420 Squadron [entry point]

420 Squadron [entry point]

RCAF 420 (Snowy Owl) Squadron [entry point]

See all Archive items | See all wartime losses

420 Squadron was a Canadian squadron formed in December 1941 at RAF Waddington as part of 5 Group. It was initially equipped with Hampdens but converted to Manchesters in April 1942. In August 1942 the squadron transferred to 4 Group at RAF Skipton on Swale and converted to Wellingtons. The squadron moved to RAF Middleton St George in October 1942 where it transferred into the Canadian 6 Group in January 1943. From June to October 1943 it was posted to North Africa. On returning to England it converted to Halifaxes and re-joined 6 Group but now at RAF Dalton for five weeks before moving to RAF Tholthorpe in December 1943 from where it operated for the rest of the war. In April 1945 it began to convert to Canadian-built Lancasters but never became operational with them. The squadron returned to Canada in June 1945 from where it was allocated to the Tiger Force but it hadn’t deployed to the Pacific before Japan’s surrender.

Refinements:
   
Artwork                            Text
Map                                Text. Correspondence
Map. Navigation chart and log      Text. Diary
Moving image                       Text. Log book and record book
Photograph                         Text. Memoir
Physical object                    Text. Personal research
Physical object. Clothing          Text. Poetry
Physical object. Decoration        Text. Service material
Sound                              Text. Training material
Technical aid

Item type refinement is covered in the FAQ section, questions 12 and 13. The Archive also comes with a range of tools for searching and browsing content: please see the help page.