No. 428 Squadron RCAF,No. 428 Squadron RCAF Royal Air Force Retrieved on 2008-01-13 also known as 428 Bomber Squadron, and 428 Ghost Squadron,Vickers Wellington Bomber Veterans Affairs Canada Retrieved on 2008-01-13 was first a night bomber squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force engaged in strategic bombing during World War II, based in Yorkshire. At the end of the war the squadron moved to Nova Scotia before being disbanded in September 1945. In 1954 the squadron was reformed as 428 All-Weather (Fighter) Squadron, before being again disbanded in 1961.
The motto of the squadron is Usque ad finem (Latin: "To the very end") and the squadron's badge contains a white Death's Head in a black shroud. The badge refers to the squadron's Ghost designation which was earned through its night bombing operations, as 'Hitler's Haunters' and the death and destruction which it inflicted upon the enemy.
No. 428 Bomber Squadron RCAF
No. 428 Squadron RCAF was the ninth long-range heavy bomber Article XV squadron formed overseas during the Second World War at RAF Dalton in Yorkshire, England on November 7, 1942.428 All Weather Fighter Squadron Canadian Forces Air Command Retrieved on 2008-01-13Kostenuk, Samuel, and Griffin, John, fl., RCAF: Squadron Histories and Aircraft, 1924–1968. Samuel Stevens Hakkert & Company, Toronto. 1977, pp. 125,187,231. Accessed 13.01.2017 The squadron was initially assigned to No. 4 Group RAF. With the creation of No. 6 Group RCAF, the squadron was reallocated on January 1, 1943, operating with it until April 25, 1945.
The squadron was first equipped with Vickers Wellingtons (Mk III and Mk X), and its first operational mission was on January 26–27, 1943, when five Wellingtons bombed the U-Boat base at Lorient in Brittany, on the Bay of Biscay. In the early part of June 1943, the squadron moved to RAF Middleton St. George where it remained for the remainder of the war. Around this time the squadron was converted to Handley Page Halifaxes (Mk Vs, and later supplemented by Mk II Series IIA).
In January 1944, Halifax bombers from No. 428 Squadron participated in the first high-level mining raid "Gardening", when mines were dropped by parachute from 15,000 feet (4,570 m) over Brest on 4/5 Jan and Saint-Nazaire on 6/7 Jan 1945.Douglas, W. A. B., and Wise, S. F., The Official history of the Royal Canadian Air Force, University of Toronto Press, Department of National Defence and the Canadian Government Publishing Centre, Toronto 1980, pp,. 114–115,118,122,789 . (v. 3) Accessed 15.01.2017 The squadron flew its last sortie with the Halifax on June 12, 1944, then converting to the Canadian-built Avro Lancaster (B. Mark X), the first sortie taking place on June 14, 1944.
For the final phase of the air campaign against Germany, the squadron took part in day and night raids, with its last operational sortie taking place on April 25, 1945, when 15 Lancasters bombed anti-aircraft gun batteries defending the mouth of the Weser, on the Frisian Island of Wangerooge. No. 428 Squadron RCAF remained in service in the United Kingdom until the end of May 1945.Capt(N) (Ret’d) M. Braham and Hugh Spence (Ed.), 6 (RCAF) Group – Bomber Command: 428 (Ghost) Squadron RCAF, The Friends of the Canadian War Museum Research: Paper #13 - Pg 10/19. See: https://www.friends-amis.org/index.php/en/document-repository/english/research-papers/14-6-rcaf-bomber-group-command/file Accessed 24.01.2017
By the middle of June the squadron had moved to RCAF Station Yarmouth in Nova Scotia, where it was disbanded on September 5, 1945.See: http://www.canadianwings.com/Squadrons/squadronDetail.php?No.-428-Squadron-8 Accessed 03.05.16 428 Squadron was "sponsored" by the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire, a Canadian national women's charitable organization based in Toronto.
Aircraft operated Aircraft Period of service Representative serialHalley, p. 510. Vickers Wellington Mk III November 1942 – May 1943 ZI719 (NA – P) Vickers Wellington Mk X December 1942 – June 1943 HL864 (NA – D) Handley Page Halifax Mk B.V June 1943 – January 1944 DK237 (NA – L) Handley Page Halifax Mk B.II November 1943 – June 1944 JN955 (NA – L) Avro Lancaster Mk B.X June 1944 – September 1945 KB763 (NA – S)
Officers commanding and squadron bases
The eight officers commanding (OCs) of 428 Squadron were: W/C A. Earle (7 November 1942 – 20 February 1943), W/C D. Smith (21 February 1943 – 14 September 1943, POW), W/C W. Suggitt (15 September 1943 – 30 October 1943), W/C D. French (31 October 1943 – 8 May 1944), W/C W. McLeish (9 May 1944 – 7 August 1944), W/C A. Hull (8 August 1944 – 1 January 1945), W/C M. Gall (2 January 1945 – 2 June 1945), and W/C C.M. Black (26 July – 5 September 1945). Gall was in charge of returning the squadron to Canada, while Black was tasked with preparing the squadron for employment against Japan.Nanton Lancaster Society, Bomber Command Museum of Canada; No. 6 Group and The Canadian Squadrons: No. 428 (Ghost) Squadron. See: http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/squadron_428.html Retrieved 07.02.2016
Squadron Base RAF RCAF Designation Date RAF Dalton No 61 Base November 1942 – May 1943 RAF Dishforth No 61 Base May 1943 RAF Middleton St. George No 64 Base June 1943 – May 1945 RCAF Station Yarmouth No. 661 Wing May 1945 – 5 September 1945
The first OC, Wing Commander Alfred Earle, the son of Henry Henwood Earle and Mary Winifred Rawle, was born on 11 Dec 1907, at Shebbear, in North Devon. At fifteen, leaving Shebbear College, he entered the RAF Aircraft Apprentice Scheme, as an RAF Halton Apprentice (11th Entry). Earle was selected for General Duties (Pilot) Branch commissioning in 1925, then attending RAF (Cadet) College Cranwell, before gaining his permanent commission as a pilot officer in 1929. Coming to specialize in photographic work, having served as Deputy Chief Instructor at the RAF School of Photography (South Farnborough) and as Command Photographic Officer, HQ RAF Far East Command, from February 1938, he was promoted to squadron leader in July 1938. Entering RAF Staff College, Andover, in January 1939, on graduation, he was appointed Command Photographic Officer, HQ Training Command, and then Officer Commanding No. 2 Photographic School (Blackpool). Promoted to wing commander (temporary) in December 1940, he was assigned to the Air Staff, Directorate of Plans, in February 1941.Jennifer Topham, Newsletter 3: The Risdons of Somerset, Malmesbury, England, January 2004. See: http://math.uww.edu/~mcfarlat/pictures/risdon3.htm Retrieved 09.02.2016M.B. Barrass, Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation: Air Chief Marshal Sir Alfred Earle. Last Updated 22/03/15 See: http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Earle.htm Retrieved 09.02.2106Unit History: (RAF) School of Photography: Post WW2. See: https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/units/3456/school-of-photography/ Retrieved 09.02.2106Dave Humphrey, Legends and Heroes – Behind the Lens, Lulu Enterprises Inc., Raleigh, N.C., 2014. Page 17
On 7 Nov 1942, he assumed command of No 428 (RCAF) Squadron, standing up the squadron in No. 4 Group. As the OC, it was noted that "Wing Commander Earle was a grand chap, one who can genuinely be called, 'One of Nature's Gentlemen'. He was well liked by the Canadians and sadly missed when he left on promotion to group captain in February 1943. He flew two operations from Dalton, occupying the astro-dome. He had previously been flying Fairey Gordons in the Middle East (Iraq), and found the Wellington difficult, partly due to his eyesight not liking the English skies, and partly as he was not a tall man." After only three months, he left 428 Bomber Squadron (RCAF) as an acting group captain on 7 Feb 1943, when he was assigned as the station commander of RAF Ridgewell and then RAF West Wickham, late in 1943, then as a temporary group captain. He ended the war as Air Officer Commanding No. 300 Group RAF (RAF Transport Command) in Australia.Harry McLean, Short Bursts: Crewed Up, CATP Museum Inc., Brandon, MB, Canada, July 2007. See: http://www.airmuseum.ca/mag/0407.html Retrieved 08.02.2016
Battle honours: World War Two
During the Second World War, No. 428 Squadron RCAF was awarded several battle honours. These honours are certified by the Canadian Air Force.
Award Additional Info English Channel and North Sea 1943–1944 For ship attack, anti-submarine and mining operations over the English Channel and North Sea from the outbreak of war to VE Day Baltic 1944 For operations against targets in Germany, Italy and Enemy-Occupied Europe Fortress Europe 1943–1944 For operations by aircraft based in the British Isles against targets in Germany, Italy and Enemy-Occupied Europe, from the Fall of France to the Invasion of Normandy France and Germany 1944–1945 For operations over France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany during the Liberation of North-West Europe and the advance into the enemy's homeland, from the start of air action preparatory to the Invasion of France in April 1944 to VE Day on 8 May 1945 Biscay Ports 1943–1944 For operations over the Bay of Biscay Ports from the Fall of France to VE Day Ruhr 1943–1945 For bombardment of the Ruhr Area by aircraft of Bomber Command Berlin 1943–1944 For bombardment of Berlin by aircraft of Bomber Command Normandy 1944 For operations supporting the Allied landings in Normandy, the establishment of the lodgement area and the subsequent breakthrough from June to August 1944 German Ports 1943–1945 For bombardment of the German Ports by aircraft of Bomber and Coastal Commands Biscay 1940–1945 For operations over the Bay of Biscay by aircraft of Bomber Command loaned to Coastal Command between the Fall of France on 25 June 1940 to VE Day on 8 May 1945 Rhine For operations in support of the Battle for the Rhine Crossing from 8 February 1945 to 24 March 1945
Disbandment: September 1945 By late 1944, the RCAF Overseas leadership became committed to provisional planning of a (very) long-range heavy bomber force being considered for a post-Europe deployment, to the Far East. Code-named 'Tiger Force' it was to operate from the Okinawa Islands, and in its final design assemble two groups, each of eight RAF and RCAF squadrons, to include No. 428 Squadron. Formation orders issued, the designated Canadian squadrons were to re-equip with newer Avro Lancaster Mk. Xs, of the RAF owned FM and KB series.Lancaster's of Tiger Force, CANADA's Contribution to Tiger Force. Updated: June 2008. See: http://www.lancaster-archive.com/lanc_tigerforce.htm Accessed 14.01.2017 When released from No.6 Group, 428 Squadron journeyed via Lajes, on Terceira Island, The Azores, to Gander, Newfoundland and onto Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, making a singular mark on the way. Of 165 Tiger Force Lancasters dispatched, 164 made the crossing, whereas on June 4, 1945, Lancaster KB764 No. 428 Squadron approaching Lagens, having previously lost its port outer engine and then its port inner engine, power completely asymmetric, crashed out to sea. "No trouble was experienced in leaving the aircraft", wrote Flight Lieutenant Elihu Paul Acree.Hugh A. Halliday, Tiger In Waiting, Legion Magazine, Military History: Air Force, January 28, 2015. See: https://legionmagazine.com/en/2015/01/tiger-in-waiting/ Accessed 14.01.2017