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THE WAR YEARS
Formed at Ayr, Scotland on 30 June 1941 as the RCAF's ninth -- third and
last Night Fighter squadron formed overseas, the unit flew Beaufighter and
Mosquito' aircraft in the night air defence of Britain and of Allied forces
in North-West Europe. The squadron was disbanded at Gilze-Rijen, in the
Netherlands, on
9 June 1945.
Brief Chronology
Formed at Ayr, Scot. 30 Jun 41. Disbanded at Gilze-Rijen, Neth. 9 Jun 45.
Title or Nickname
"Cougar"
Adoption City of Saint John, N.B.
Commanders
S/L P.Y. Davoud 30 Jun 41 - 4 Sep 41.
W/C M. Lipton 5 Sep 41 - 30 Jul 42.
W/C F.W. Hillock 19 Aug 42 -19 May 43 OTE.
W/C G.H. Elms 20 May 43 - 18 Feb 44 OTE.
W/C G.A. Hiltz 19 Feb 44 - 1 Apr 45 OTE.
W/C E.P. Heybroek 2 Apr 45 - 9 Jun 45.
Higher Formations and Squadron Locations
Fighter Command renamed Air Defence Great Britain (15 Nov 43):
No. 13 Group,
Ayr, Scot. 30 Jun 41 - 5 Aug 41.
Drem, E. Loth., Scot. 6 Aug 41 -14 Jun 42.
"A" Flight at Acklingron, Northumb. 5 Aug - 7 Sep 41.
Ouston, Durham 2 Sep 47 - I Apr 42.
4 aircraft, Dyce, Aber., Scot. 27 Dec 41 - 8 Jan 42.
Ayr, Scot. 15 Jun 42 - 31 Aug 42.
5 aircraft, Drem, E. Loth., Scot. 15 Jun - 31 Aug 42.
Scorton. Yorks. 1 Sep 42 -19 Oct 42.
Acklington, Northumb. 20 Oct 42 - 20 Feb 43.
No. 12 Group,
Coleby Crange, Lines. 21 Feb 43 -19 Oct 43.
4 aircraft, Predannack, Cornwall 72 June - 7 Jul 43.
No. 11 Group,
West Malling, Kent 20 Oct 43 - 7 Nov 43.
Hunsdon, Herts. 8 Nov 43 - 29 Dec 43.
Castle Camps, Cambs. 30 Dec 43 - 29 Feb 44.
Second Tactical Air Force:
No. 85 (Base) Group,
No. 149 (RAF) Wing,
Castle Camps, Cambs. 1 Mar 44 - 28 Apr 44.
Hunsdon, Herts. 29 Apr 44 - 17 Jun 44.
Zeals, Wilts. 18 Jun 44 - 27 Jul 44.
Colerne, Wilts. 28 Jul 44 - 8 Sep 44.
Hunsdon, Herts. 9 Sep 44 - 21 Sep 44.
B.(Base) 48 Glisy, Fr. 22 Sep 44 - 2 Nov 44.
No. 148 (RAF) Wing (from 4 Nov 44),
B.51 Vendeville, Fr. 3 Nov 44 - 6 Jan 45.
B.48 Glisy, Fr. 7 Jan 45 - 5 Apr 45.
B.77 Gilze-Rijen, Neth. 6 Apr 45 - 9 Jun 45.
Operational History:
First Mission
23 July 1941, Defiant V1183 from Ayr with P/O Lucas -- night readiness,
uneventful scramble.
First Victories
6/7 September 1942, Beaufighter II T3428 from Drem with P/O R.R. Ferguson and
P/O D. Creed (navigator) -- while on a ground control intercept exercise, was
vectored to, and credited with, a Ju.88 damaged over Whitby. 22 January 1943,
Mosquito II DZ929 from Acklington with FS B.M. Haight and Sgt. T. Kipling
(RAF, observer) -- night readiness, scrambled along with two other Mosquitos,
and credited with a Do.217 destroyed near Hartlepool.
Last Mission
3 May 1945, 3 Mosquito XXX's from Gilze-Rijen -- patrols, 1 in the Hamburg
area and 2 over the Scheldt. One reported two radar contacts but no visual
contact; the other two patrols were uneventful.
Summary
Sorties: 2972. Operational/Non-operational Flying Hours: 7157/20,993.
Victories:
Aircraft: 753/4 destroyed, 2 probably destroyed, 9 damaged. Casualties:
Operational: 17 aircraft; 32 aircrew, of whom 10 were killed, 20 presumed
dead, 2 POW. Non-operational: 14 aircraft; 30 personnel, of whom 29 killed, 1
injured.
Squadron Aces
F/L R.D. Schultz, DFC and Bar 8-0-0. F/O D.G. Tongue (RAF, navigator), DFC
and Bar 8-0-0. Lt. A.A. Harrington (USAAF), DSO, DFC 7-0-0. F/L C.E. Edinger,
DFC 6-0-1. F/O J.S. Christie (RAF, navigator), DFC 6-0-1. F/O C.L. Vaessen
(navigator), DFC 6~-1. F/L G.P.A. Bodard (navigator),DFC 6-0-0. S/L J.D.
Somerville, DSO, DFC 5-0-1. F/O G.D. Robinson (navigator), DFC 5-0-1. F/L
V.A. Williams (navigator), DFC 5-0-0.
Honours and Awards
1 DSO, 1 MBE, 2 bars to DFC, 19 DFC's, 1 BEM, 17 MiD's. Battle Honours
Defence of Britain 1941-1944. Fortress Europe 1943. France and Germany 1944
-1945: Normandy
1944, Rhine. Biscay 1943.
Post War
No. 410 Squadron Formed in a Fighter role at St Hubert (Montreal), Quebec
on 1 December 1948, the squadron was the first post-war Regular Force fighter
unit, the first to fly Vampire and Sabre aircraft, and the first to join No.
1 (Fighter) Wing of No. 1 Air Division Europe. In 1956, it was decided to
replace one Sabre squadron in each of the Air Division's four wings with an
all-weather fighter unit. When No. 445 AW(F) Squadron arrived from Canada,
No. 410 was deactivated at Marville, France on 1 October 1956 and reactivated
as All-Weather (Fighter) at Uplands (Ottawa), Ontario on 1 November. The
squadron flew CF-100 and CF-101 aircraft on North American air defence until
disbanded on 1 April 1964.
Brief Chronology
Formed as No. 410 (F) Sqn, St Hubert, Que. 1 Dec 48. Deactivated at Marville,
Fr. 1 Oct 56. Reactivated as No. 410 AW(F) Sqn, Uplands, Ont. I Nov 56.
Disbanded 1 Apr 64.
Nickname: "Cougar"
Commanders
S/L R.A. Kipp, DSO, DFC and Bar 4 Jan 49 - 25 Jul 49 KIFA.
S/L L.A. Hall 24 Dec 49 - 15 Jul 52.
S/L D. Warren, DFC 27 May 52 - 3 Aug 54.
S/L A.W. Fisher, CD 15 Aug 54 -1 Oct 56.
Squadron inactive
S/L H.E. Bodien, DSO, DFC 1 Nov 56 -14 Jun 58.
S/L E.W. Garrett, DFC, CD 15 Jun 58 -17 Mar 59.
S/L J.W. Whiteley, CD 18 Mar 59 - 31 Aug 59.
W/C J.E. McClure, DFC, CD 1 Sep 59 - 30 May 61.
W/C M.F. Doyle, CD 1 Jun 61 -13 Jul 61.
W/C K.W. MacDonald, CD 14 Jul 61 - 31 Mar 64.
LCol H.S. Tetlock, CD 1 Apr 68 - 16 Sep 69
LCol H.I. Pike, CD 16 Sep 69 - 5 Oct 71
LCol J.G. Couillard, CD 6 Oct 71 - 1 Aug 72
LCol R.L. Bell, CD 2 Aug 72 - 31 Jul 74
LCol D.I.F. MacKay, CD 1 Aug 74 - 4 Jul 76
LCol E. Lukan, CD 5 Jul 76 - 4 Jun 78
LCol J.D. O'Blenis, CD 5 Jun 78 - 31 May 82
LCol A.M. DeQuetteville, CD 1 Jul 82 - 26 Jul 84
LCol T.S.M. Humphries, CD 26 Jul 84 - 4 Jul 86
LCol R.C. Riley, CD 4 Jul 86 - 30 Jun 88
LCol D.J. Roberts, CD 30 Jun 88 - 31 Jul 90
LCol G.R. Todd, CD 31 Jul 90 - 16 Jul 92
LCol G.W. Soule, CD 16 Jul 92 - 15 Jul 94
LCol V.S. Millar, CD 15 Jul 94 - 28 Jun 96
LCol J.M. Donihee, CD 28 Jun 96 - 26 Jun 98
LCol A.J. Stephenson, CD 26 Jun 98 -
Higher Formations and Squadron Locations
Air Defence Command:
St Hubert, Que. 1 Dec 48 - 28 Oct 51.
En route overseas aboard HMCS Magnificent 19 Oct 51 13 Nov 51.
No. 1 Air Division:
No. 1(Fighter) Wing,
North Luffenham, Notts., Eng. 15 Nov 51 -14 Nov 54.
No. 4 (Fighter) Wing,
Baden-Soellingen, Ger. 15 Nov 54 -18 Apr 55.
No. 1(Fighter) Wing,
Marville, Fr. 19 Apr 55 -1 Oct 56.
Squadron inactive
North American Air Defence Command,
RCAF Air Defence Command:
Uplands, Ont. 1 Nov 56 1 Apr 64.
Namao, Alta. (conversion to CF-101 under No. 425 AW(F) Sqn) 11 Nov - 27 Dec
61.
8 Nov 61, the last CF-100 sortie is flown 13 Nov 61, at RCAF Station Namao,
twelve 410 Squadron crews undergo 5 weeks training to become the first
operational CF-101 Voodoo squadron.
22 Dec 61, the squadron is back at Uplands
25 Dec 61, 410 Squadron resumes their alert commitment.
31 Mar 64, the Cougars held their final parade, while 8 Voodoos said farewell
to Ottawa. At midnight the commanders give up alert commitment and 410 Squadron
ceases to exist.
1968, Squadron activated at Bagotville, Quebec. 3 AW(F)OUT becomes 410 AW
(OT) Squadron. It's task was to train the three remaining operational Voodoo
squadrons defending Canada.
1982, 410 Squadron moves to Cold Lake, Alberta. 410 Tac F (OT) Squadron
stands up in Cold Lake and received the first CF-18 Hornets.
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