417 Squadron

General Information:

Role(s):

Based:

• Charmy Down, Som. 27 Nov 41 – 26 Jan 42.
• Colerne, Wilts. 27 Jan 42 – 23 Feb 42.
• Tain, Ross., Scot. 25 Feb 42 – 12 Apr 42.
• En route to Egypt 13 Apr 42 – 3 Jun 42.
• Kasfareet, Egypt 4 Jun 42 – 17 Jul 42.”
• Deversoir, Egypt 18 Jul 42 – 4 Sep 42.
• Shandur, Egypt 5 Sep 42 – 9 Oct 42.
• Idku, Egypt 10 Oct 42 – 24 Jan 43.
• 4 aircraft each at
  • Cairo, Egypt 7 Oct – 22 Nov 42.
  • Al Kufra Oasis, Libyan Desert 3-25 Nov 42.
  • Cyprus 7 Dec 42 – 7 Jan 43,
  • Benghazi, Libya 7 Dec 42 – 7 Jan 43.
• L.G. 175 Alexandria, Egypt 25 Jan 43 – 7 Feb 43.
• En route to Tripoli, Libya 8 Feb 43 – 18 Feb 43°.
• Castel Benito, Tripoli, Libya 19 Feb 43 – 27 Feb 43.
• Mellaha, Tripoli, Libya 28 Feb 43 – 11 Apr 43.
• 8 aircraft, Ben Gardane, Tunisia 19-29 Mar 3-10 Apr 43.
• Ben Gardane, Tunisia 12 Apr 43 – 14 Apr 43.
• Aircraft at La Fauconnerie.
• Goubrine South, Tunisia 15 Apr 43 – 5 May 43.
• Hergla, Tunisia 6 May 43 – 14 May 43.
• Ben Gardane, Tunisia 15 May 43 – 14 Jun 43.
• Luga, Malta (Sicily landings) 15 Jun 43 – 15 Jul 43.
• Cassibile, Syracuse, Sicily 16 Jul 43 – 25 Jul 43.
• Lentini West, Sicily 26 Jul 43 – 18 Sep 43.
• Grottaglie, Italy 19 Sep 43 – 24 Sep 43.
• Gioia delle Colle, It. 25 Sep 43 – 4 Oct 43.
• Foggia, It. 5 Oct 43 – 17 Oct 43.
• Triolo, It. 18 Oct 43 – 25 Nov 43. –
• Canne, It. 26 Nov 43 – 16 Jan 44.
• Marcianise Landing Ground, Anzio, It. 17 Jan 44 – 23 Apr 44.
• Venafro, Cassino, It. 24 Apr 44 – 12 Jun 44.
• Littorio, Rome, It. 13 Jun 44 – 16 Jun 44.
• Fabrica, It. 17 Jun 44 – 3 Jul 44,
• Perugia, It. 4 Jul 44 – 25 Aug 44.
• Loreto, It. 26 Aug 44 – 4 Sep 44.
• Fano, It. 5 Sep 44 – 4 Dec 44.
• Bellaria, It. 5 Dee 44 – 3 May 45.
• Treviso, It. 4 May 45 -~ 30 Jun 45.
• Canadian Joint Air Training Center (CJATC) Rivers, Manitoba – 1 Jun 47 – 1 Aug 48
• CFB Cold Lake, Alberta
  • 1970-1983
  • April 1993 – Present

Years Active:

Aircraft Used:

• Supermarine Spitfire
  • Mk.HA & IIB (Nov 41 – Feb 42)
  • Mk.VB (Feb – Mar 42)
• Hawker Hurricane
  • Mk.IIB (Sep – Oct 42)
  • Mk.IIC (Sep 42 – Jan 43)
• Supermarine Spitfire
  • Mk.VB & VC (Oct 42 – Sep 43)
  • Mk. VII (Aug 43 – Apr 45)
  • Mk.IXB (Apr – Jun 45)
• North American Harvard Mk.II (Jul 47 – Jul 48)
• North American Mustang Mk.IV (Jul 47 – Jul 48) .
• Lockheed CF-104 Starfighter – 1970 – 1983
• Canadair CT-133 Silver Star – April 1993 – 2001
• Bell CH-118 Iroquois Helicopter – April 1993 – July 1995
• Bell CH-146 Griffon Helicopter – July 1995 – Present

Commanding Officer:

Squadron Leader C.E. Malfroy (RAF)	27 Nov 41 – 27 Mar 42
Squadron Leader P.B. Pitcher	28 Mar 42 – 17 Nov 42
Squadron Leader F.B. Foster	18 Nov 42 ~ 23 Jun 43
Squadron Leader P.S. Tumer (Can/RAF), DFC and Bar	24 Jun 43 – 19 Nov 43
Squadron Leader A.U. Houle, DFC and Bar	20 Nov 43 – 17 Feb 44
Squadron Leader K.L. Magee	18 Feb 44 – 12 Mar 44
Squadron Leader W.B. Hay	13 Mar 44 – 23 Jun 44
Squadron Leader O.C. Kallio, DFC	24 Jun 44 – 11 Nov 44
Squadron Leader D. Goldberg, DFC	12 Nov 44 – 30 Jun 45
Wing Commander J.D. Mitchner, DFC and Bar	11 Jun 47 – 1 Aug 48

Battle Honors:

DEFENCE OF BRITAIN	1942
EGYPT AND LIBYA	1942-1943
NORTH AFRICA	1943
SICILY	1943
ITALY	1943-1945
Salerno
Anzio and Nettuno
Gustav Line
Gothic Line.

Daily Diary / Historical Reports / ORB Links:

Key Dates / Notes:

• Authorized as ‘417 (Fighter) Squadron’ 27 November 1941.
• Disbanded 30 June 1945.
• Reformed as ‘417 (Fighter Reconnaissance) Squadron’ 1 June 1947.
• Disbanded 1 April 1949.
• Reformed as ‘417 Strike/Reconnaissance Operational Training Squadron’ 23 March 1968, from ‘6 Strike/Reconnaissance Operational Training Unit’ (authorized 18 June 1961).
• Redesignated ‘417 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron’ 18 April 1972.
• Disbanded 15 October 1983.
• Reformed as ‘417 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