No. 4 Squadron RCAF
Military unit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
No. 4 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron that was active before and during the Second World War. It was formed on 17 January 1933 at RCAF Station Jericho Beach and flew civil operations until 1939, conducting forestry, customs and fishing patrols as well as aerial photography.[1] On 1 January 1938, it was redesignated a General Reconnaissance squadron but continued with the same aircraft, but began training for war operations.[1]
No. 4 Squadron RCAF | |
---|---|
Active | 17 February 1933 - 7 August 1945[1] |
Disbanded | 7 August 1945 |
Country | Canada |
Branch | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Role | Flying Boat (FB)unit General Reconnaissance (GR) Bomber Reconnaissance (BR)[1] |
Part of | RCAF Western Air Command |
Battle honours | Pacific Coast 1941-1945[2] |
Aircraft flown | |
Bomber | Blackburn Shark Mk.III[1] |
Patrol | Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk.II Canadian Vickers Vedette Supermarine Stranraer Consolidated Canso A Consolidated Catalina Mk.IV[1] |
Transport | Fairchild 71[1] |
On 10 September 1939, the unit was mobilized for the war and redesignated again, this time as a Bomber Reconnaissance squadron, and it began carrying out anti-submarine patrols under the direction of Western Air Command while based out of RCAF station Tofino, in British Columbia.[1] During the war, the squadron flew the Blackburn Shark, Supermarine Stranraer, Consolidated Canso and Consolidated Catalina before disbanding on 7 August 1945.[3]