No. 2 Squadron RCAF

Add links
This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

This article is about the 1935–1939 army co-operation unit. For the 1940–1941 fighter unit, see 402 Squadron.
No. 2 Squadron RCAF
Active1935–1936, 1936–1939
Country Canada
Branch Royal Canadian Air Force
RoleArmy Co-Operation
SizeSeven serviceable aircraft (1938)[1]
Part ofEastern Air Command (1939)
Garrison/HQSaint John (September–October 1939)
Insignia
Unit codeKO (1939)[2]
Aircraft flown

No. 2 (Army Co-Operation) Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) squadron active during the late 1930s. The squadron operated army cooperation aircraft from 1935, and upon the outbreak of World War II was selected for overseas duty. However, a shortage of aircraft forced its disbandment in late 1939 to reinforce two other squadrons.

The lineage of the squadron originates with the first Canadian 2 Squadron, formed in 1918 as part of the Canadian Air Force and disbanded in 1920. The squadron number was carried by No. 2 (Operations) Squadron, which flew forestry patrols in Alberta to support civil government operations between 1925 and 1927. It was transferred to civilian control at the end of that period and its designation lapsed. The squadron was reformed on paper as No. 2 (Training) Squadron in 1928, but never became active under that designation.

History

The squadron traced its lineage back to No. 2 Squadron, Canadian Air Force (CAF), and No. 2 (Operations) Squadron RCAF.[3]

Day bombing squadron

The formation of two Canadian-manned squadrons in England, No. 123 (Canadian Squadron) Squadron RAF, a day bombing unit, and a fighter unit, was authorized by the Air Ministry on 5 August 1918 during World War I; these were to be the first formations of the Canadian Air Force.[4] Canadian flying ace Temporary Lieutenant Colonel Billy Bishop was placed in charge of pilot selection for the squadrons; he prioritized officers who had seen service on the Western Front over recent volunteers, effectively creating what military historian Sydney F. Wise described as two "elite squadrons". Bishop selected Captain Walter Lawson DFC, a veteran Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot, to command 2 Squadron, but the former's departure for Canada after giving up his position in early October delayed the formation of the squadrons as Bishop had completed a list of pilots for the fighter squadron but left Lawson to select the pilots of the bomber squadron; the Air Ministry did not receive a complete pilot list until 19 November. In addition to Bishop's departure, the delay in the pilot selection process occurred due to difficulties in transferring Lawson and the other squadron commander from the RAF and doubts about the continued existence of the Canadian Air Force after the war ended on 11 November. Ground crew for the Canadian Air Force were selected from men with relevant civilian careers in Canadian depots in England in a process that began in August, which resulted in them spending a lengthy period in training.[5]

Officers of No. 2 Squadron CAF at Upper Heyford in front of their DH.9As, 1918 or 1919.

The squadron was officially formed as No. 2 Squadron, CAF on 20 November at

Paris Peace Conference.[6]

No. 2 Squadron also operated two

RAF Shoreham on 1 April 1919, it came under the control of the new No. 1 Wing, CAF, which had been set up to provide a Canadian administrative organization for the two squadrons. No. 2 Squadron, CAF was disbanded on 5 February 1920[4] along with the wing headquarters after the Canadian government decided against forming a permanent peacetime air force.[7]

Civil Government Air Operations squadron

High River Air Station on 1 July 1927 and its service designation lapsed.[9]

The squadron number was immediately repurposed for No. 2 (Training) Squadron. Authorized at

Camp Borden on 1 April 1927 and redesignated the following year[3] as an advanced training squadron, the unit only existed on paper due to a lack of aircraft, funding, and personnel. It was deleted from authorized establishments for 1929. [8]: 183 [10]

Army co-operation squadron

Atlases of the squadron at the June 1936 opening of the Silver Dart Aerodrome at Petawawa, Ontario

As a result of increased tensions in Europe and the development of long range bomber aircraft, the Royal Canadian Air Force expanded during the mid-1930s to provide air defense for Canada.[11] No. 2 (Army Co-operation) Squadron was formed on 1 April 1935 at Trenton, Ontario, equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Atlas Mark I biplanes, under the control of RCAF headquarters. Along with Nos. 3 and 6 Squadrons, It was authorized to be formed with two flights for purely military purposes during Fiscal Year 1936/1937. Under the command of Flight Lieutenant W.D. Van Vliet, it drew on a cadre from the Atlas-equipped Army Co-Operation Flight,[12] which had been formed on 1 April 1930 at Camp Borden and relocated to Trenton, the RCAF training base, in September 1931. Due to a shortage of aircraft and personnel, the squadron included only one flight on 15 April 1936. Flight Lieutenant F.G. Wait replaced Van Vliet on 2 July,[2] and it expanded to two flights on 13 July. On 10 August it was combined into a four-flight composite squadron under the command of No. 3 Squadron commander Squadron Leader A.H. Hull with No. 3 Squadron due to the shortages, with A and B Flights from No. 2.[13]

When it was reactivated on 1 December, the squadron was under the command of Squadron Leader T.A. Lawrence until 4 February 1937. It relocated to

Munich Crisis in September of that year, the squadron was sent to Halifax with its Atlases to provide artillery observation as there was not yet a coast artillery co-operation squadron in the region.[14] It remained there through October to practice coast artillery co-operation with local militia units.[1]

After returning to Rockcliffe, the squadron commenced individual ground and air training, emphasizing forced landings, message delivery, camera gunnery, night flying, signals, photography, and mechanics. It also sent detachments to the School of Army Co-Operation for demonstration flights.

King George VI. The squadron returned to Trenton on 21 March 1939, absorbing the School of Army Co-Operation there and thus acquiring training responsibilities in addition to its operational mission.[2] It helped non-permanent squadrons during their summer camps and sent a detachment to Petawawa for artillery observation practice and tactical and photography missions with army units in July.[1]

Lysanders of the squadron at Rockcliffe, November 1939

Shortly before

Nos. 110 and 112 Squadrons, slated for transfer to England, up to full strength.[3][17] Its pilots flew 168 operational and 212 non-operational flying hours during wartime;[2] the squadron received no battle honours.[3]

A subsequent No. 2 (Fighter) Squadron of 1940 to 1941 that later became

No. 402 Squadron is not lineally connected to the No. 2 Squadron of 1935 to 1939.[3]

Lineage

  • Authorized as No. 2 Squadron, CAF on 20 November 1918
Disbanded on 5 February 1920
  • Reformed as No. 2 (Operations) Squadron on 1 April 1925
Redesignated No. 2 Squadron (Training) on 1 April 1927
Disbanded on 1 July 1927
  • Reformed on 1 April 1928
Redesignated No. 2 (Army Co-Operation) Squadron on 1 November 1935
Disbanded on 16 December 1939.[3]

Assignments

  • No. 2 Group RAF, 15 November 1918
  • No. 1 Group RAF, No. 1 Wing CAF, 1 April 1919 – 5 February 1920[4]
  • RCAF Headquarters, 1 April 1925 – 1 July 1927[9]
  • RCAF Headquarters, 1 April 1928[10]
  • Eastern Air Command, 27 August 1939
  • Air Force Headquarters, Canadian Active Service Force, 1 November 1939[3]

Stations

  • Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, 15 November 1918
  • Shoreham, Sussex, 1 April 1919 – 5 February 1920[4]
  • High River, Alberta, 1 April 1925 – 1 July 1927[9]
  • Trenton, Ontario, 1 April 1935
  • Rockcliffe, Ontario, 17 June 1937
  • Trenton, Ontario, 21 March 1939
  • Halifax, Nova Scotia, 27 August 1939
  • Saint John, New Brunswick, 1 September 1939
  • Rockcliffe, Ontario, 1 November – 16 December 1939[3]

Aircraft

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e Douglas 1986, pp. 149–150.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Kostenuk & Griffin 1977, p. 23.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Directorate of History and Heritage 2000, pp. 3–4.
  4. ^ a b c d e Kostenuk & Griffin 1977, p. 8.
  5. ^ a b c Wise 1980, pp. 608–609.
  6. ^ a b Wise 1980, p. 611.
  7. ^ Kostenuk & Griffin 1977, pp. 4, 6.
  8. ^ a b Hitchens, Wing Commander F.H. (August 1972). Air Board, Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force. Canadian War Museum Paper No. 2. Ottawa: Canadian War Museum.
  9. ^ a b c d Kostenuk & Griffin 1977, p. 15.
  10. ^ a b Kostenuk & Griffin 1977, pp. 11–12.
  11. ^ Douglas 1986, pp. 130–131.
  12. ^ Douglas 1986, p. 140.
  13. ^ Kostenuk & Griffin 1977, pp. 17–18.
  14. ^ Douglas 1986, p. 143.
  15. ^ No. 2 (AC) Squadron 1936–1939, Operations Record Book, 14–30 October 1939 (image 213).
  16. ^ Douglas 1986, pp. 375, 379.
  17. ^ Douglas 1986, p. 345.

Bibliography

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=No._2_Squadron_RCAF&oldid=1224908699"