No. 400 Squadron RCAF
Encyclopedia
| 400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron | ||
|---|---|---|
| Squadron badge |
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| Information | ||
| Role | Tactical Helicopter and Training | |
| Aircraft flown | Westland Lysander Westland Lysander The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War... , P-40 Tomahawk, P-51 Mustang P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts... , de Havilland Mosquito De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"... , Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... , North American Harvard, F-86 Sabre F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War... , Beechcraft Expeditor, DHC Otter, CH-136 Kiowa, CH-146 Griffon CH-146 Griffon The Bell CH-146 Griffon is the Canadian military variant of the Bell 412EP, a multi-use utility helicopter. The CH-146 is used in a wide variety of roles, including aerial firepower, reconnaissance, search and rescue and aero-mobility tasks.... |
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| Wing | 1 Wing | |
| Base | CFB Borden | |
| Motto | Percussuri Vigiles (On the watch to strike) | |
| Call Sign | ||
| History | ||
| Date founded | 5 October 1932 | |
| Badge | In front of two Tomahawks in solitire an eagle's head erased. The eagles head indicates the squadron's primary role as an Army Co-operation reconnaissance unit. The Tomahawks represent the aircraft the squadron were equipped with at the time. | |
| Notable Battle Honours | Fortress Europe 1941-44, Dieppe, France and Germany 1944-45, Normandy 1944, Arnhem, Rhine, Biscay 1942-43 | |
| Previous Designation | 10 Squadron, then 110 Squadron | |
400 "City of Toronto" Tactical Helicopter and Training Squadron is part of 1 Wing
CFB Kingston
Canadian Forces Base Kingston is a Canadian Forces Base located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.CFB Kingston is home to the Communications and Electronics Branch of the Canadian Forces. The base also hosts the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics...
, and as such a lodger unit of Canadian Forces Base Borden
CFB Borden
Canadian Forces Base Borden is a Canadian Forces base located in Ontario.The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is the largest training facility in the Canadian Forces...
. The squadron operates the CH-146 Griffon
CH-146 Griffon
The Bell CH-146 Griffon is the Canadian military variant of the Bell 412EP, a multi-use utility helicopter. The CH-146 is used in a wide variety of roles, including aerial firepower, reconnaissance, search and rescue and aero-mobility tasks....
.
History
The squadron was formed as No. 10 Army Co-Operation Squadron at Toronto, Ontario on 5 October 1932. On 15 November 1937, it was renumbered No. 110 "City of Toronto" Army Co-Operation Squadron.The squadron was called out on active service 3 September 1939 at the start of the Second World War, and on 15 February departed Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
for England. There it was re-designated as No. 400 Army Co-Operation Squadron on the 1 March 1941 in recognition of the fact it was the first squadron to deploy overseas.
During the war, it flew the Westland Lysander
Westland Lysander
The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War...
, P-40 Tomahawk, P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
and Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
primarily in the armed and unarmed reconnaissance role. Later in the war, the squadron also flew air interdiction operations. At the end of the war, 400 Squadron was disbanded on 7 August 1945, at a captured airfield in Lüneburg
Lüneburg
Lüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...
, Germany.
No. 400 Squadron reformed at RCAF Station Downsview, Toronto on 15 April 1946 as an Auxiliary Fighter-Bomber Squadron operating North American Harvard Mk IIBs commanded by S/L G.W. Gooderman, A.F.C. At the start of the Cold War the squadron flew the de Havilland Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
Mk IIIs and then F-86 Sabre Mk V aircraft. No. 400 "City of Toronto" (Fighter) Squadron, as part of 2 Air Reserve Wing, first flew Beechcraft Expeditor starting in 1958 and then the DHC Otter in 1960. These aircraft were flown throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
Unification of the Canadian Forces
Unification of the Canadian Forces
Unification of the Canadian Forces took place in 1968 when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged to form the Canadian Armed Forces....
brought about another name change, this time to 400 "City of Toronto" Air Reserve Squadron. In 1980, the conversion to helicopters began with the CH-136 Kiowa. The squadron received its current name in the 1980s, becoming 400 Tactical Helicopter and Training Squadron. The squadron moved to CFB Borden
CFB Borden
Canadian Forces Base Borden is a Canadian Forces base located in Ontario.The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is the largest training facility in the Canadian Forces...
in 1996 after the closure of CFB Downsview
CFB Downsview
Canadian Forces Base Downsview is a former Canadian Forces base in Toronto, Ontario. The airfield is currently operated as Toronto/Downsview Airport.-RCAF Station Downsview:...
(Toronto), and is now equipped with the CH-146 Griffon
CH-146 Griffon
The Bell CH-146 Griffon is the Canadian military variant of the Bell 412EP, a multi-use utility helicopter. The CH-146 is used in a wide variety of roles, including aerial firepower, reconnaissance, search and rescue and aero-mobility tasks....
.
During peacetime, the squadron fulfills 1 Wing commitments by providing operational and training support to Land Force Central Area
Land Force Central Area
Land Force Central Area is responsible for the administration of the Canadian Army in the province of Ontario, from the Quebec border to the northern Lakehead region...
(LFCA), the defence of Canadian sovereignty, support to national taskings, and support to peacekeeping operations. Its secondary duties are to support AIRCOM's search and rescue operations.
In the unlikely event that the nation mobilizes for war, 400 Tactical Helicopter and Training Squadron will deploy all of its aviation assets, including support equipment, to augment 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron in Petawawa. Those personnel remaining behind will form the core of a forces generation unit.
400 Tactical Helicopter and Training Squadron has an establishment of 237 personnel divided into six flights:
- 3 flying flights
- 1 maintenance flight
- 1 administrative support flight
- 1 squadron headquarters flight
The HQ Flight is a conglomeration of the Orderly Room, Finance Section, Medical Section and the 400 Squadron Pipes and Drums Band.