407 Long Range Patrol Squadron

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407 Long Range Patrol Squadron
407 Squadron Canadair Argus 2 patrol aircraft visiting RAAF Laverton, Victoria, in April 1971.
Active	1941–1945 1952–present
Country	Canada
Branch	Royal Canadian Air Force
Role	Long range patrol
Based at	CFB Comox
Nickname(s)	Demon Squadron
Motto(s)	To Hold On High
Battle honours	Atlantic 1941–43 English Channel & North Sea 1941–45 Fortress Europe 1942 German Ports 1942 Normandy 1944 Biscay 1942–45
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Bristol Blenheim Lockheed Hudson Vickers Wellington Avro Lancaster
Patrol	Lockheed CP-122 Neptune Canadair CP-107 Argus Lockheed CP-140 Aurora

407 Long Range Patrol Squadron (abbreviated 407 LRP Sqn, formerly 407 Maritime Patrol Sqn) is a long range & maritime patrol squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force. It is located at 19 Wing Comox, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and operates the CP-140 Aurora.

History

No. 407 Coastal Strike Squadron was formed at RAF Thorney Island, England on the 8 May 1941, first training on the Bristol Blenheim. It was one of seven Article XV RCAF units to serve with RAF Coastal Command.

The squadron's wartime history can be divided into two periods. From September 1941 to January 1943, the squadron operated as a "strike" squadron attacking enemy shipping with the Lockheed Hudson. It was as a strike squadron that it won its reputation and its nickname "The Demon Squadron". On 29 January 1943 it was re-designated 407 General Reconnaissance Squadron, and for the remainder of the war it protected friendly shipping from the U-Boat threat operating the Vickers Wellington.

The squadron was disbanded on 4 June 1945 following the end of the Second World War. On 1 July 1952 the squadron was reactivated at RCAF Station Comox as 407 Maritime Reconnaissance Squadron flying the Avro Lancaster. On 17 July 1956 it was renamed as a Maritime Patrol Squadron.

The squadron has served continuously in Comox since 1952 flying the Lancaster, P2V-7 Neptune, and CP-107 Argus. On 28 June 1975, the squadron was presented its Standard by the Honourable Walter Owen, Q.C. L.L.D. Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

Today, 407 Squadron flies the updated CP-140 Aurora on coastal patrol, anti-submarine and long range patrol duties.

Squadron commanding officers

Lieutenant Colonel Fred Bigelow: 2002 – 2004
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Ormsby: 2004 – 2006
Lieutenant Colonel Mike Hogan: 2006 – 2008
Lieutenant Colonel Mario Leblanc: 2008 – 2010
Lieutenant Colonel Dave Robinson: 2010 – 2012
Lieutenant Colonel Jason Kenny: 2012 – 2014
Lieutenant Colonel Andrew McCorquodale: 2014 -

References

Citations

Bibliography

The Demon Squadron, 407 Squadron in War and Peace, published as at the presentation of the Squadron Standard

A 407 Squadron uniform shoulder patch. Based on the remnant of the Crest Craft label, it was probably in use in the 60's.

External links

v t e Royal Canadian Air Force units
Wings	1 Wing Kingston 2 Wing Bagotville 3 Wing Bagotville 4 Wing Cold Lake 5 Wing Goose Bay 8 Wing Trenton 9 Wing Gander 12 Wing Shearwater 14 Wing Greenwood 15 Wing Moose Jaw 16 Wing Borden 17 Wing Winnipeg 19 Wing Comox 22 Wing North Bay
Squadrons	21 Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron 42 Radar Squadron 51 Aerospace Control and Warning Operational Training Squadron 103 Search and Rescue Squadron 400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron 401 Tactical Fighter Squadron 402 Squadron 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron 404 Long Range Patrol and Training Squadron 405 Long Range Patrol Squadron 406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron 410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron 412 Transport Squadron 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron 414 Electronic Warfare Support Squadron 415 Long Range Patrol Force Development Squadron 417 Combat Support Squadron 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron 426 Transport Training Squadron 429 Transport Squadron 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron 436 Transport Squadron 437 Transport Squadron 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron 439 Combat Support Squadron 440 Transport Squadron 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron 444 Combat Support Squadron 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron
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Royal Canadian Air Force

List of aircraft

Wings: 1 Wing Kingston; 3 Wing Bagotville; 4 Wing Cold Lake; 5 Wing Goose Bay; 8 Wing Trenton; 9 Wing Gander; 12 Wing Shearwater; 14 Wing Greenwood; 15 Wing Moose Jaw; 16 Wing Borden; 17 Wing Winnipeg; 19 Wing Comox; 22 Wing North Bay
List of Squadrons

Training: Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering; Royal Canadian Air Force Academy

History: Canadian Aviation Corps (1914–1915); Canadian Air Force (1918–1920); Canadian Air Force (1920–1924); Royal Canadian Air Force (1924–1968); Canadian Forces Air Command (1975–2011); Royal Canadian Air Force (2011–present)

Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons

Squadron
numbers

Pre-WWII Squadrons	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 18
100-series squadrons	110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 145 147 149 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 170
WW2 400-series Article XV squadrons	400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443
WW2 600-series AOP squadrons¹	664 665 666
Post-war squadrons	103 444 445 446 447 448 449 450

Squadron
codes

WW2 Canada

1 August 1939 - May 1942	AY BK BT DM EX FD FY JY KA KO LT MX NA OP OY PB QN RE TM XE XO YO ZD
Unit formation in 1940 - May 1942	AN BF GK GV LU PO QE TQ RA
Dartmouth Hurricanes 1942	1 or 2 1 or 2 1 or 2
May 1942 - 16 October 1942	AE AF AG AN AZ BA BD BV DE DZ EA ED EN ET FG FN GA GR HA HJ JK KL LM LR LV LZ MA MK MR NO PQ QG RA RS SZ TF TN UV UY VD VW XP XY YA YH YZ ZM ZR

WW2 Overseas
1940-1946

Operational squadrons	AB AE AL AN AU AW BM BX 2I CI DB DG DH DN EE EQ 5V FD F3 6U GX G9 HU I8 9G KH KP KW LQ NA ND NH OW PT QB QL QO QY RA RR RU RV SE SP SW TH VR VZ WL YI YO YZ ZL ZU Z2
Transport squadrons	OWL² ODM ODN ODO

Post-WW2
1947 - 1958

1947 - 1951 (VCXXA)³	AA AB AC AD AG AH AK AM AN AO AP AQ AT AU AW AX BA BC BN BQ BU XV
1951 - 1958 (XXnnn)⁴	AF AM AN AP AQ AS AX BA BB BH BQ BR BT BU BV DL FG GW HG HO IG JF JW KE KH LP MN NQ PF PR QP QT RX SA SP SV TF UD VN XK XV

¹Aircraft administered and serviced by the RCAF but manned by the Royal Canadian Artillery.

² Non-standard code as unit using OW added L. Letters normally denoted parent Command, aircraft type (L Liberator transport, D Dakota etc), unit, and individual aircraft.

³ VC

XXA where VC was the civil code used by the RCAF replacing CF-, XX was the unit code and A was the aircraft ID letter

⁴ XX

nnn where XX was the unit code and nnn was the last 3 digits of the serial number. Unit code was replaced with "RCAF" in 1958