ‘418 Transport and Rescue Squadron’
• 22 June 1994 – Disbanded
• 13 March 2019 – Reformed as ‘418 Search and Rescue Operational Training Squadron’ at Comox, British Columbia.

Ephemera:

External Links:

• Government of Canada
  • Official Webpage
  • Official lineage webpage
• Wikipedia
• CASPIR – Canadian Aircraft Serials Personnel Information Resource

Sources:

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