404 Long Range Patrol and Training Squadron is a long range patrol and training squadron in the Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron was originally No. 404 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and later the Canadian Forces Air Command.

History

The squadron was formed at Thorney Island in

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

, England on 15 April 1941 under Royal Air Force operational control. Tasked with coastal patrol and attack, the squadron flew the Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV & later the

Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort ...

. From May 1944 to September 1944 they were based at RAF Davidstow Moor in Cornwall, England. As part of the

RAF Dallachy Royal Air Force Dallachy or more simply RAF Dallachy, is a former Royal Air Force station situated east of Elgin, Moray, Scotland. During the Second World War it was a fighter station, used by 18 Group RAF Coastal Command. History Opened i ...

strike wing of four Beaufighter-equipped squadrons, they took part in an attack on German ships on the Norwegian coast on 9 February 1945. The ships included a destroyer and "flak" ships as well as merchantmen. The ships were located in a fjord and German fighter aircraft scrambled in defence. As a result of the heavy losses to the Dallachy Wing the attack was subsequently called "Black Friday". The squadron disbanded on 25 May 1945. The squadron was reformed on April 30, 1951, at RCAF Station Greenwood as 404 Maritime Reconnaissance Squadron. On 17 July 1956, 404 Squadron was redesignated as a Maritime Patrol squadron, and when the CP-140 Aurora came into service the title was changed again to 404 Maritime Patrol and Training Squadron. The current title is 404 Long Range Patrol and Training (LRP&T) Squadron. RCAF 404 Buffalo Sqd, Maritime Patrol, circa 1960's

RCAF 404 Buffalo Sqd, Maritime Patrol, circa 1960's

Currently, 404 Sqn serves as the Operational Training Unit (OTU) for Aircrew and Maintenance personnel who work on the CP140 Aurora.

Aircraft operated

* Bristol Blenheim *

Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort ...

De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, shoulder-winged, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the Second World War. Unusual in that its frame was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or ...

Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirlin ...

* Beech Expeditor * Lockheed Neptune * Canadair Argus * Lockheed CP-140 Aurora and CP-140A Arcturus (trainer for CP-140)

Notable personnel

* Allan Bundy

External links

DND – History of 404 Squadron
{{RCAF Squadrons Canadian Forces aircraft squadrons Military units and formations established in 1941 Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons RCAF training units