Squadron groundcrew were extremely busy during this period working on the arriving aircraft and finishing repairs to their working area. Along with some help from the aircrew, they still found the time to provide the squadron aircraft with a new paint scheme – at least for the spinners. The Buffalo Lancs were quite noticeable as their spinners bore a royal blue base with a six-inch white circle painted on the nose.
Two other events occupied 404 during August. The first was the August 16 arrival of several hundred air cadets to the station. As one squadron member put it, “The station is looking like a junior airforce.”
The squadron helped out by providing lectures to the cadets and by having S/L Mitchell and crew fly several members of the local cadet drill team to Saint John, New Brunswick for a competition. The next day, OTU course Number 5 graduated and with it were two new 404 crews and the Commanding Officer, Wing Commander DE Galloway, MBE. He immediately assumed his duties and for the next four months guided the squadron through a rather hectic training schedule.
Throughout September and October, the necessary chores to keep the squadron at a high state of proficiency were undertaken. These tasks ranges form repainting the hanger to bombing and gunnery exercises. No section of the squadron escaped this busy period. Even a new orderly room was completed and on September 11, W/C Galloway moved into his new offices. The squadron spent September 20 and 21 participating in another fighter affiliation exercise, this time involving Mustangs out of Chatham.
In October, F/L Gordon and crew took part in Operation Royalty in which they escorted the Royal Couple into Newfoundland. This was quickly followed by joint air-sea exercises involving S/L Mitchell, F/O Poirier, and their respective crews along with HMS Artful. The majority of the last few weeks of October were taken up by a search for an American C97 aircraft that was overdue on a fight between the Azores and Westover Field. Three crews participated and though the search was conducted for several days nothing was found.
The last two months of 1951 saw 404 finish its first year of rebirth with yet more training. On December 20, Lancaster 210 and 192 arrived and it was with high expectations that the Buffaloes looked forward to the new year.
1952 began with a search and rescue mission looking for a Vampire jet that was missing from Chatham. On January 14, W/C Galloway, S/L Creeper and S/L Murphy flew to Halifax to attend a conference for the upcoming Exercise Microwex 52. This was a large training scenario involving air strikes on a convoy. From January 20-28, four 404 crews made simulated attacks on a convoy with often impressive results.
The following month found 404 preparing for a combined exercise with 405 Squadron. The two units were to form an RCAF Maritime Wing during CONVEX III, which was held out of Key West, Florida. Preparations were long and detailed as one squadron member wrote at that time, "Maps and charts have been preparing the aircraft for the trip south. This included the making of boxes to fit the AVRO Standard Bomb Carrier. These boxes will contain emergency rations, sonobuoys, flame boats, marker marines and equipment necessary for the maintenance of the aircraft down south."
The Wing was commanded by W/C Galloway and flew almost constantly from February 23 to March 21. Most of the crews did not mind since the weather was a vast improvement to what was being experienced in Greenwood.
From the end of March to the first week in June, the squadron was occupied with routine flying with time out for the occasional search. On April 24, however, W/C Galloway and crew went off on a navigation cross-country to Winnipeg and Edmonton. Upon their return to Greenwood they descended the aircraft ramp with the newest member of the squadron in tow – a stuffed buffalo head henceforth to be known as "Bill the Buffalo." This visible symbol of the unit was proudly mounted in the squadron briefing room for all to see and admire. The majority of the month of June found the squadron deployed to St. Eval, England for Exercise Castanets. There were excellent training opportunities and the five 404 crews flew 23 sorties. Unfortunately, all was not well on the ground. As noted in the squadron log: "The crews were a bit disgruntled to find the accommodation consisted of tents for the majority. This did not stop the lads from making the best of it and after spending a soggy night in the tents; the aircrews were greeted with the good news of a stand-down until June 13 …some personnel proceeded by train to London. Some 30 officers displayed initiative in hiring a bus to take them to London and to await theme there and return on June 13."
For the most part, the exercise went as planned, but there was one incident that bears telling. While on one of the exercise flights, F/O Poirier and crew became temporarily misplaced (lost) due to weather and had a devil of a time trying to locate their position. Finally, they pinpointed their location, which turned out to be over France – without enough gas to return to England. The crew landed at a small airfield near Cherbourg and was fortunate that F/O Poirier was with them when it came to explaining their fuel requirements.
Lest it be thought that there was only aircrew involved with Operation Castanets, Cpl Swinimer offered this "epic" poem for the RCAF Station Greenwood paper:
From the write-up in the paper,
I'll bet you'd never guess
That with out gallant aircrew, there were "Erks" on Castanets.
We lived in tents at Cornwall, and the only thing we lacked
Were tomahawks and arrows, When the camp was mock attacked.
We leapt from our damp blankets, With Jets screaming overhead,
"Lie down," shouts the Section Commander, "Don't you know that you are dead?"
Whilst soundly sleeping in the night an air attack had started,
And without us ever knowing it, our souls up and departed.
The day shift are all off to work, and their morning meal.
They ate fried bread and sausages; I wonder how they feel?
Working in the daytime, well – it's just a piece of cake.
With Mag. Drops, gas leaks and etcetera, They say the night shift make.
"Naffi up," somebody yells, and hungry they must be.
So just queue up and wait for it; 'cause everything stops for tea.
Our line crews are quite competent, Before you realize
The airplane that was once u/s it just takes off and flies.
The Lancs we sent out last night will likely soon be back.
They all will be u/s no doubt, to gas up, D.I. or so.
With luck, we'll maybe get some sleep before the roosters crow.
About this time, the phone bell rings, Ops. Room to four-oh-four:
They want some Lancs for six a.m. – just eight or ten or more.
After ten minutes. He rings again for bombs, sonobuoys and flares.
I tell him that I'm sleepy, but don't think he cares.
I look at my watch once more and sight it's now five-twenty-three…
Just the time we're waiting for, the canteen's open for tea
You know the RAF idea of fun to me seems rather daft,
While they tinker around with motor-bikes we say hello to the WRAF.
These famous last words from Castanets (and believe me they are true).
"I'd love to take you back for my wife, But what would she do with you?"
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and Castanets was no exception. The Buffaloes were all back home safe and sound by the end of the first week of July.
That with out gallant aircrew, there were "Erks" on Castanets.
We lived in tents at Cornwall, and the only thing we lacked
Were tomahawks and arrows, When the camp was mock attacked.
We leapt from our damp blankets, With Jets screaming overhead,
"Lie down," shouts the Section Commander, "Don't you know that you are dead?"
Whilst soundly sleeping in the night an air attack had started,
And without us ever knowing it, our souls up and departed.
The day shift are all off to work, and their morning meal.
They ate fried bread and sausages; I wonder how they feel?
Working in the daytime, well – it's just a piece of cake.
With Mag. Drops, gas leaks and etcetera, They say the night shift make.
"Naffi up," somebody yells, and hungry they must be.
So just queue up and wait for it; 'cause everything stops for tea.
Our line crews are quite competent, Before you realize
The airplane that was once u/s it just takes off and flies.
The Lancs we sent out last night will likely soon be back.
They all will be u/s no doubt, to gas up, D.I. or so.
With luck, we'll maybe get some sleep before the roosters crow.
About this time, the phone bell rings, Ops. Room to four-oh-four:
They want some Lancs for six a.m. – just eight or ten or more.
After ten minutes. He rings again for bombs, sonobuoys and flares.
I tell him that I'm sleepy, but don't think he cares.
I look at my watch once more and sight it's now five-twenty-three…
Just the time we're waiting for, the canteen's open for tea
You know the RAF idea of fun to me seems rather daft,
While they tinker around with motor-bikes we say hello to the WRAF.
These famous last words from Castanets (and believe me they are true).
"I'd love to take you back for my wife, But what would she do with you?"
On July 7, W/C Galloway, S/L Mitchell, F/Os Murphy, Harvey, Bray, Deyarmond and their crews carried out a combined high-level and low-level strike on the aircraft carrier USS Midway. The strikes were carried out in the afternoon and the squadron had mixed results – especially when it came to avoiding carrier aircraft. Still undaunted, the boys from 404 were back in the air against this large target on July 8.
The remainder of the month was spent preparing for and flying on exercise Sign Post, a high-level air defence training exercise. It was during this operation that tragedy struck and the squadron suffered its first peacetime casualties. On July 22, eight crews had taken off in the early hours of the morning to play target for Vampire jets. While engaged in intercept maneuvers, a Vampire fighter collided with Lancaster 102. After pulling out of a shadow dive, the Lancaster broke in two pieces and crashed in densely wooded country near Bagotville, Quebec. Aircraft flown by F/O Murphy and F/O Bray were instructed to circle the crash site until notified to return while the remainder of the squadron carried on with the exercise. Killed in the crash were F/O RA Gray, F/O A Marier, F/O ECW Hutt, F/O RHDNoble, F/O JA Macara, and Cpl RG Smith.
It took a long time for the squadron to recover from its loss, however, as the training schedule did not allow much time to dwell upon the past. For the remainder of 1952, various crews from 404 participated in Operations Emigrant, Operation Corvex, Operation McLaughlin and Exercise NORAMEX. There was also the occasional search. The squadron ended the year on an up note when F/O Jacques and crew found a downed bush pilot out of Churchill.