427 Squadron
General Information:
Years Active:
- 1942 – 1946
- 1952 – 1970
- 1971 – Present (2026)
Current Home Station:
| CFB Petawawa, Ontario | 1971 – Present (2026) |
Historic Home Stations:
| RAF Croft, Yorkshire, England | November 1942 – May 1943 |
| RAF Leeming, Yorkshire, England | May 1943 – June 1946 |
| Squadron inactive | |
| RCAF Station St. Hubert, Quebec – | 1 August 1952 – 6 March 1953 |
| En route overseas (Operation “Leapfrog III”) | 7 March 1953 – 6 April 1953. |
| Zweibrucken, Germany | 7 April 1953 – 15 June 1962 |
| Grostenquin, France | 16 June 1962 – 15 December 1962 (withdrawal of Sabre aircraft) |
| Squadron inactive | |
| Zweibrucken, Germany | 16 December 1962 – 1 July 1970 |
| Baden-Soellingen, Germany | 1 July – 15 September 1966. (Zweibrucken runways being resurfaced) |
Current Aircraft
| Bell CH-146 Griffon Helicopter | |
| Beechcraft Super King Air |
Aircraft Historically Used:
| Vickers Wellington B.Mk.III | November 1942 – March 1943 |
| Vickers Wellington B.Mk.X | February – May 1943 |
| Handley Page Halifax B.Mk.V | May 1943 – February 1944 |
| Handley Page Halifax B.Mk.III | January 1944 – March 1945 |
| Avro Lancaster B.Mk.I & Ill | March 1945 – May 1946 |
| Canadair Sabre Mk. 2 | September 1952 – June 1953 |
| Canadair Sabre Mk.5 | May 1953 – September 1955 |
| Canadair Sabre Mk.6 | September 1955 – December 1962 |
| Canadair CF-104 Starfighter | December 1962 – 1 July 1970 |
| Cessna L-19 Bird Dog | January 1971 – |
| Bell Twin Huey CH-135 Twin Huey | 1992 – July 1997 |
| Bell Kiowa CH-136 Kiowa | |
| Mil Mi-17 Mil CH-178 | 2010 – 2011 |
Commanders:
| Wing Commander D.H. Burnside (RAF), DFC and Bar | November 1942 – September 1943 |
| Wing Commander R.S. Turnbull, DFC, AFC, DFM | September 1943 – June 1944 |
| Wing Commander C.J. Cribb (RAF), DFC | June 1944 – August 1944 |
| Wing Commander E.M. Bryson | August 1944 – September 1944 |
| Wing Commander V.F. Ganderton, DSO, DFC | September 1944 – May 1945 |
| Wing Commander E.M. Bryson, DFC | May 1945 – June 1945 |
| Wing Commander R.D.P. Blagrave | June 1945 – October 1945 |
| Wing Commander J.C.R. Brown, DFC and Bar | October 1945 – June 1946 |
| Squadron Leader C.L.V. Gervais | August 1952 – August 1953 |
| Squadron Leader D.K. Burke, CD | June 1954 – September 1955 |
| Wing Commander D. Laidler, CD | September 1955 – July 1956. |
| Wing Commander W.R. Tew, DFC, CD | October 1956 – March 1958 |
| Wing Commander H.R. Knight, CD | May 1958 – May 1960 |
| Wing Commander P.B. St. Louis, MBE, CD | December 1960 – December 1962 |
| Squadron inactive | |
| Wing Commander R.G. Middlemiss, DFC | December 1962 – February 1964 |
| Wing Commander W.R. Knight, CD | February 1964 – July 1965 |
| Wing Commander J.F. Dunlop, DFC, CD | July 1965 – September 1965 |
| Wing Commander P.J.S. Higgs, CD | May 1966 – September 1967 |
| Wing Commander R.E. Carruthers, CD | September 1967 – January 1968 |
Battle Honors:
| ENGLISH CHANNEL AND NORTH SEA | 1943-1945 |
| BALTIC | 1944-1945 |
| FORTRESS EUROPE | 1943-1944 |
| FRANCE AND GERMANY | 1944-1945 |
| Biscay Ports | 1943-1944 |
| Ruhr | 1943-1945 |
| Berlin | 1943-1944 |
| German Ports | 1943-1945 |
| Normandy | |
| Rhine | |
| BISCAY | 1944 |
| AFGHANISTAN |
Daily Diary / Historical Reports / ORB Links:
1943
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Key Dates / Notes:
- 15 October 1942 – Authorized as ‘427 (Bomber) Squadron’
- 31 May 1946 – Disbanded
- 1 August 1952 – Reformed as ‘427 (Fighter) Squadron’
- 15 December 1962 – Disbanded
- 17 December 1962 – Redesignated ‘427 Strike/Attack Squadron’
- 1 July 1970 – Disbanded
- 1 January 1971 – Reformed as ‘427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron’
- 20 October 1977 – Designated ‘427e Escadron de chasseurs tous temps’ in french
- 1 June 2009 – Redesignated as ‘427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron’
Ephemera:
Articles
External Links:
Sources:
- RCAF Squadrons and Aircraft, John Griffin and S. Kostenuk, 1977