No. 401 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 401 "City of Westmount" Squadron RCAF was a Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF) fighter squadron that flew alongside the Royal Air Force
during World War II
and is notable for having fought in the Battle of Britain
. Postwar, the squadron operated in Canada as an auxiliary squadron, reserve squadron and a helicopter and training squadron.
as No. 1 Squadron RCAF
. The unit began as a permanent peacetime unit which, augmented by personnel from No. 115 Squadron RAF
, arrived at its first base in the UK, Middle Wallop
, on 21 June 1940. It had brought its own Hurricanes
from Canada
, and as these were not fully up to UK standard, the squadron was non-operational until mid-August when it moved to RAF Northolt
. At the time the squadron comprised 27 officers (21 pilots) and 314 airmen. To gain experience of Fighter Command operations, S/L E. A. McNab, Commanding Officer, flew on operations attached to No. 111 Squadron, and claimed a He-111 bomber destroyed on 11 August 1940.
and was credited with three destroyed and three damaged in the fight. However, three of the squadron's aircraft were shot down and one pilot (F/O R. L. Edwards) was killed. The squadron experienced a fairly high aircraft loss rate during the end of August and into September as the squadron battled against the German formations over south London. On 21 September the squadron participated in the first attempt at a wing formation operation by the Northholt-based squadrons, with No 229 Squadron and No. 303 (Polish), although no enemy aircraft were encountered. By 27 September, although downing seven bombers, only six aircraft were operational by the end of the day. On 11 October the depleted squadron were moved to RAF Prestwick in Scotland and its operational activity was coastal patrol work over the Clyde
approaches. During the 53 days it participated in the battle the squadron shot down 29 enemy aircraft, probably destroyed eight, and damaged 35. It lost three pilots killed, ten wounded and 16 aircraft lost. The most successful pilots were F/L G. R. McGregor (5 kills), S/L E. A. McNab (4 kills) and F/O B. D. 'Dal' Russell (4 and 1 shared).
On 2 November McGregor took over as CO from McNab.
. It was here in 1 March that No 1 Squadron RCAF was re-numbered to No. 401 Squadron.
The squadron had replaced its Hurricanes with Spitfires
Mk IIs in September 1941, Mk Vs in late 1941 and in July 1942 some of the first examples of the new Mk IX. Operating from Digby with No 12 Group Fighter Command until October 1941, it saw little action, but it then moved south to RAF Biggin Hill and remained in 11 Group
carrying out offensive operations over Occupied Europe until January 1943.
On 21 October, 401's first loss of this phase of operations was F/S B.F. Whitson, taken prisoner
after being shot down over Saint-Omer
. On 27 October the squadron was operating as high cover to the Biggin Hill Wing, and were 'bounced' by I and III gruppe, JG 26, led by Oberst Adolf Galland
. Five Spitfires were lost, with F/O C. A. B. Wallace, P/O J.A. Small and Sgt. S. L. Thompson killed, and P/O C. W. Floody
and Sgt. B. G. Hodgkinson both prisoner. On 8 November 1941 on the last mass fighter sweep of the year the squadron was attacked by I. and III./JG 26, and F/O J. C. Weir (Prisoner of War) and Sgt. R. W. Gardner (killed) were lost over Le Touquet shot down by Fw. Babenz and Leut. Uibacker of JG 26. A two-Squadron sweep with No 72 Squadron over France on 22 November saw claims for 2 Bf-109s and 3 Fw-190s destroyed ( I./JG 26 lost one BF 109 and a FW-190 crash-landed) for F/O H.A. Sprague (POW).
and Gneisenau
in Operation Donnerkeil
, 6 Swordfish of No. 825 FAA Squadron were to meet with an escort from 64 and 411 Squadrons (Hornchurch) and 72, 124 and 401 Squadrons (Biggin Hill) over Manston at mid-day. The escort missed the rendezvous, however, although 401 later claimed two Bf-109 destroyed, for the loss of Sgt. Levesque, who was taken prisoner.
The FW 190 fighter force continued to take toll of the Fighter Command Squadrons, 401 being no exception. On 28 April P/O J. A. Ferguson: (POW) and P/O G. B. Whitney (killed) were lost although P/O Don Blakeslee, an RCAF-enlisted American, claimed two 'probables'. On 1 May the squadron lost two more Spitfires to JG 2 over Le Havre, while on 1 June 1942 when a section of 401 intercepted and shot down two Hawker Typhoon
fighters of No. 56 Squadron, one pilot was killed. In June the squadron received some of the first Mark IX Spitfires, capable of taking on the Focke Wulf FW-190A on more or less equal terms. On 19 August during Operation Jubilee 2 probables and 3 damaged were claimed. On 8 November F/L Don Morrison was shot down and badly wounded versus units of JG 26, losing a leg and being repatriated in 1943. Morrison's tally of 5.33 aircraft destroyed, 4 'probables' and 4 damaged was 401's highest since the Battle of Britain.
Moving to RAF Catterick
in early 1943, the squadron was involved in training and coastal patrols for four months before returning to 11 Group in late May, where the squadron reverted to Spitfire Mk IX's and became part of No. 127 Wing, No 83 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force. The unit resumed operational flying from RAF Redhill in June, and RAF Staplehurst
in August and Biggin Hill on October.
Operations prior to D-Day
were flown from RAF Tangmere
. On 15 March four JG 26 FW-190s were claimed (three were actually lost).
, France. Six more fighters were claimed downed on 28 June. No. 401 shot down three fighers of JG 26 on 7 July. The squadron's 100th victory was notched up on 20 July, while seven more Bf-109s were shot down on 27 July over Caen
.
The squadron increasingly operated in the fighter-bomber role, ground attack and armed reconnaissance operations, culminating in operations supporting operations over Nijmegen and the ground fighting in Arnhem
in September. S/L R. I. A. 'Rod' Smith, an experienced Malta 'ace', was posted from 412 Squadron and took command in September. On 29 September the squadron surprised some thirty Bf 109s attacking a Typhoon formation, and claimed at least nine destroyed for one loss.
On 5 October, a 5-strong squadron patrol encountered a Messerschmitt Me 262
jet of KG 51 and shot it down, the pilot, Hpt. Hans- Christoph Buttmann, being killed. This was the first victory over this type credited to either the RAF or RCAF.
During late 1944 the unit operated from 'B-80' airfield in Volkel and then 'B-88', near Heesch
, in the Netherlands.
In the course of Operation Bodenplatte
, the mass ground-attack of 1 January 1945 by the Luftwaffe, the unit claimed nine of the attackers shot down, making the tally since D-Day some 76.5 aircraft destroyed, 3 probables and 37 damaged. The next day S/L WT Klersy was appointed Commanding Officer. The squadron caught FW-190s taking off from Twente
airfield on 14 January and five fighters of I./JG 1 shot down for one loss, F/L LJ Mackay claiming three. On 23 January 401 claimed three Arado Ar 234
jet-bombers of III./KG 76 over Achmer airfield.
Operations were restricted in the early part of 1945 due to bad weather, but from the end of February it was heavily involved in the offensive until the end of the war. The squadron received a few Spitfire XIVs in May 1945 but Mk XVIs became standard equipment until the squadron disbanded at Faßberg
in Germany on 3 July 1945. 20 April saw No 401 claim some 8 Bf 109s spotted taiking off from a grass airstrip near Schwerin, and another 5 claimed later in the day over Hagenau aerodrome. On 3 May 401 attacked aircraft on the ground North West of Kiel, claiming 12 Ju 52s, 2 He-111s and a Ju-87 destroyed; the Squadron's last claims of the war.
No. 401 Squadron was disbanded on 23 June 1996.
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
(RCAF) fighter squadron that flew alongside the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and is notable for having fought in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. Postwar, the squadron operated in Canada as an auxiliary squadron, reserve squadron and a helicopter and training squadron.
Formation
No. 401 Squadron was originally formed in 1931 equipped with SiskinsArmstrong Whitworth Siskin
The Armstrong Whitworth Siskin was a British biplane single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1920s produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. The Siskin was one of the first new RAF fighters to enter service after the First World War; it was noted for its aerobatic qualities.-Design and development:The...
as No. 1 Squadron RCAF
No. 1 Squadron RCAF
No. 1 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force was formed as a fighter unit at Trenton, Ontario on 21 September 1937 with Siskin aircraft. The squadron was formed from the Fighter Flight of No. 3 Squadron. In August 1938, the squadron moved to Calgary, Alberta and was re-equipped with Hawker Hurricane...
. The unit began as a permanent peacetime unit which, augmented by personnel from No. 115 Squadron RAF
No. 115 Squadron RAF
No. 115 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I. It was then equipped with Handley Page O/400 heavy bombers. During World War II the squadron served as a bomber squadron and after the war it flew in a similar role till 1958, when it was engaged as a radio calibration unit...
, arrived at its first base in the UK, Middle Wallop
Army Air Corps Middle Wallop
Army Air Corps Middle Wallop is a British Army base near the Hampshire village of Middle Wallop. The base hosts 2 Regiment Army Air Corps and the School of Army Aviation. The role of 2 Regiment is training and so AAC Middle Wallop is the base where most Army Air Corps pilots begin their careers...
, on 21 June 1940. It had brought its own Hurricanes
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and as these were not fully up to UK standard, the squadron was non-operational until mid-August when it moved to RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights...
. At the time the squadron comprised 27 officers (21 pilots) and 314 airmen. To gain experience of Fighter Command operations, S/L E. A. McNab, Commanding Officer, flew on operations attached to No. 111 Squadron, and claimed a He-111 bomber destroyed on 11 August 1940.
Fighter Command
The squadron's debut was inauspicious, when two RAF Coastal Command Blenheims were accidentally shot down on 24 August, and three crewmen killed. But on its second patrol on 26 August 1940 it met with 25-30 DorniersDornier Do 215
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Dressel, Joachim and Manfred Griehl. Bombers of the Luftwaffe. London: DAG Publications, 1994. ISBN 1-85409-140-9....
and was credited with three destroyed and three damaged in the fight. However, three of the squadron's aircraft were shot down and one pilot (F/O R. L. Edwards) was killed. The squadron experienced a fairly high aircraft loss rate during the end of August and into September as the squadron battled against the German formations over south London. On 21 September the squadron participated in the first attempt at a wing formation operation by the Northholt-based squadrons, with No 229 Squadron and No. 303 (Polish), although no enemy aircraft were encountered. By 27 September, although downing seven bombers, only six aircraft were operational by the end of the day. On 11 October the depleted squadron were moved to RAF Prestwick in Scotland and its operational activity was coastal patrol work over the Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
approaches. During the 53 days it participated in the battle the squadron shot down 29 enemy aircraft, probably destroyed eight, and damaged 35. It lost three pilots killed, ten wounded and 16 aircraft lost. The most successful pilots were F/L G. R. McGregor (5 kills), S/L E. A. McNab (4 kills) and F/O B. D. 'Dal' Russell (4 and 1 shared).
On 2 November McGregor took over as CO from McNab.
1941
The squadron moved south again in February 1941 when it arrived at RAF DigbyRAF Digby
RAF Digby is a Royal Air Force station which, since March 2005, has been operated by the Ministry of Defence's Joint Service Signals Organisation, part of the Intelligence Collection Group. Formerly a training and fighter airfield, it is currently a tri-service military signals installation located...
. It was here in 1 March that No 1 Squadron RCAF was re-numbered to No. 401 Squadron.
The squadron had replaced its Hurricanes with Spitfires
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...
Mk IIs in September 1941, Mk Vs in late 1941 and in July 1942 some of the first examples of the new Mk IX. Operating from Digby with No 12 Group Fighter Command until October 1941, it saw little action, but it then moved south to RAF Biggin Hill and remained in 11 Group
No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
carrying out offensive operations over Occupied Europe until January 1943.
On 21 October, 401's first loss of this phase of operations was F/S B.F. Whitson, taken prisoner
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
after being shot down over Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area....
. On 27 October the squadron was operating as high cover to the Biggin Hill Wing, and were 'bounced' by I and III gruppe, JG 26, led by Oberst Adolf Galland
Adolf Galland
Adolf "Dolfo" Joseph Ferdinand Galland was a German Luftwaffe General and flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions, and fought on the Western and the Defence of the Reich fronts...
. Five Spitfires were lost, with F/O C. A. B. Wallace, P/O J.A. Small and Sgt. S. L. Thompson killed, and P/O C. W. Floody
Wally Floody
Flight Lieutenant Wally Floody OBE , was an imprisoned Second World War pilot who was instrumental in organizing and implementing the "Great Escape" from the German Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp.Floody was born in Chatham, Ontario. He attended Northern Vocational School...
and Sgt. B. G. Hodgkinson both prisoner. On 8 November 1941 on the last mass fighter sweep of the year the squadron was attacked by I. and III./JG 26, and F/O J. C. Weir (Prisoner of War) and Sgt. R. W. Gardner (killed) were lost over Le Touquet shot down by Fw. Babenz and Leut. Uibacker of JG 26. A two-Squadron sweep with No 72 Squadron over France on 22 November saw claims for 2 Bf-109s and 3 Fw-190s destroyed ( I./JG 26 lost one BF 109 and a FW-190 crash-landed) for F/O H.A. Sprague (POW).
1942-44
On 12 February 1942 following the 'Channel Dash' of the ScharnhorstGerman battleship Scharnhorst
Scharnhorst was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship and battlecruiser, of the German Kriegsmarine. She was the lead ship of her class, which included one other ship, Gneisenau. The ship was built at the Kriegsmarinewerft dockyard in Wilhelmshaven; she was laid down on 15...
and Gneisenau
German battleship Gneisenau
Gneisenau was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship and battlecruiser, of the German Kriegsmarine. She was the second vessel of her class, which included one other ship, Scharnhorst. The ship was built at the Deutsche Werke dockyard in Kiel; she was laid down on 6 May 1935...
in Operation Donnerkeil
Operation Donnerkeil
Unternehmen Donnerkeil was the codename for a German military operation of the Second World War. Donnerkeil was designed as an air superiority operation to support the Kriegsmarine Operation Cerberus, also known as the "Channel Dash".In 1941 Kriegsmarine surface vessels had carried out commerce...
, 6 Swordfish of No. 825 FAA Squadron were to meet with an escort from 64 and 411 Squadrons (Hornchurch) and 72, 124 and 401 Squadrons (Biggin Hill) over Manston at mid-day. The escort missed the rendezvous, however, although 401 later claimed two Bf-109 destroyed, for the loss of Sgt. Levesque, who was taken prisoner.
The FW 190 fighter force continued to take toll of the Fighter Command Squadrons, 401 being no exception. On 28 April P/O J. A. Ferguson: (POW) and P/O G. B. Whitney (killed) were lost although P/O Don Blakeslee, an RCAF-enlisted American, claimed two 'probables'. On 1 May the squadron lost two more Spitfires to JG 2 over Le Havre, while on 1 June 1942 when a section of 401 intercepted and shot down two Hawker Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
fighters of No. 56 Squadron, one pilot was killed. In June the squadron received some of the first Mark IX Spitfires, capable of taking on the Focke Wulf FW-190A on more or less equal terms. On 19 August during Operation Jubilee 2 probables and 3 damaged were claimed. On 8 November F/L Don Morrison was shot down and badly wounded versus units of JG 26, losing a leg and being repatriated in 1943. Morrison's tally of 5.33 aircraft destroyed, 4 'probables' and 4 damaged was 401's highest since the Battle of Britain.
Moving to RAF Catterick
RAF Catterick
RAF Catterick is a former Royal Air Force airfield located near Catterick, North Yorkshire in England.-History:Catterick airfield first opened in 1914 as a Royal Flying Corps aerodrome with the role of training pilots and to assist in the defence of the North East of England...
in early 1943, the squadron was involved in training and coastal patrols for four months before returning to 11 Group in late May, where the squadron reverted to Spitfire Mk IX's and became part of No. 127 Wing, No 83 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force. The unit resumed operational flying from RAF Redhill in June, and RAF Staplehurst
RAF Staplehurst
RAF Staplehurst is a former World War II airfield in Kent, England. The airfield is located approximately northeast of Staplehurst; about southeast of London...
in August and Biggin Hill on October.
Operations prior to D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
were flown from RAF Tangmere
RAF Tangmere
RAF Tangmere was a Royal Air Force station famous for its role in the Battle of Britain, located at Tangmere village about 3 miles east of Chichester in West Sussex, England. American RAF pilot Billy Fiske died at Tangmere and was the first American aviator to die during World War II...
. On 15 March four JG 26 FW-190s were claimed (three were actually lost).
D-day and European Offensive 1944
On June 7 eight aircraft were claimed destroyed, and on June 18 the squadron moved to the B-4 airstrip at Beny-sur-MerBény-sur-Mer
Bény-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-World War II:Bény-sur-Mer was liberated on D-Day by Le Régiment de la Chaudière, the only French-speaking unit to take part in Operation Overlord. There was a gun battery located near the...
, France. Six more fighters were claimed downed on 28 June. No. 401 shot down three fighers of JG 26 on 7 July. The squadron's 100th victory was notched up on 20 July, while seven more Bf-109s were shot down on 27 July over Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
.
The squadron increasingly operated in the fighter-bomber role, ground attack and armed reconnaissance operations, culminating in operations supporting operations over Nijmegen and the ground fighting in Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
in September. S/L R. I. A. 'Rod' Smith, an experienced Malta 'ace', was posted from 412 Squadron and took command in September. On 29 September the squadron surprised some thirty Bf 109s attacking a Typhoon formation, and claimed at least nine destroyed for one loss.
On 5 October, a 5-strong squadron patrol encountered a Messerschmitt Me 262
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
jet of KG 51 and shot it down, the pilot, Hpt. Hans- Christoph Buttmann, being killed. This was the first victory over this type credited to either the RAF or RCAF.
During late 1944 the unit operated from 'B-80' airfield in Volkel and then 'B-88', near Heesch
Heesch (Netherlands)
Heesch is a town in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Bernheze, about 3 km south of Oss. Heesch was a separate municipality until 1994, when it merged with Heeswijk-Dinther and Nistelrode. The new municipality was originally called "Heesch", but changed...
, in the Netherlands.
In the course of Operation Bodenplatte
Operation Bodenplatte
Operation Bodenplatte launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the Second World War. The goal of Bodenplatte was to gain air superiority during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge, to allow the German Army and...
, the mass ground-attack of 1 January 1945 by the Luftwaffe, the unit claimed nine of the attackers shot down, making the tally since D-Day some 76.5 aircraft destroyed, 3 probables and 37 damaged. The next day S/L WT Klersy was appointed Commanding Officer. The squadron caught FW-190s taking off from Twente
Twente
Twente is a non-administrative region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel...
airfield on 14 January and five fighters of I./JG 1 shot down for one loss, F/L LJ Mackay claiming three. On 23 January 401 claimed three Arado Ar 234
Arado Ar 234
The Arado Ar 234 was the world's first operational jet-powered bomber, built by the German Arado company in the closing stages of World War II. Produced in very limited numbers, it was used almost entirely in the reconnaissance role, but in its few uses as a bomber it proved to be nearly impossible...
jet-bombers of III./KG 76 over Achmer airfield.
Operations were restricted in the early part of 1945 due to bad weather, but from the end of February it was heavily involved in the offensive until the end of the war. The squadron received a few Spitfire XIVs in May 1945 but Mk XVIs became standard equipment until the squadron disbanded at Faßberg
Faßberg
Faßberg is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 35 km north of Celle, and 30 km west of Uelzen.-Places of interest:* Historic village centre of Müden * Berlin Airlift memorial* St...
in Germany on 3 July 1945. 20 April saw No 401 claim some 8 Bf 109s spotted taiking off from a grass airstrip near Schwerin, and another 5 claimed later in the day over Hagenau aerodrome. On 3 May 401 attacked aircraft on the ground North West of Kiel, claiming 12 Ju 52s, 2 He-111s and a Ju-87 destroyed; the Squadron's last claims of the war.
End of the war and disbandment
The squadron ended the war as the 2 TAF's top scoring unit, claiming 112 aerial victories between 6 June 1944 and 5 May 1945. Their total score for the war was 186.5 confirmed, 29 of which claimed during 1940 when operating as No.1 RCAF Squadron.Postwar
The squadron was reactivated as an auxiliary fighter unit on 15 April 1946 at RCAF Station St. Hubert and in 1968 became an air reserve squadron based in Montreal. In the 1980s, the squadron was renamed 401 Tactical Helicopter and Training Squadron.No. 401 Squadron was disbanded on 23 June 1996.
Stations
No 401 Squadron was based at the following RAF Stations and locations:| Station | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| RAF Middle Wallop Army Air Corps Middle Wallop Army Air Corps Middle Wallop is a British Army base near the Hampshire village of Middle Wallop. The base hosts 2 Regiment Army Air Corps and the School of Army Aviation. The role of 2 Regiment is training and so AAC Middle Wallop is the base where most Army Air Corps pilots begin their careers... |
21 June 1940 | July 1940 |
| RAF Croydon Croydon Airport Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport... |
July 1940 | Mid-August 1940 |
| RAF Northolt RAF Northolt RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights... |
Mid-August 1940 | 10 October 1940 |
| RAF Prestwick | 11 October 1940 | February 1941 |
| RAF Digby RAF Digby RAF Digby is a Royal Air Force station which, since March 2005, has been operated by the Ministry of Defence's Joint Service Signals Organisation, part of the Intelligence Collection Group. Formerly a training and fighter airfield, it is currently a tri-service military signals installation located... |
February 1941 | October 1941 |
| RAF Biggin Hill | October 1941 | January 1943 |
| RAF Catterick RAF Catterick RAF Catterick is a former Royal Air Force airfield located near Catterick, North Yorkshire in England.-History:Catterick airfield first opened in 1914 as a Royal Flying Corps aerodrome with the role of training pilots and to assist in the defence of the North East of England... |
January 1943 | May 1943 |
| RAF Redhill | May 1943 | August 1943 |
| RAF Staplehurst RAF Staplehurst RAF Staplehurst is a former World War II airfield in Kent, England. The airfield is located approximately northeast of Staplehurst; about southeast of London... |
August 1943 | October 1943 |
| RAF Biggin Hill | October 1943 | April 1944 |
| RAF Tangmere RAF Tangmere RAF Tangmere was a Royal Air Force station famous for its role in the Battle of Britain, located at Tangmere village about 3 miles east of Chichester in West Sussex, England. American RAF pilot Billy Fiske died at Tangmere and was the first American aviator to die during World War II... |
April 1944 | 18 June 1944 |
| France | 18 June 1944 | |
| Belgium/Netherlands | August 1944 | |
| Faßberg Faßberg Faßberg is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 35 km north of Celle, and 30 km west of Uelzen.-Places of interest:* Historic village centre of Müden * Berlin Airlift memorial* St... |
3 July 1945 (disbanded) |