In the Beginning...

With Britain at war in the fall of 1939, it was understood that Canada would follow. From all over the country, Canadians from all walks of life flocked to join the rapidly expanding Air force, Navy and Army. Thousands felt the need to hasten directly to the assistance of Britain and enlisted in the British service directly. However, starting from humble beginnings, most people realized that it would take years before Canada could hope to make a sizeable contribution to the war effort on land or sea.in the air it was a different story.

As early as November 1939, Air Vice Marshal (A/V/M) GM Croil, Chief of the Air Staff, had argued in a memo to the Minister of National Defence that it was not only desirous, but also essential, that the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) play a role in the overseas war.

A subsequent agreement between Canada and Great Britain in January 1941 called for 25 RCAF squadrons to be formed in the United Kingdom over an 18-month period. The second of the RCAF's so-called Article-15 squadrons to form overseas was 404 Squadron.

404 served its entire wartime life within Coastal Command, taking on the title of Coastal Fighter (CF) Squadron. Tasks included the protection of friendly convoys and conducting reconnaissance missions and attacking of enemy shipping. At all times squadron aircrew were subject to attacks from vastly superior Luftwaffe fighters such as the Me.109 and FW.190 while flying the Bristol Blenheim, an aircraft that was actually designed to be a light bomber. Even after being re-equipped with the able Beaufighter, the crews flew incredibly dangerous missions such as anti-flak escort where the crews purposely drew anti-aircraft fire from dangerous escort vessels to allow torpedo planes to drop their weapons, and shipping strikes where the crews had to fly straight at well defended vessels, often within 300 yards, allowing enemy gunners shots that required no deflection. While flying escort, the crews had the duty of tangling with enemy fighters of all sorts. On top of this, due to lack of fighter cover, most missions required cloud cover to allow escape after attacks.

As a quick example, a typical mission would be flown in poor weather, with a low cloud deck. The crews would form up, and proceed at 50 feet to the patrol area in order to avoid enemy radar. At the patrol area, they would quickly climb to 1500 feet, and hopefully sight the target convoy. Since convoys sailed so close to shore, coastal flak batteries would immediately open fire, as would the escort vessels with their 20mm and 37mm AA guns. 404 would attack these formidable flak-ships, weaving around the convoy, strafing with machine-gun and cannon. If all went to plan, the torpedo or strike rocket projectile (RP) aircraft would quickly make their attacks, aiming at the valuable merchant vessels. Properly conducted, the attack would be finished in ten minutes, that is unless the enemy fighters showed up...

Life in Coastal Command was not glamorous. In fact, only 20 percent of all Coastal Command patrols through the war led to attacks on shipping. Fighter Command and Bomber Command received regular press coverage, and the aircrew at times felt forgotten for their efforts. To top this off, being subjected to the indignity of having to fly dangerous missions in obsolete aircraft, and being moved 18 times in their four year existence, often to locations that were not suitable to fly operations from, often lowered morale. Still, these gentlemen got the job done, and have left a legacy of pride and accomplishment.

The Squadron's service to Canada is approaching its sixth decade. With only six short years of hiatus, 404's legacy is pride of service, dedication and heroism. From the dark wartime years when many saw their comrades fall or 'fail to return' to the years of the new millennium when we see comrades persevere, succeed and return to their units as qualified aircrew; ours is a history that must be preserved.