412 Transport Squadron

No. 412 Transport Squadron is one of three Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) transport squadrons attached to CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario. This squadron, however, is based out of Ottawa, Ontario. It had formerly been attached to CFB Ottawa, which closed in 1994. The squadron operates with a strength of about 29 out of the Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee, Jr. Annex. The Annex officially opened on January 11, 1995.^[1]

No. 412 Squadron began as a unit of the RCAF during the Second World War.

History

A Spitfire Mark IXE of No. 412 Squadron taxies out for a sortie at Volkel Air Base in October 1944

Second World War

No. 412 (Transport) Squadron was formed in 1949, but traces its history back to two separate squadrons: Number 12 Communications Flight at RCAF Station Ottawa and 412 (Fighter) Squadron, which was formed at RAF Digby, England on June 30, 1941.^[2]

John Gillespie Magee, the author of the famous aviation poem, High Flight, was serving with 412 Squadron when he was killed in a mid-air collision in his Spitfire in 1941.^[3]

No. 412 Squadron (squadron code 'VZ'^[4]) was equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire Vb and served at a number of RAF Stations in the United Kingdom ^[4] In October 1943, the squadron joined RCAF 126 Wing, part of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force. It was re-equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire IXb in November and began operating over northern France in preparation for the Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings. It was during late 1943 that the ace George "Screwball" Beurling scored his last air victory while serving with the squadron.^[5]

The squadron was moved to France in June 1944, days after the Allied landings and operated on continental Europe for the remainder of the war. The squadron was based at Wunstorf, Germany when the war ended in May 1945.^[4]

Postwar

After the Second World War, Number 12 Communications Flight was reassigned as 412 Squadron on April 1, 1947, and renamed 412 (Composite) Squadron based at Rockcliffe. In 1955, the 412 moved to Uplands. In the late 1970s a sub-unit was established at CFB Lahr in West Germany. This operation closed in 1993.

In 1994, CFB Ottawa (Uplands) closed and 412's fleet was moved to a civilian hangar at Ottawa International Airport. All aircraft are maintained by Transport Canada on behalf of the Canadian Forces.

Current role

Today, 412 Squadron provides transport for the Governor General of Canada, high level government officials, and foreign VIPs while they are in Canada.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft previously used by 412:

• Supermarine Spitfire
• North American Harvard
• Beechcraft Expeditor (C-45)
• Douglas Dakota (C-47)
• 1 CL-5 North Star 1949–1966
• 2 de Havilland Comet 1A 1953–1963
• 2 CL-44 Yukon 1961–1978 - VIP configuration
• 1 de Havilland Dash 7 - based at Lahr 1980–1987
• 2 de Havilland Dash 8 - based at Lahr 1987–93
• 1 CL-66 Cosmopolitan 1960–1980
• 7 Dassault Falcon 20 1968–1985

Aircraft currently used by 412:

• 6 CC-144 Challenger business jets.^[6]

See also

• Royal Canadian Air Force VIP aircraft
• Bombardier Challenger 600
• Air transports of heads of state and government - Canada

References

Further reading

• 412 (Transport) Squadron, 1936-1995. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing. 1995. ISBN 1-56311-011-3. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 412 Squadron RCAF.

• Flying Officer L.R.N. Ashley (August 1958). "The Story Of No. 412 Squadron" (PDF). The Roundel 10 (6). 

Coordinates: 45°19′21″N 075°40′09″W / 45.32250°N 75.66917°W / 45.32250; -75.66917 (CYOW)

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