Who was in the air on D-Day?
News Article / May 13, 2019
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By Major (retired) William March
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) had 42 operational squadrons overseas on D-Day—June 6, 1944.
These 42 also included a Home War Establishment unit, 162 Squadron, which operated Canso aircraft; it had been “loaned” to Royal Air Force (RAF) Coastal Command. Of these 42 squadrons, 39 have the “Normandy” Battle Honour, meaning that they took part in combat operations either on D-Day or during the subsequent campaign.
Hundreds of Canadian aircraft were in the air on D-Day and thousands of RCAF men and women served in Canadian or other Commonwealth units. Of the 23 Canadian airmen who were killed on D-Day, seven served with RCAF squadrons. The remainder served with RAF squadrons and units.
| Squadron | Formation | Location | Aircraft | Current Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Odiham, Hampshire | Mosquito Mk XVI, Spitfire Mk XI | Borden, Ont. |
| 401 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Tangmere, Sussex | Spitfire Mk IXB | Cold Lake, Alta. |
| 402 | 2 Tactical Air Force/85 Group | Horne, Yorkshire | Spitfire Mk IXB | Winnipeg, Man. |
| 403 | 2 Tactical Air Force/19 Group | Tangmere, Sussex | Spitfire Mk XVI | Gagetown, N.B. |
| 404 | Coastal Command/19 Group | Davidstow Moor, Cornwall | Beaufighter Mk XC | Greenwood, N.S. |
| 405 | Bomber Command/8 (Pathfinder) Group | Gransden Lodge, Cambridgeshire | Lancaster Mk I/III | Greenwood, N.S. |
| 406 | Air Defence of Great Britain/10 Group | Winkleigh, Devon | Mosquito Mk XIII | Shearwater, N.S. |
| 407 | Coastal Command/19 Group | Chievenor, Devon | WEllington Mk XIV | Comox, B.C. |
| 408 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | Linton-on-Ouse, Yorksire | Lancaster Mk II | Edmonton, Alta. |
| 409 | 2 Tactical Air Force/85 Group | West Maling, Kent | Mosquito Mk XII | Cold Lake, Alta. |
| 410 | 2 Tactical Air Force/85 Group | Hunsdon, Hertfordshire | Mosquito Mk XIII | Cold Lake, Alta. |
| 411 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Tangmere, Sussex | Spitfire Mk IXB | Not Active |
| 412 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Tangmere, Sussex | Spitfire Mk IXB | Ottawa, Ont. |
| 414 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Odiham, Hampshire | Mustang Mk I | Ottawa, Ont. |
| 415 | Coastal Command/16 Group | Bircham Newton, Norfolk | Wellington Mk XIII | Greenwood, N.S. |
| 416 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Tangmere, Sussex | Spitfire Mk IXB | Not Active |
| 418 | Air Defence of Great Britain/11 Group | Holmsley South, Hampshire | Mosquito Mk XII | Not Active |
| 419 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | Middleton St. George, Durham | Lancaster Mk X | Cold Lake, Alta. |
| 420 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | Tholthorpe, Yorkshire | Halifax Mk III | Not Active |
| 421 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Tangmere, Sussex | Spitfire Mk XVI | Not Active |
| 422 |
Coastal Command/15 Group | Castle Archdale, Northern Ireland | Sunderland Mk III | Not Active |
| 423 | Coastal Command/15 Group | Castle Archdale, Northern Ireland | Sunderland Mk III | Shearwater, N.S. |
| 424 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire | Halifax Mk III | Trenton, Ont. |
| 425 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | Dishforth, Yorkshire | Halifax Mk III | Bagotville, Que. |
| 426 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire | Halifax Mk III | Trenton, Ont. |
| 427 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | Leeming, Yorkshire | Halifax Mk III | Petawawa, Ont. |
| 428 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | Middleton St. George, Durham | Halifax Mk II | Not Active |
| 429 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | Leeming, Yorkshire | Halifax Mk III | Trenton, Ont. |
| 430 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Odiham, Hampshire | Mustang Mk I | Valcartier, Que. |
| 431 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | Croft, Yorkshire | Halifax Mk III | Moose Jaw, Sask. |
| 432 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | East Moor, Yorkshire | Halifax Mk III | Not Active |
| 433 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire | Halifax Mk III | Bagotville, Que. |
| 434 | Bomber Command/6 (RCAF) Group | Croft, Yorkshire | Halifax Mk III | Trenton, Ont. |
| 438 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Wittering, Cambridgeshire | Typhoon Mk IB | St. Hubert, Que. |
| 439 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Hurn, Dorset | Typhoon Mk IB | Bagotville, Que |
| 440 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Hurn, Dorset | Typhoon Mk IB | Yellowknife, N.W.T. |
| 441 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Ford, Sussex | Spitfire Mk IXB | Not Active |
| 442 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Ford, Sussex | Spitfire Mk IXB | Comox, B.C. |
| 443 | 2 Tactical Air Force/83 Group | Ford, Sussex | Spitfire Mk IXB | Victoria, B.C. |
The following Second World War 400-series RCAF squadrons were not involved in D-Day.
| Squadron | Formation | Location | Aircraft | Current Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 413 | South East Asia Command/222 Group | Koggala, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) | Catalina, various Mks | Greenwood, N.S. |
| 417 | Desert Air Force/221 Group | Venafrom, Italy | Spitfire Mk VB | Cold Lake, Alta. |
| 435 | South East Asia Command/229 Group | Formed 1 Nov. 1944 (after D-Day) | Dakota, various Mks | Winnipeg, Man. |
| 436 | South East Asia Command/229 Group | Formed 20 Aug. 1944 (after D-Day) | Dakota, various Mks | Trenton, Ont. |
| 437 | South East Asia Command/46 Group | Formed 14 Sept. 1944 (after D-Day) | Dakota, various Mks | Trenton, Ont. |
As well as these 400-series squadrons, 162 Squadron, a Home War Establishment unit, which operated Canso aircraft was overseas, having been “loaned” to Royal Air Force (RAF) Coastal Command.
The RCAF squadrons involved in D-Day carried out the following missions.
| Squadron | Mission | Aircraft | Casualties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
| 401 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
| 402 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
| 403 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
| 404 | Anti-shipping patrol | 14 aircraft | Nil |
| 405 | Mark target, Coutances, France | 2 aircraft | Nil |
| 406 | Counter-air sweep | All available | Nil |
| 407 | Anti-submarine patrol | 2 aircraft | Nil |
| 408 | Attack, Coutances, France | 22 aircraft | Nil |
| 409 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
| 410 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
| 411 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
| 412 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
| 414 | Naval gunfire spotting | All available | Nil |
| 415 | Anti-shipping patrol | All available | Nil |
| 416 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
| 418 | Counter-air sweep | All available | Nil |
| 419 | Attack, Coutances, France | 20 aircraft | Nil |
| 420 | Attack, Coutances, France | 18 aircraft | Nil |
| 421 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
| 422 |
Anti-submarine patrol | 1 aircraft | Nil |
| 423 | Standby | Nil | Nil |
| 424 | Attack, Condé-Sur-Noireau, France | All available | Nil |
| 425 | Attack, Coutances, France | 19 aircraft | Nil |
| 426 | Attack, battery at Houlgate, France | 16 aircraft | 1 aircraft lost; 5 RCAF, 1 RAF killed |
| 427 | Attack, Condé-Sur-Noireau, France | All available | Nil |
| 428 | Attack, Coutances, France | 17 aircraft | Nil |
| 429 | Attack, Condé-Sur-Noireau, France | 19 aircraft | Nil |
| 430 | Photo reconnaissance | All available | 1 aircraft lost; 1 RCAF killed |
| 431 | Attack, Condé-Sur-Noireau, France | 21 aircraft | Nil |
| 432 | Attack, Coutances, France | 20 aircraft | Nil |
| 433 | Attack, Condé-Sur-Noireau, France | 19 aircraft | Nil |
| 434 | Attack, Condé-Sur-Noireau, France | 19 aircraft | Nil |
| 438 | Armed reconnaissance | All available | Nil |
| 439 | Armed reconnaissance | All available | Nil |
| 440 | Armed reconnaissance | All available | 2 aircraft damaged; 1 aircraft lost; 1 RCAF killed |
| 441 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
| 442 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
| 443 | Patrol over beaches | All available | Nil |
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