73:
56:
38:
230:
that would soon be sent to bomb the
Japanese mainland from Okinawa. With the unconditional surrender of Japan the RCAF's Tiger Force bomber squadrons were disbanded before they flew overseas and the total draw down of the Western Air Command was suddenly undertaken. Within several months almost all
201:
Patrol activity was joined by the
Operational Training Schools (OTS) operated by Number 4 Training Command of the BCATP. They were the No. 3 OTS flying the Canso and Catalina and No. 32 OTS with Ansons, Beauforts and Swordfish at Patricia Bay. In April, 1944 the No. 5 OTS Heavy Conversion unit stood
136:
When Canada declared war against
Germany in September 1939 the command consisted of only five squadrons. Four of them equipped with obsolete aircraft including a bomber squadron with aircraft from the Great War and there were no fighter aircraft at all for its only fighter squadron (113 Fighter
176:
in July) and the 166 Communication
Squadron formed in September flying various types. In addition to the new squadrons, new aircraft types came on line replacing the command's remaining Supermarine Stranraers and Blackburn Sharks with Cansos and the Bolingbrokes and Beauforts with the Lockheed
167:
By
January 1943 Western Air Command had expanded to include many bomber, fighter and operational units under its control. By the end of the war the command would involve some twenty squadrons when the last units to join were added in 1943. These were the 163 Army Cooperation Squadron in March
184:
In
February and March 1945, P-40 fighter pilots from 133 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force operating out of RCAF Patricia Bay (Victoria, British Columbia), intercepted and destroyed two fire balloons, On 21 February, Pilot Officer E. E. Maxwell While shot down a balloon, which landed on
177:
Ventura. Countless training missions and operational patrols bolstered the air activity over the coastal areas but there was not much action until RCAF Western
Command was on the look out for General Kusaba's
731:
721:
716:
140:
With the
Japanese threat after Pearl Harbor it grew rapidly and played a critical role in fighter and anti-submarine operations in Canadian and American waters during the
726:
207:
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had grown to a sizeable force of some 87 aircraft including 38 B-24 Liberators, 35 B-25 Mitchells, 5 Bolingbrokes, 8 P-40 Kittyhawks and a single
649:
285:
654:
93:
193:, British Columbia. During another interception a Canso forced down a fire balloon which was examined at the army headquarters.
639:
603:
412:
378:
327:
673:
123:'s Home War Establishment responsible for air operations on the Pacific coast of Canada during the Second World War.
168:
flying
Bristol Bolingbrokes and Hawker Hurricanes. In May the 160 Bomber-Reconnaissance Squadron was added flying
169:
141:
98:
466:
629:
449:
312:
120:
76:
483:
157:
395:
295:
72:
402:
368:
351:
334:
319:
302:
278:
644:
549:
145:
634:
608:
586:
554:
536:
478:
444:
385:
339:
307:
290:
173:
161:
696:
531:
361:
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Lancaster X bombers which were to be used to train the
British Commonwealth's Very Long Range Bomber
591:
518:
513:
473:
456:
439:
390:
344:
268:
153:
273:
190:
541:
523:
227:
211:
407:
373:
356:
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when 16 B-24 Liberators arrived fresh from American factories. By the end of September 1944
87:
461:
149:
685:
189:, in Washington State. On 10 March, Pilot Officer J. O. Patten destroyed a balloon near
613:
596:
559:
186:
710:
203:
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103:
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With the end of the war in Europe these aircraft were joined by a number of
61:
43:
152:, the RCAF's only kill in the Pacific Theatre. On 7 July 1942 a
164:
then led American destroyers to sink the damaged submarine.
732:
Military units and formations of Canada in World War II
181:
that the Japanese called the Fūsen Bakudan Campaign.
676:(Canadian Military History in Perspective: Air Force)
231:
the flying squadrons would be completely stood down.
722:
Units and formations of the Royal Canadian Air Force
697:
Canadian Wings: RCAF Orders of Battle 1 January 1943
144:. It was there that Squadron Leader K.A. Boomer of
82:
67:
49:
31:
23:
18:
717:Military units and formations established in 1938
172:(Catalinas) from Sea Island BC (before moving to
421:No.4 Group. HQ Prince Rupert, British Columbia
8:
250:No. 2 Group. HQ Victoria, British Columbia
674:"The Japanese Attack: Air Force, Part 31"
571:
498:
424:
253:
666:
156:pressed home an attack on the Japanese
15:
7:
568:"Y" Wing. HQ Annette Island, Alaska.
526:- transferred to Sea Island 26 Feb
727:Canadian armed forces air commands
160:the pilot F/Sgt. P.M.G. Thomas of
14:
650:442 Transport and Rescue Squadron
640:438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron
71:
54:
36:
495:"X" Wing. HQ Anchorage, Alaska.
245:HQ Vancouver, British Columbia.
137:Squadron was thus disbanded).
1:
655:American Theater (1939-1945)
27:15 March 1938 – 1 March 1947
748:
467:RCAF Station Prince Rupert
197:Operational training units
450:RCAF Station Alliford Bay
413:RCAF Station Patricia Bay
379:RCAF Station Patricia Bay
362:RCAF Station Boundary Bay
328:RCAF Station Patricia Bay
313:RCAF Station Coal Harbour
142:Aleutian Islands Campaign
99:Aleutian Islands Campaign
630:RCAF Eastern Air Command
484:RCAF Station Bella Bella
121:Royal Canadian Air Force
77:Royal Canadian Air Force
544:- replaced 8 Sqn 2 Mar
396:RCAF Station Sea Island
296:RCAF Station Sea Island
645:440 Transport Squadron
614:Annette Island, Alaska
597:Annette Island, Alaska
104:Fūsen Bakudan Campaign
635:No. 113 Squadron RCAF
604:No. 118 Squadron RCAF
587:No. 115 Squadron RCAF
550:No. 111 Squadron RCAF
479:Supermarine Stranraer
445:Supermarine Stranraer
403:No. 149 Squadron RCAF
386:No. 147 Squadron RCAF
369:No. 135 Squadron RCAF
352:No. 133 Squadron RCAF
335:No. 132 Squadron RCAF
320:No. 122 Squadron RCAF
308:Supermarine Stranraer
303:No. 120 Squadron RCAF
279:RCAF Station Ucluelet
162:No. 115 Squadron RCAF
532:No. 14 Squadron RCAF
286:No. 14 Squadron RCAF
119:was the part of the
592:Bristol Bolingbroke
519:Bristol Bolingbroke
514:No. 8 Squadron RCAF
492:Detached operations
474:No. 9 Squadron RCAF
457:No. 7 Squadron RCAF
440:No. 6 Squadron RCAF
391:Bristol Bolingbroke
345:RCAF Station Tofino
269:No. 4 Squadron RCAF
154:Bristol Bolingbroke
117:Western Air Command
19:Western Air Command
274:Consolidated Canso
191:Salt Spring Island
686:Juno Beach Centre
619:
618:
609:Curtiss Kittyhawk
565:
564:
555:Curtiss Kittyhawk
542:Anchorage, Alaska
537:Curtiss Kittyhawk
524:Anchorage, Alaska
489:
488:
418:
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340:Curtiss Kittyhawk
291:Curtiss Kittyhawk
132:Patrol operations
111:
110:
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699:
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688:
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677:
671:
578:Type of Aircraft
572:
505:Type of Aircraft
499:
431:Type of Aircraft
425:
408:Bristol Beaufort
374:Hawker Hurricane
357:Hawker Hurricane
260:Type of Aircraft
254:
224:Victory Aircraft
146:No. 111 Squadron
88:Second World War
75:
60:
58:
57:
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40:
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16:
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462:Blackburn Shark
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235:Order of battle
220:
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158:submarine Ro-32
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37:
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5:
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560:Kodiak, Alaska
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240:1 January 1943
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187:Sumas Mountain
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208:RCAF 5 O.T.U.
205:
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179:fire balloons
175:
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113:Military unit
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94:Pacific Coast
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52:
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34:
30:
26:
22:
17:
704:
692:
681:
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620:
221:
204:Boundary Bay
200:
183:
174:Yarmouth, NS
166:
150:Rufe fighter
148:shot down a
139:
135:
116:
115:
86:
228:Tiger Force
83:Engagements
711:Categories
661:References
50:Allegiance
624:See also
581:Station
575:Squadron
508:Station
502:Squadron
434:Station
428:Squadron
263:Station
257:Squadron
218:Post war
212:Norseman
324:Various
127:History
32:Country
202:up at
170:Cansos
68:Branch
62:Canada
59:
44:Canada
41:
24:Active
214:.
713::
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