Personnel of 415 Squadron, RCAF, with one of the unit's Handley-Page Halifax heavy bombers, East-Moor, Yorkshire, England 1944-1945

The Canadian Armed Forces: The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)

The RCAF ran the vital British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, but it also sent nearly 94,000 personnel overseas, and played a major role in the Battle of the Atlantic. More than half of its wartime aircrew served in RAF squadrons, but there were also 48 RCAF squadrons overseas; they made their most significant contributions in the high-intensity operations over North-West Europe. Canadian bomber squadrons formed no. 6 Group, Bomber Command, of the RAF. Fighter squadrons served in Canadian wings, especially in no. 83 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force, for the Normandy invasion and the liberation of Europe. No. 417 Squadron flew fighters in North Africa and the Mediterranean, while three bomber squadrons operated from North Africa.

Two transport squadrons and a maritime patrol squadron were in the South East Asia theatre. 51 squadrons served in North America, although a number of these later went overseas. Many were part of the antisubmarine campaign in the Atlantic, flying from bases on the East Coast, in Newfoundland (not yet then a part of Canada) or Iceland. Both fighter and maritime patrol squadrons flew in the Aleutians campaign of 1942-1943.

The wartime total enlistment of the RCAF was nearly 250,000 men and women. It had had a meagre pre-war regular strength of 3,048, with 270 aircraft of 23 types, nearly all of them already obsolete.

Related Newspaper Articles

English Articles

• Foundation of Air Force Soundly Laid Before War
  The Hamilton Spectator, 17/01/1940
   
• Veteran Canadian Raiders Go Into New Bomber Group
  The Hamilton Spectator, 04/01/1943
   
• The R.C.A.F Fights Round the World
  The Hamilton Spectator, 15/05/1943
   
• Trio Will Not Forget Isolated Island Vigil
  The Globe And Mail, 28/11/1940
   
• R.C.A.F Strength Is Now 125,052; 232,585 at Peak
  The Globe And Mail, 05/10/1945
   

French Articles

• Nos aviateurs outre-mer
  Le Devoir, 08/03/1940
   
• Le recrutement des aviateurs dans la province de Québec
  Le Devoir, 15/08/1940
   
• La bataille de la Grande-Bretagne - L'escadrille canadienne
  Le Devoir, 16/09/1940
   
• Nos aviateurs en territoire ennemi
  Le Devoir, 11/12/1940
   
• Le Corps d'Aviation Royal Canadien
  Le Devoir, 24/12/1940
   
• 40 escadrilles canadiennes
  Le Devoir, 24/01/1941
   
• Le Corps d'Aviation Royal Canadien
  Le Devoir, 09/04/1941
   
• Ceux qui écrivent nos pages d'histoire
  Le Devoir, 13/05/1941
   
• M. Power veut canadianiser notre aviation outre-mer
  Le Devoir, 29/07/1941
   
• La puissance et le rôle de l'aviation canadienne
  Le Devoir, 20/08/1941
   
• Une escadrille canadienne-française
  Le Devoir, 03/11/1941
   
• Patrouille intense au-dessus de la côte du Pacifique
  Le Devoir, 10/12/1941
   
• Les cadres ne sont jamais plein
  Le Devoir, 23/02/1942
   
• Pilotes canadiens-français
  Le Devoir, 06/04/1942
   
• Les Canadiennes au service de l'aviation
  Le Devoir, 13/08/1942
   
• Naissance du premier corps de bombardiers canadien
  Le Devoir, 04/01/1943
   
• Premier contingent de bombardiers arrivé en Angleterre
  Le Devoir, 08/02/1943
   
• La vie des aviateurs en Angleterre
  Le Devoir, 16/08/1944
   
• Nos aviateurs canadiens outre-mer
  Le Devoir, 15/12/1944
   
• Les bombardiers-lourds canadiens cessent d'opérer
  Le Devoir, 04/05/1945