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No.420 Sqn RCAF - Squadron Profile.

No.420 Sqn RCAF

Founded : 19th December 1941
Country : Canada
Fate : Disbanded 5th September 1945
Known Aircraft Codes : PT

Snowy Owl

Pugnamus finitum - We fight to the finish

No.420 Sqn RCAF

Aircraft for : No.420 Sqn RCAF
A list of all aircraft known to have been flown by No.420 Sqn RCAF. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
SquadronInfo

Halifax




Click the name above to see prints featuring Halifax aircraft.

Manufacturer : Handley Page
Production Began : 1941
Retired : 1952
Number Built : 6177

Halifax

Royal Air Force heavy Bomber with a crew of six to eight. Maximum speed of 280mph (with MK.VI top speed of 312mph) service ceiling of 22,800feet maximum range of 3,000 miles. The Halifax carried four .303 browning machine guns in the tail turret, two .303 browning machines in the nose turret in the MK III there were four .303 brownings in the dorsal turret. The Handley Page Halifax, first joined the Royal Air Force in March 1941 with 35 squadron. The Halifax saw service in Europe and the Middle east with a variety of variants for use with Coastal Command, in anti Submarine warfare, special duties, glider-tugs, and troop transportation roles. A total of 6177 Halifax's were built and stayed in service with the Royal Air Force until 1952

Hampden




Click the name above to see prints featuring Hampden aircraft.

Manufacturer : Handley Page
Retired : 1942
Number Built : 1500

Hampden

The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a twin-engine medium bomber built for the Royal Air Force and was used by Bomber Command in the early years of world war two. Along with the other medium bombers the Whitley and Wellington, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-plane raid on Cologne. The newest of the three medium bombers, the Hampden was known as the Flying Suitcase because of its cramped crew conditions. A total of 226 Hampdens were in service with eight Royal Air Force squadrons by the start of the Second World War. Despite its speed and agility, in operational use the Hampden was no match for the fighters of the Luftwaffe (ME109 and FW 190) and the Hampdens role as a day bomber was brief, but Hampdens continued to operate at night on bombing raids over Germany and in mine laying (code-named gardening) in the North Sea. Almost half of the Hampdens built – 714, were lost on operations, witht he loss of 1,077 crew killed and another 739 missing. German flak accounted for 108; with one Hampden being lost due to German Barrage balloons; 263 Hampdens crashed due to a variety of causes, and 214 others were classed as missing. Luftwaffe pilots claimed 128 Hampdens, shooting down 92 at night. The Hampden soon became obsolete for its roll as a medium modern bomber, after operating mainly at night, it was retired from Bomber Command service in late 1942. but continued with Coastal Command throughout 1943 as a long-range Torpedo Bomber (the Hampden TB Mk I which carried the Mk XII torpedo in an open bomb-bay and a single 500 lb (230 kg) bomb under each wing) The Hampden was also used by the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Lancaster




Click the name above to see prints featuring Lancaster aircraft.

Manufacturer : Avro
Production Began : 1942
Retired : 1963
Number Built : 7377

Lancaster

The Avro Lancaster arose from the avro Manchester and the first prototype Lancaster was a converted Manchester with four engines. The Lancaster was first flown in January 1941, and started operations in March 1942. By March 1945 The Royal Air Force had 56 squadrons of Lancasters with the first squadron equipped being No.44 Squadron. During World War Two the Avro Lancaster flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 618,378 tonnes of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Lancaster Bomberss took part in the devastating round-the-clock raids on Hamburg during Air Marshall Harris' Operation Gomorrah in July 1943. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations each, and 3,249 were lost in action. The most successful survivor completed 139 operations, and the Lancaster was scrapped after the war in 1947. A few Lancasters were converted into tankers and the two tanker aircraft were joined by another converted Lancaster and were used in the Berlin Airlift, achieving 757 tanker sorties. A famous Lancaster bombing raid was the 1943 mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, to destroy the dams of the Ruhr Valley. The operation was carried out by 617 Squadron in modified Mk IIIs carrying special drum shaped bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. Also famous was a series of Lancaster attacks using Tallboy bombs against the German battleship Tirpitz, which first disabled and later sank the ship. The Lancaster bomber was the basis of the new Avro Lincoln bomber, initially known as the Lancaster IV and Lancaster V. (Becoming Lincoln B1 and B2 respectively.) Their Lancastrian airliner was also based on the Lancaster but was not very successful. Other developments were the Avro York and the successful Shackleton which continued in airborne early warning service up to 1992.

Wellington




Click the name above to see prints featuring Wellington aircraft.

Manufacturer : Vickers
Production Began : 1938
Retired : 1953

Wellington

The Vickers Wellington was a Bomber aircraft and also used for maritime reconnaissance. and had a normal crew of six except in the MKV and VI where a crew of three was used. Maximum speed was 235 mph (MK1c) 255 mph (MK III, X) and 299 mph (MK IIII), normal operating range of 1805 miles (except MK III which was 1470miles) The Wellington or Wimpy as it was known, was the major bomber of the Royal Air Force between 1939 and 1943. The Royal Air Force received its first Wellingtons in October 1938 to 99 squadron. and by the outbreak of World war two there were 6 squadrons equipped with the Vickers Wellington. Due to heavy losses on daylight raids, the Wellington became a night bomber and from 1940 was also used as a long range bomber in North Africa. and in 1942 also became a long range bomber for the royal Air Force in India. It was well used by Coastal Command as a U-Boat Hunter. The Wellington remained in service with the Royal Air Force until 1953. Probably due to its versatile use, The aircraft was also used for experimental work including the fitting of a pressure cabin for High altitude tests. The Vickers Wellington could sustain major damage and still fly, probably due to its construction of its geodesic structure and practical application of geodesic lines. Designed by Sir Barnes Wallis
Signatures for : No.420 Sqn RCAF
A list of all signatures from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name.
NameInfo

Lieutenant General Chester Hull CMM DFC CD
Click the name above to see prints signed by Lieutenant General Chester Hull CMM DFC CD
Lieutenant General Chester Hull CMM DFC CD

Joining the RCAF, Chester Hull was posted overseas in 1943. Joining the 420 (Snowy Owl) Sqn, No6 Group RCAF, he flew the Halifax against targets such as the V weapon sites. He became Sqn Commander of 428 (Ghost) Sqn RCAF, completing his tour on 30th December 1944. he retired in 1974 as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.




Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Perks DFC
Click the name above to see prints signed by Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Perks DFC
Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Perks DFC

Joining the RAF in July 1941 he trained as a pilot in the USA and was posted to 420 Sqn as part of no 6 Group (RCAF) initially flying Wellingtons. The unit then converted to Halifaxes and he moved firstly to 427 Squadron and then 434 Sqn still flying this aircraft. In November 1944 he joined OTU as an instructor on Halifaxes, converting to Mosquitoes in January 1945. He then joined 571 Sqn as part of the Light Night Strike Force, flying the B Mk XVI and dropping 4000lb cookie bombs over Germany. He left the RAF in 1946 but rejoined, finally leaving in 1958




Flying Officer Leslie Rosser
Click the name above to see prints signed by Flying Officer Leslie Rosser
Flying Officer Leslie Rosser

Joined the RAF in April 1941, having transferred from the Army. After two months, he was on his way to the USA via Iceland and Canada. He entered the USA at Detroit, in July 1941, on a student visa and wearing civilian clothes. His pilot training started in Florida at a civilian flying school with most of the instructors being old barnstormers from flying circuses etc. Discipline was maintained by a few US Army officers. Most of the pupils were ex-British Army, so the change of food, climate etc was much appreciated. The final course, before receiving the US Army wings was carried out flying Harvards. The course was completed mid-February and the return to Canada followed. On return to the UK and after some delays the conversion to twin-engined planes was completed at RAF Assington. The OTU course started at Wellesbourne in September 1942, flying Wellingtons, and a full crew formed of pilot, navigator, bomb-aimer, wireless operator and rear-gunner. The crew were posted to 420 Squadron of RCAF at Middleton St George in January 1942. Operations were carried out on targets from Hamburg to St Nazaire - Bomber Command was under pressure to assist the war against U-boats. The last operation over Germany for the crew was on March 5th 1943 and was an historic one for Bomber Command, as the target at Essen was marked by a system called Oboe. This involved a high flying Mosquito and various radio and radar equipment. The crew were posted in April 1943 to 142 Squadron - one of the two RAF Squadrons attached to the US North West African Airforce under General Doolittle. The RAF Squadrons did the night bombing on targets in Tunisia, Italy, Sicily and Sardinia. Twenty-one operations by the crew involved dropping 4,000lb block-busters. After returning to the UK in August 1943, FISgt Rosser instructed at Bruntingthorpe OTU and later after being commissioned, at Edgehill. After VE day he converted to flying Mosquitos at Barford St John and was posted to 128 Squadron at Warboys the day the first atomic bomb was dropped on Japan. Since the Squadron was destined for Okinawa it meant there would be no second tours of operations and the Squadron was posted to Melsbroek, now Brussels Airport, to join the 2nd Tactical Airforce. Flying consisted mostly of exercises and formations flying over parts of Germany. He was discharged in February 1946.



No victories listed for this squadron

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