404 Long Range Patrol and Training Squadron is a long range patrol and training squadron in the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...

. The squadron was originally No. 404 Squadron of the

(RCAF) and later the

Canadian Forces Air Command The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air force, air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the un ...

History

The squadron was formed at Thorney Island in

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

on 15 April 1941 under

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

operational control. Tasked with coastal patrol and attack, the squadron flew the

Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. ...

Mk.IV & later the

Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort t ...

. From May 1944 to September 1944 they were based at

RAF Davidstow Moor Royal Air Force Davidstow, or more simply RAF Davidstow Moor, is a former Royal Air Force station located north east of Camelford, Cornwall and west of Launceston, Cornwall, England. It was used from late 1942 until 1945, and despite a f ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

. As part of the

RAF Dallachy Royal Air Force Dallachy or more simply RAF Dallachy, is a former Royal Air Force satellite station situated east of Elgin, Moray, Scotland. During the Second World War it was a fighter station, used by 18 Group RAF Coastal Command. Histo ...

strike wing of four Beaufighter-equipped squadrons, they took part in an attack on German ships on the Norwegian coast on 9 February 1945. The ships included a destroyer and "flak" ships as well as merchantmen. The ships were located in a fjord and German fighter aircraft scrambled in defence. As a result of the heavy losses to the Dallachy Wing the attack was subsequently called "Black Friday". The squadron disbanded on 25 May 1945. The squadron was reformed on April 30, 1951, at

RCAF Station Greenwood Canadian Forces Base Greenwood , or CFB Greenwood, is a Canadian Forces Base located east of Greenwood, Nova Scotia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the ...

as 404 Maritime Reconnaissance Squadron. On 17 July 1956, 404 Squadron was redesignated as a Maritime Patrol squadron, and when the

CP-140 Aurora The Lockheed CP-140 Aurora is a maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force. The aircraft is based on the Lockheed P-3 Orion airframe, but mounts the electronics suite of the Lockheed S-3 Viking. "Aurora" refers to the R ...

came into service the title was changed again to 404 Maritime Patrol and Training Squadron. The current title is 404 Long Range Patrol and Training (LRP&T) Squadron. Currently, 404 Sqn serves as the Operational Training Unit (OTU) for Aircrew and Maintenance personnel who work on the CP140 Aurora.

Aircraft operated

Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufor ...

De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the World War II, Second World War. Unusual in that its airframe was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or " ...

Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster, commonly known as the Lancaster Bomber, is a British World War II, Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to ...

Beech Expeditor The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beechcraft, Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 ...

Lockheed Neptune The Lockheed P-2 Neptune (designated P2V by the United States Navy prior to September 1962) is a Maritime patrol aircraft, maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy by Lockheed Corporation, Lockh ...

Canadair Argus The Canadair CP-107 Argus (company designation CL-28) is a maritime patrol aircraft designed and manufactured by Canadair for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The Argus served throughout the Cold War in the RCAF's Maritime Air Command and l ...

Lockheed CP-140 Aurora The Lockheed CP-140 Aurora is a maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force. The aircraft is based on the Lockheed P-3 Orion airframe, but mounts the electronics suite of the Lockheed S-3 Viking. "Aurora" refers to the R ...

and CP-140A Arcturus (trainer for CP-140)

Notable personnel

Allan Bundy Allan Selwyn Bundy (1920 – 9 December 2001) was the first Black Canadian combat pilot.Thomas Toliver Smith (14 January 2016)Allan Bundy ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. Born in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Bundy was a talented athlete who excelled ...

Ken Gatward Group Captain Alfred Kitchener Gatward, (28 August 1914 – 19 November 1998), known as Ken Gatward, was a British Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot of the Second World War. Early life Gatward was born in 1914 above Hornsey police station, where h ...

External links

*
DND – History of 404 Squadron
{{RCAF Squadrons Canadian Forces aircraft squadrons Military units and formations established in 1941 Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons RCAF training units