September 1942
Beaufighters Arrive!
On 5 September "a signal was received from HEADQUARTERS, COASTAL COMMAND, No.Q.85 dated 4-9-42 stating ten Beaufighter to be accepted by 404 Squadron." These aircraft were to be sent to Dyce, where the aircrew would conduct their conversion training. Then, on 9 September, the first two aircraft arrived from 41 Group. The next day, Wing Commander EH McHardy, having just been promoted, P/O Christison and F/O Burton flew to Dyce to accept the Beaufighters, taking with them sufficient ground crew for servicing. By the 13th, the Squadron had completed its move, leaving 10 crews and 13 aircraft at Sumburgh as a detachment.
The Beaufighter, the aircraft with which the Squadron was to fly the bulk of its missions, was vastly superior to the Blenheim. Even so, because the Rolls Royce Merlin XX engines, inferior to the Bristol Hercules VI engines that were in short supply, powered this variant, the Beau IIF was still considered to be too slow when matched with enemy aircraft. Early on, armament training on the Beaufighter included cannon, machine gun and ALT (aerial light torpedo). Though many crews trained on the ALT from Wick starting in December, it is noted from operational records that 404 did not drop torpedoes operationally during the war.
The Squadron had grown since its inception to include three crewmen in the Blenheims. The new Beaufighters would only require two crewmen, a Pilot and a Navigator (W). Over the next few weeks, as the transfer to Beaufighters was completed, the Squadron Wireless Operator/ Air Gunners (WAGs) were posted to other units. Even though there was a great and sometimes overpowering desire by the RCAF brass to 'Canadianize' squadrons, the fact was that the BCATP did not stream Canadians as Navigator (W), or navigator and wireless radio operators that were needed in the Beaufighters. For most of the rest of the war most Beaufighter crews were to remain a tandem of Canadian pilots and RAF navigators.
By 16 September, 404 Squadron had completed the move to Dyce, leaving behind a detachment in Sumburgh who rejoined the squadron on 24 September. At the end of September, the Squadron War Record notes that for a simple flying unit, 404 Squadron was 'fat' for aircraft with 18 Blenheims and 15 Beaufighters Mk IIF on strength. The Blenheims were returned to the Maintenance Unit (MU).
Squadron personnel numbers for September 1942:
RCAF Aircrew Officers 20
RCAF Groundcrew Officers 5
RCAF Airmen 19
RCAF Groundcrew 179
RAF Aircrew Officers 13
RAF Groundcrew Officers 1
RAF Airmen 44
RAF Groundcrew 88
Total 369
October 1942
On 2 October, Gowler made an interesting entry in his diary that helped to describe the feeling on station between the RAF and RCAF members. "We were told today by the S.Ps (service police) that Group Captain McMurtrie (RAF) gave them specific instructions to put at least fifty of us men on charge today or they would get into trouble themselves as they were too lax, a grand war effort I would say. (No thanks from RAF to Canadians) "
The squadron had its first accident with a Beaufighter when P/O Rowand, flying V8157, landed too heavily and broke the tail assembly. There were no injuries in this mishap, but the same could not be said for the second accident of the month. Blenheim, 'D', flying out of Sumburgh, crashed in the sea off Seal Island on 6 October just after taking off. P/O JH Patterson (pilot), F/S TF McCarthy (Obs), and Sgt RG Tinsley (WAG) were killed. "No attempt was made to locate either the plane or men for at least an hour and furthermore there is not even a rescue boat to be had anywhere around. All I can say is that it is a pity that good men should be lost when there was a possibility of saving them by having a high speed launch. This is the second time that a grim thing like this has happened inside of a few weeks. (Sgt Tinsley's body recovered). " In the ORB on 7 October, it is recorded, "Bodies not recovered. Sea too rough to permit of salvage operations."
On 8 October, W/C McHardy received a telegram from Coastal Command Headquarters with an invitation to attend the premier of the official film Coastal Command on the 10th since with other crews on the squadron he had portrayed German aircraft in some of the battle scenes.
On 13 October, a wire was received posting W/C GG Truscott to command 404 Squadron. Truscott was the first Canadian to command the squadron. He had joined the RCAF in 1932 and was posted directly to the unit from his position in Canada as the senior air staff officer at Eastern Air Command. W/C Truscott had been at Dyce for almost a month and had already flown with W/C McHardy several times. In fact, it was these two gentlemen who had accounted for 404's only success during the month when they shot down a free-flying barrage balloon at 27,000 feet.
W/C McHardy was not the only member of 404 to depart the unit during October. The Beaufighter was normally manned by a complement of two thus there was no requirement for a Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner. Therefore, all of the aircrew belonging to this trade soon found themselves on their way to new units. 22 October saw the first departures with P/Os Goggin, Parr, and Harris to 422 Squadron, Sgts Bateup, Critcher, and Miller to 461 Squadron, P/O Cruickshanks and Sgts Giles, Krampp, Haynes, Jennings, Paquin and Gray to 224 Squadron. They were soon followed by the remaining WAGs and 404 truly became a Beaufighter squadron.
Squadron personnel numbers for October 1942:
RCAF Aircrew Officers 17
RCAF Groundcrew Officers 7
RCAF Airmen 15
RCAF Groundcrew 164
RAF Aircrew Officers 13
RAF Groundcrew Officers 1
RAF Airmen 34
RAF Groundcrew 76
Total 327
