RCAF Station Bagotville
RCAF Station Saguenay
General Information
Base / Station: Bagotville
Province: Quebec
Period of Information: 1942 – 1945, 1975 – 1994
Units:
- No. 1 Operational Training Unit
- No. 126 (F) Squadron (Detachment from Dartmouth, NS)
- No. 130 (F) Squadron
- No. 129 (F) Squadron
- No. 6 FTTU
- No. 425 Squadron
- No. 433 Squadron
- No. 434 Squadron
- Relief Landing Field-St Honore
Unit Duties / Information:
No. 1 OTU was opened at Bagotville July 20, 1942. This unit was used to give graduates of Service Flying Schools even more advanced training – in many cases giving them their first flights on the aircraft that they would be flying overseas or on convoy and anti- submarine operations here in Canada.
During the above mentioned period during the Second World War Bagotville served as the home base for a number of operational home defence squadrons as well as some operational training units.
No. 126 operated from Bagotville form June 14 to July 31, 1942.
No. 130 used Bagotville as a base for operations from July 14, 1942 to October 24, 1943.
No. 129 was based here from October 26 to December 28, 1943.
In 1984 425 Squadron was used as an air defence squadron as a part of NORAD.
No. 433 and 434 Squadrons were both tactical fighter squadrons in 1984.
Aircraft Flown:
- No. 1 OTU
- Bolingbroke,
- Harvard,
- Hurricane,
- Lysander
- No. 126 – Hurricane
- No. 130 – Kittyhawk, Hurricane
- No. 129 – Hurricane
- No. 425 – CF 18
- No. 433 – CF 5
- No. 434 – CF 5
Commanding Officers:
Financial Impact:
Date / Reason for closure:
- No. 1 OTU was closed January 31, 1945.
- With the arrival of the CF 18 – the Voodoo and its training units were supplanted. No. 6 FTTU being replaced March 15, 1983 by No. 10 FTTU in Cold Lake, Alberta.
- No. 434 Squadron was moved to Chatham, NB WHEN DID THIS MOVE TAKE PLACE??
(Image courtesy of Matt Heintz)
Site Plan – 1953
(1953) (Source 1 Canadian Air Division)
Please click image if you would like to download a High Resolution PDF copy.
Location – Google Map
Daily Diary Index – No 1 Operational Training Unit
1945
Course List
No 1 Operational Training Unit
Fatalities
For More information – External Links
- No 1 Operational Training Unit
There seem to be some difference in the 425 Sqn you show and the reality. Served at RCAF Stn St. Hubert in 1961 to 1964 and 425 Sqn was there, I worked on the CF100 the Sqn was equipped with then. In 1964 I was transferred to RCAF Stn Vald’Or and 425 Sqn moved to RCAF Stn Bagotville and deployed 4 CF 101 Voodoos on QRA duties at Val d’Or. In 1975 I was transferred to CFB Bagotville and 425 Sqn. was there. 1977 I was chosen to organize and train personnel for the 425 Sqn. New COLOURs presentation, the CO W/C Soznekowski was very pleased with the outcome. The Band was from Kingston Ont. The NFB recorded the event. I received several letters of commendations. When I left in 1978 the Sqn was still there and they received New Colours in 2002 while at CFB Bagotville.