414 Squadron

General Information:

The Squadron was initially formed as

*Note* – My plan it to create a page for Squadron and the other 100 series units once I have completed the 400 series squadrons. The history of the squadron as Squadron will be documented on that page.

Role(s):

• Army Co-operation Squadron – August 1941 – June 1943.
• Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron – June 1943 – August 1945
• Squadron Inactive
• Photographic Squadron – 1 April 1947 – November 1950
• Squadron Inactive
• Fighter Squadron – December 1952 – August 1957
• All-Weather Fighter Squadron – August 1957 – June 1964.
• Squadron inactive
• Electronic Warfare Squadron – October 1967 – June 1992
• Composite Squadron – June 1992 – April 1993
• Combat Support Squadron – April 1993 –

Based:

• Croydon, Surrey 13 Aug 41 – 4 Dec 42.
• Dunsfold, Surrey 5 Dec 42 – 31 Jan 43.
• Middle Wallop, Hants. 1 Feb 43 – 19 Feb 43.
• Dunsfold, Surrey 20 Feb 43 – 8 Apr 43.
• Middle Wallop, Hants. 9 Apr 43 – 25 May 43.
• Harrowbeer, Devon. 26 May 43 – 3 Jun 43.
• Portreath, Cornwall 4 Jun 43 – 19 Jun 43.
• Dunsfold, Surrey 20 Jun 43 – 4 Jul 43.
• Gatwick, Surrey 5 Jul 43 – 30 Jul 43.
• Weston Zoyland, Som. 31 Jul 43 – 9 Aug 43.
• Gatwick, Surrey 10 Aug 43 – 12 Aug 43.
• Ashford, Kent 13 Aug 43 – 4 Oct 43.
• Woodchurch, Kent 5 Oct 43 – 14 Oct 43.
• Redhill, Surrey 15 Oct 43 – 2 Nov 43.
• Gatwick, Surrey 3 Nov 43 – 4 Feb 44,
• No. 15 Armament Practice Camp,
• Peterhead, Scot. 5 Feb 44 – 19 Feb 44.
• Odiham, Hants. 20 Feb 44 – 28 Feb 44.
• Dundonald, Ayr., Scot. 29 Feb 44 – 10 Mar 44.
• Gatwick, Surrey 11 Mar 44 – 31 Mar 44.
• Odiham, Hants. 1 Apr 44 – 14 August 1944.
• B.(Base) 21 Ste Honorine-de-Ducy, Fr. 15 Aug 44 – 28 Aug 44.
• B.26 Illiers ‘Evéque, Fr. 29 Aug 44 – 2 Sep 44.
• B.44 Poix, Fr. 3 Sep 44 – 6 Sep 44.
• B.56 Evére, Bel. 7 Sep 44 – 19 Sep 44.
• B.66 Blakenburg, Bel. 20 Sep 44 – 2 Oct 44.
• B.78 Eindhoven, Neth. 3 Oct 44 – 6 May 45.
• B.90 Petit- Brogel, Bel. 7 Mar 45 – 10 Apr 45.
• B.108 Rheine, Ger. 11 Apr 45 – 16 Apr 45.
• B.116 Wunstorf, Ger. 17 Apr 45 – 27 Apr 45.
• B.154 Soltau, Ger. 28 Apr 45 – 6 May 45.
• B.118 Celle, Ger. 7 May 45.
• B.156 Luneburg, Ger. 8 May 45 – 7 Aug 45.
• No. 17 Armament Practice Camp, Warmwoell, Dorset, Eng. 23 Jun – 6 Jul 45.
• Rockcliffe, Ont. 1 Apr 47 – 1 Nov 50.
• Bagotville, Que. 1 Nov $2 – 23 Aug 53.
• En route overseas (Operation “Leapfrog IV”) 24 Aug 53 – 3 Sep 53.
• Baden-Soellingen, Ger. 4 Sep 53 – 14 Jul 57.
• Squadron inactive.
• North Bay, Ont. 5 Aug 57 – 30 Jun 64.
• Namao, Alta. (conversion to CF-101 under No. 425 AW(F) Sqn) 19 Mar – 19 Apr 62.
• Uplands, Ont. (North Bay runways under repair for CF-101) 28 Apr – 4 Oct 62.
• St Hubert, Que. 15 Sep 67 – August 1972.
• North Bay, Ontario August 1972 – 1992
• Comox, British Columbia 1992 – 2002
• Ottawa, Ontario, December 2007- January 2009
• Gatineau Airport, Quebec, 20 January 2009 – Present

Years Active:

Aircraft Used:

• Westland Lysander Mk. III (Aug 41 – Jun 42, not on operations)
• Curtiss Tomahawk Mk.I & II (Aug 41 – Sep 42, not on operations)
• North American Mustang Mk.I (Jun 42 – Aug 44}
• Supermarine Spitfire L.F.Mk.IX (Aug 44 – Apr 45)
• Supermarine Spitfire F.R.Mk.XIV (Apr – Aug 45)
• Douglas Dakota MK.IHP & IVP (Apr 47 – Oct 50)
• Canadair Sabre Mk.4 (Nov 52 – Nov 53)(!)
• Canadair Sabre Mk.5 (Nov 53 – Aug $5)
• Canadair Sabre Mk.6 (Jul 55 – Jul 57)
• Avro CF-100 Canuck MK. 5 (Aug 57 – Feb 62)
• McDonnell CF-101B Voodoo (Feb 62 – Jun 64)
• Avro CF-100 Canuck Mk.5 (Sep 67 – ?)
• McDonnell EF-101B “Electric” Voodoo (?-?)
• Dassault CC-117 Falcon (?-?)
• T-33 Silver Star (1993-2002)
• Unknown (2007-2009)
• Dassault/ Dornier Alpha Jet (2009-Present)

Commanding Officer:

Wing Commander D.M. Smith	15 Aug 41 – 17 Jul 42
Wing Commander R.F. Begg	18 Jul 42 – 27 Jun 43
Squadron Leader J.M. Godfrey .	28 Jun 43 – 23 Jul 43
Squadron Leader H.P. Peters, DFC KIA.	24 Jul 43 – 4 Nov 43
Squadron Leader C.H. Stover, DFC .	5 Nov 43 – 30 Jun 44
Squadron Leader R.T. Hutchinson, DFC OTE.	1 Jul 44 – 1 Oct 44
Squadron Leader G. Wonnacott, DFC and Bar OTE.	2 Oct 44 – 9 Mar 45
Squadron Leader F.S. Gilbertson, DFC OTE.	10 Mar 4S – 9 Apr 45
Squadron Leader J.B. Prendergast, DFC	18 Apr 45 – 7 Aug 45.
Squadron Leader R.F. Milne, DFC	1 Apr 47 – 19 Dec 48.
Wing Commander W.B.M. Millar	20 Dec 48 – 1 Nov 50.
Wing Commander JF. Allan, CD	12 Nov 52 – 1 Feb 54.
Squadron Leader J.R. Ritch, CD	15 May 54 – 8 Apr 56.
Squadron Leader L.J. Liggett, CD	15 May 56 – 14 Jul 57.
Squadron inactive
Wing Commander E. Wilson, CD	7 Apr 58 – 30 Jun 59.
Wing Commander C.D.L, Hare, DFC, AFC, CD	1 Jul 59 – 14 Nov 60
Wing Commander HLA. McKay, DFC, CD	1 Feb 61 – 31 Jul 61.
Wing Commander E.G. Smith, DFC, CD	1 Aug 61 – 11 Oct 62.
Wing Commander K.F. Lowe, CD	12 Oct 62 – 30 Jun 64.
Wing Commander P.B. St. Louis, MBE, CD	15 Sep 67 – 31 Jan 68.

Battle Honors:

Defence of Britain	1942-1943
Fortress Europe	1942-1944
Dieppe
France and Germany	1944-1945
Normandy	1944
Arnhem
Rhine
Biscay	1943

Daily Diary / Historical Reports / ORB Links:

Key Dates / Notes:

• Authorized as ‘414 (Army Co-operation) Squadron’ 12 August 1941.
• Redesignated ‘414 (Fighter Reconnaissance) Squadron’ 28 June 1943.
• Disbanded 7 August 1945.
• Reformed as ‘414 (Photographic) Squadron’ 1 April 1947,^{Footnote 4} from ‘14 (Photographic) Squadron’ (authorized in 1943).
• Disbanded 1 November 1950.
• Reformed as ‘414 (Fighter) Squadron’ 1 December 1952.
• Redesignated ‘414 All-Weather Fighter Squadron’ 1 August 1957.
• Disbanded 30 June 1964.
• Reformed as ‘414 Electronic Warfare Squadron’ 7 October 1967, from the ‘RCAF Electronic Warfare Unit’ (authorized 1 November 1958).
• Redesignated ‘414 Composite Squadron’ 17 June 1992.
• Redesignated ‘414 Combat Support Squadron’ 1 April 1993.

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