427 Squadron
Encyclopedia
427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron (427 SOAS) is a tactical helicopter unit that provides aviation support to Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
. The squadron is based at CFB Petawawa
, Ontario
with a fleet of Bell CH-146 Griffon helicopter
s. It was originally founded as No. 427 Squadron RCAF
.
, England
on 7 November 1942 and spent its wartime entirely in England as a part of No. 6 Group RCAF
, RAF Bomber Command
. 427 flew Vickers Wellington Mk IIIs
and Mk Xs from its first operational mission on 14 December 1942, a minelaying sortie to the Frisian Islands
, until May 1943 when it was relocated to Leeming, North Yorkshire
. Re-equipped with Handley Page Halifax Mk V
aircraft, the squadron flew intensely until early 1944 when it replaced its inventory with Halifax Mk III aircraft. This fleet saw the greatest number of missions and in slightly more than a year's time they were then replaced by Avro Lancaster
bombers prior to the end of WWII. The Lancasters were used for Prisoner of War
repatriation until the end of May 1946. 427 was stood down on 1 June 1946.
The squadron was reformed on 1 August 1952 at RCAF Station St Hubert
(a suburb of modern day Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
) as 427 Fighter Squadron, flying Canadair Sabres, and was transferred to No. 3 (Fighter) Wing at Zweibrücken
in March 1953. Selected as the first European RCAF squadron to receive the CF-104 Starfighter in the nuclear strike role, the squadron was stood down from its day-fighter role on 15 December 1962 and reformed as 427 (Strike-Attack) Squadron two days later.
On 1 February 1968, unification integrated 427 into the new Canadian Forces
. The squadron was again disbanded on 1 July 1970.
427 came back into existence as 427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron at CFB Petawawa
, where it remains today.
1 February 2006 saw command of 427 transferred to Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
, as it took on a full-time role of special operations aviation support. Shortly thereafter, it was renamed as, "427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron (SOAS)." Unlike the 160th SOAR (US Army), there are no specialized standards (in the "Special Operations context") for any 427 SOAS members unlike the other units in CANSOFCOM - JTF 2, CSOR and CJIRU and entrance into 427 SOAS requires only "negotiations through Career Managers and losing units."
Current
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command , is a command of the Canadian Forces...
. The squadron is based at CFB Petawawa
CFB Petawawa
Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, commonly referred to as CFB Petawawa, or simply "Pet", is a Canadian Forces Base located in Petawawa, Ontario. It is operated as an army base by Canadian Forces Land Force Command.-Base facts:...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
with a fleet of Bell CH-146 Griffon helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s. It was originally founded as No. 427 Squadron RCAF
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...
.
History
427 Squadron started as a bomber squadron formed at CroftCroft-on-Tees
Croft-on-Tees is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. South of Darlington, it stands on the opposite side of the River Tees from Hurworth-on-Tees and is situated on the A167. The bridge over the Tees between Croft and Hurworth marks the boundary...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 7 November 1942 and spent its wartime entirely in England as a part of No. 6 Group RCAF
No. 6 Group RCAF
No. 6 Group RCAF was an organization of Royal Canadian Air Force bomber squadrons which operated from airfields in Yorkshire, England during the Second World War. Although 6 Group was RCAF, it was controlled by the Royal Air Force as part of Bomber Command. No. 6 Group had been previously active...
, RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
. 427 flew Vickers Wellington Mk IIIs
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
and Mk Xs from its first operational mission on 14 December 1942, a minelaying sortie to the Frisian Islands
Frisian Islands
The Frisian Islands, also known as the Wadden Islands or Wadden Sea Islands, form an archipelago at the eastern edge of the North Sea in northwestern Europe, stretching from the north-west of the Netherlands through Germany to the west of Denmark...
, until May 1943 when it was relocated to Leeming, North Yorkshire
Leeming, North Yorkshire
-Geography:Leeming lies a mile east of the current A1 road, south of the larger village of Leeming Bar and north of the small hamlet of Londonderry. Nearby is the RAF base of RAF Leeming....
. Re-equipped with Handley Page Halifax Mk V
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
aircraft, the squadron flew intensely until early 1944 when it replaced its inventory with Halifax Mk III aircraft. This fleet saw the greatest number of missions and in slightly more than a year's time they were then replaced by Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
bombers prior to the end of WWII. The Lancasters were used for Prisoner of War
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...
repatriation until the end of May 1946. 427 was stood down on 1 June 1946.
The squadron was reformed on 1 August 1952 at RCAF Station St Hubert
RCAF Station St Hubert
Canadian Forces Base St. Hubert was a Canadian Forces Base in the town of Saint-Hubert, Quebec. The base was closed in 1997, but the site is still active and under the administration of CFB Montreal. 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron operates from the former base's airfield.-History:RCAF Station St...
(a suburb of modern day Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, 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...
) as 427 Fighter Squadron, flying Canadair Sabres, and was transferred to No. 3 (Fighter) Wing at Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach river.- Name :Zweibrücken appears in Latin texts as Geminus Pons and Bipontum, in French texts as Deux-Ponts. The name derives from Middle High German Zweinbrücken...
in March 1953. Selected as the first European RCAF squadron to receive the CF-104 Starfighter in the nuclear strike role, the squadron was stood down from its day-fighter role on 15 December 1962 and reformed as 427 (Strike-Attack) Squadron two days later.
On 1 February 1968, unification integrated 427 into the new Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
. The squadron was again disbanded on 1 July 1970.
427 came back into existence as 427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron at CFB Petawawa
CFB Petawawa
Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, commonly referred to as CFB Petawawa, or simply "Pet", is a Canadian Forces Base located in Petawawa, Ontario. It is operated as an army base by Canadian Forces Land Force Command.-Base facts:...
, where it remains today.
1 February 2006 saw command of 427 transferred to Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command , is a command of the Canadian Forces...
, as it took on a full-time role of special operations aviation support. Shortly thereafter, it was renamed as, "427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron (SOAS)." Unlike the 160th SOAR (US Army), there are no specialized standards (in the "Special Operations context") for any 427 SOAS members unlike the other units in CANSOFCOM - JTF 2, CSOR and CJIRU and entrance into 427 SOAS requires only "negotiations through Career Managers and losing units."
Aircraft flown by 427 Squadron
Historic- Vickers Wellington IIIVickers WellingtonThe Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
(November 1942 - April 1943) - Vickers Wellington XVickers WellingtonThe Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
(February 1942 - May 1943) - Handley Page Halifax VHandley Page HalifaxThe Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
(May 1943 - February 1944) - Handley Page Halifax IIIHandley Page HalifaxThe Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
(January 1944 - March 1945) - Avro LancasterAvro LancasterThe Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
I/III (April 1945 - May 1946) - Canadair Sabre
- CF-104 Starfighter
- L-19 Bird Dog
- CH-135 Twin Huey
- CH-136 Kiowa
Current
- CH-146 GriffonCH-146 GriffonThe 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....
Battle honours
427 Squadron was awarded the following battle honours, which are carried on their standard:- English Channel and North Sea 1943-1945
- Baltic 1944-1945
- Fortress Europe 1943-1944
- France and Germany 1944-1945
- Biscay 1944
- Biscay Ports 1943-1944
- Ruhr 1943-1945
- Berlin 1943-1944
- German Ports 1943-1945
- Normandy 1944
- Rhine
See also
- Canadian ForcesCanadian ForcesThe Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
(CF) - Canadian Special Operations Forces CommandCanadian Special Operations Forces CommandCanadian Special Operations Forces Command , is a command of the Canadian Forces...
(CANSOFCOM) - Joint Task Force 2Joint Task Force 2Joint Task Force 2 is an elite Special Operations Force of the Canadian Armed Forces primarily tasked with counter-terrorism operations...
(JTF2) - Canadian Special Operations RegimentCanadian Special Operations RegimentThe Canadian Special Operations Regiment is a battalion-sized, high-readiness special operations unit part of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command...
(CSOR) - List of Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons
- U.S. 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment - Night Stalkers160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is a special operations unit of the United States Army that provides helicopter aviation support for general purpose forces and Special Operations Forces. Its missions have included attack, assault, and reconnaissance, and are usually conducted at...
(160th SOAR) - Italian 26th R.E.O.S. Special Operations Helicopter Unit26th Special Operations Helicopter UnitThe 26th Squadron – Special Operations Helicopter Unit is a special operation unit of the Italian Army that provides helicopter aviation support for Italian special forces. The 26th REOS is headquartered in Viterbo near Rome...
- Australian 171st Aviation Squadron
- British Joint Special Forces Aviation WingJoint Special Forces Aviation WingThe Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing is a joint-service organisation which provides aviation support to United Kingdom Special Forces, using both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. The Wing is based at RAF Odiham....
- French 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment