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 ...

existed from 1924 to 1968, later designated ''Canadian Forces Air Command'' under the

Canadian Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

, and then renamed to its original historic name of ''Royal Canadian Air Force'' in 2011. These are the squadrons that have served with Canada's air force since 1924.

Early squadrons

These early squadron numbers have a history going back to the post-

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

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 Cana ...

which disbanded in 1920. These units were formed after the creation of the RCAF in 1924. * No. 1 Squadron RCAF * No. 2 Squadron RCAF * No. 3 Squadron RCAF * No. 4 Squadron RCAF * No. 5 Squadron RCAF * No. 6 Squadron RCAF * No. 7 Squadron RCAF *

No. 8 Squadron RCAF No. 8 Squadron RCAF was a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) that was in operation from 1936 to 1945. History No. 8 Squadron was formed on the 14 February 1936 as a General Purpose (GP) squadron at Winnipeg, Manitoba. The squadron moved ...

* No. 9 Squadron RCAF * No. 10 Squadron RCAF * No. 11 Squadron RCAF * No. 12 Squadron RCAF * No. 13 Squadron RCAF * No. 14 Squadron RCAF * No. 18 Squadron RCAF

100-series squadrons

No. 132 Squadron RCAF The numero sign or numero symbol, (also represented as Nº, No̱, No., or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, the ...

* No. 133 Squadron RCAF - established at Lethbridge, Alberta on 3 June 1942. The squadron was issued with Canadian-built

Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...

s. The squadron moved to RCAF Station Boundary Bay, BC, on 4 October 1942. * No. 134 Squadron RCAF * No. 135 Squadron RCAF * No. 145 Squadron RCAF * No. 147 Squadron RCAF * No. 149 Squadron RCAF * No. 160 Squadron RCAF * No. 161 Squadron RCAF * No. 162 Squadron RCAF * No. 163 Squadron RCAF * No. 164 Squadron RCAF * No. 165 Squadron RCAF * No. 166 Squadron RCAF * No. 167 Squadron RCAF * No. 168 Squadron RCAF * No. 170 Squadron RCAF

400-series squadrons

During the Second World War, the

British Commonwealth Air Training Plan The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a large-scale multinational military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand during the Second Wo ...

(BCATP) set out co-operation between the various

British Commonwealth The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an international association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire The B ...

air forces. Under Article XV of the BCATP, RCAF squadrons were attached to and/or formed within British RAF operational formations. These squadrons were known as ' Article XV squadrons'. To avoid confusion with squadron numbers of other Commonwealth nations, RCAF units were assigned squadron numbers from 400 to 449. Not all squadrons up No. 449 were formed, however. This squadron series continued through the post-war years, and the majority of current

operational squadrons are still numbered in the 400s due to their legacy as wartime units. For this historical reason current squadrons are listed here with their original RCAF names.

600-series squadrons

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

pilots who served in the 600-series RCAF squadrons were recruited from the

Royal Canadian Artillery The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery () is the artillery personnel branch of the Canadian Army. History Many of the units and batteries of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery are older than the Dominion of Canada itself. The first arti ...

in England and Italy, and trained to fly at No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School RAF Cambridge (England), completing their operational flying training at 43 O.T.U. (

RAF Andover RAF Andover is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station in England, west of Andover, Hampshire. As well as RFC and RAF units, units of the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, Royal Ca ...

). Observers were trained at

Larkhill Larkhill is a garrison town in the civil parish of Durrington, Wiltshire, England. It lies about west of the centre of Durrington village and north of the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge. It is about north of Salisbury. The settlement ...

(England); these were selected 'Other Ranks' from the

and

. The three Canadian 'air observation post' squadrons operated under the command of No. 70 Group RAF,

RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It operated throughout the Second World War, winning fame during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The ...

; the first two squadrons saw action while serving with No. 84 Group RAF,

RAF Second Tactical Air Force The Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force (RAF) during and after the World War II, Second World War. It was made up of Squadron (aviation), squadrons and personnel from the RAF, other Co ...

. * No. 664 Squadron RCAF * No. 665 Squadron RCAF * No. 666 Squadron RCAF

Post-war squadrons

Subsequent to the Second World War the RCAF expanded their squadron numbers to include 444–450. No. 450 was also a

Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...

squadron during the war and the Canadian squadron duplicated the number by error, which was discovered when No. 450 Squadron RCAF was formed in 1968. * No. 444 Squadron RCAF * No. 445 Squadron RCAF * No. 446 Squadron RCAF * No. 447 Squadron RCAF * No. 448 Squadron RCAF * No. 449 Squadron RCAF * No. 450 Squadron RCAF

Other squadrons

* 21 Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron * 103 Search and Rescue Squadron – This unit was operational in the RCAF from 1947 to 1968. Initially as 103 Search and Rescue Flight it was renamed as 103 Rescue Unit in 1950 and remained active until 1968. It was reactivated in 1977 by the Canadian Forces and redesignated a squadron in 1997. * 107 Rescue Unit – formerly a detachment of 103 Search and Rescue Squadron was created in 1954 and remained there until the RCAF left and transferred it back to

Transport Canada Transport Canada () is the Ministry (government department), department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, Policy, policies and Public services, services of road, rail, marine and air Transport in Canada, tra ...

as civilian airport St. John's International Airport. * No. 242 (Canadian) Squadron RAF * 10 Squadron or Heavier-than-air Experimental Air Squadron VX 10 – not part of RCAF (or mistaken for No. 10 Squadron RCAF) it was established in 1953 to test and evaluate aircraft for the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...

within the Royal Canadian Naval Air Station Shearwater. It was disbanded in 1970.

References

Squadron information from Juno Beach CentreSquadron information from Government of Canada
* Fromow, Lt-Col. D.L. (2002) '' Canada's Flying Gunners '', Air Observation Post Pilot's Association, Ottawa, Canada * Stewart, Major A.B. (1945) '' Battle History 666 '', Epe, Holland {{Canadian Forces Air Command Canadian Air Force squadrons

Air Force squadrons