401 Squadron, RCAF, (Originally No. 1 Sqdn)

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R.C.A.F. No. 401 Squadron, "City of Westmount" (originally No. 1 Squadron)

No. 1 Squadron
During World War II it was a fighter squadron and is notable for having fought in the Battle of Britain

Squadron arrived at its first base in the United Kingdom, Middle Wallop, on 21 June 1940 to gain some experience of Fighter Command operations, S/L E.A. McNab, Commanding Officer, flew on operations attached to the Royal Air Force No. 111 Squadron, and claimed a German He-111 bomber destroyed on 11 August 1940. During the 53 days it participated in the Battle of Britain, the squadron shot down 29 enemy aircraft, probably destroyed eight, and damaged 35. It flew 1,694 sorties (1,569 operational hours and 1,201 non-operational), lost three pilots killed, ten wounded and 16 aircraft, with two pilots killed in accidents.

No. 401 Squadron
March 1, 1941 the Squadron became the R.C.A.F. No. 401 Squadron, On 3 May 1945, No. 401 Squadron, the Squadron's last claims of the war, attacked aircraft on the ground North West of Kiel, claiming 12 Ju 52s, two He 111s and a Ju 87 destroyed.

Total score for the 401 Squadron in World War II was 186.5 confirmed, 29 of which were claimed during 1940 when operating as No.1 RCAF Squadron.

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R.C.A.F. No. 1 Squadron, Battle of Britain

F/O R.L. Edwards, RCAF, C/903, Alnwick, Ontario, Canada
Hurricane, P3874, August 26, 1940 (Battle of Britain)

Aircraft shot down by return fire while attacking a German Dornier Do-17, aircraft went into a spiral and crashed killing F/O Edwards.

F/O O.J Peterson, RCAF, C/900, Halifax. Nova Scotia, Canada
Hurricane, P3647, September 27, 1940 (Battle of Britain)

Aircraft in combat with German Ju-88’s and Me-110’s, aircraft shot down near Hever, Kent, United Kingdom. F/O Peterson did not survive

F/O R. Smither, RCAF, C/1594, Farnham, Surrey, United Kingdom
Hurricane, P3876, September 15, 1940 (Battle of Britain)

Aircraft in combat with Bf-109’s, shot down while over Turnbridge Wells, Kent, United Kingdom, F/O Smither did not survive.
Note: F/O R. Smither’s brother, P/O S.F. Smither, with the No. 401 Squadron will be K.I.A. on June 5, 1942

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R.C.A.F. No. 1 Squadron, after Battle of Britain

F/O R.E. Lewis, RAF, 41852, Hometown not known
Hurricane, P3920, February 5, 1941

“Circus 3” Aircraft in combat with a Me-109, over the English Channel, Aircraft received damage, F/O Lewis baled out of aircraft, not recovered, listed as M.I.A.

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Squadron number change to R.C.A.F. No. 401 Squadron, March 1, 1941

F/O R.W. Anderson, RCAF, J/28754, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Spitfire, MJ980, April 20, 1945

Aircraft shot down by airfield defenses while chasing a Me-109 across the grass strip at Schwerin, Germany. F/O Anderson did not survive.

Flt. Sgt. H.M. Batters, RCAF, R/95487, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada
Spitfire, BS277, December 4, 1942

“Rodeo” Aircraft shot down by enemy fighters while over the English Channel just off the coast of France, Sgt Batters body was recovered and buried in St. Omar

Sgt. A.D. Blakey, RCAF, R/78705, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Spitfire, BL538, March 9, 1942

Aircraft during a flight test suffered structural failure with the port wing falling away from the aircraft during a roll, the aircraft crashed killing Sgt. Blakey.

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Flt. Lt. Bouskill (DFC), RCAF, J/10254, Trout Creek, Ontario, Canada
Spitfire, MJ300, October 2, 1944

Aircraft was shot down by a Fw-190 and crashed near Nijmegen, Netherlands. Flt. Lt. Bouskill did not survive the crash.

Flt. Sgt. M.H. Buckley, RCAF, R/66343, Fonthill, Ontario, Canada
Spitfire, BS157, August 19, 1942

Aircraft shot down by a Fw-190 and crashed near Dieppe, France. Flt. Sgt. Buckley did not survive the crash.

Flt. Sgt. G.F. Clarke, RCAF, R/71424, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Spitfire, X4666, February 18, 1942

“Ramrod” On return from mission aircraft was jumped by 2 Bf-109’s and shot down off Ramsgate, Kent, England. Flt. Sgt. Clarke did not survive.

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F/O C.B. Cohen, RCAF, J/17619, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada
Spitfire, MK840, June 3, 1944

Aircraft engine failed in flight and crashed into the sea, 50 miles off Selsey Bill, off the coast of West Sussex, England. F/O Cohen is listed as Missing in Action.

P/O T.K. Coupland, RCAF, J/3708, Golden Ridge, Saskatchewan, Canada
Hurricane, Unknown Ser#, August 7, 1941

While on a fighter sweep, it is believed that the aircraft was shot down and the pilot, P/O Coupland died of his injuries.

F/O W.E. Cummings, RCAF, J/20014, North Bay, Ontario, Canada
Spitfire, MJ982, April 27, 1944

Aircraft hit by ground fire while attacking rail bridge near Granville, France, aircraft crashed killing F/O Cummings.

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Flt. Sgt. R.D. Davidson, RCAF, J/88096, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Spitfire, MJ428, June 28, 1944

While flying a recon mission, aircraft shot down by a Fw-190 and crashed south of Caen, France, Flt. Sgt. Davidson did not survive.

F/O J.N.G. Dick, RCAF, J/21907, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Spitfire, MJ563, September 22, 1944, survived collision. Read note below.

Lt. Commander (A) A.C. Wallace, RNVR, Maidenhead, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Spitfire ML118, September 22, 1944, Did not survive.

While flying a fighter sweep over Belgium in bad weather, spitfires ML118 and MJ563 collided in mid-air. ML118 spun in and crashed killing the pilot Lt. Commander (A) Wallace. F/O Dick was able to land his damaged aircraft at B66 Blakenberg.

Note: F/O J.N.G. Dick on April 15, 1945, while with the RCAF 442 Squadron flying Mustang KH764 went Missing in Action, failed to return from a bomber escort mission, Crashed Enshede-Munster, Germany.

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Flt. Sgt. F.A. Duff, RCAF, R/78406, South River, Ontario, Canada
Spitfire, BL782, July 13, 1942

Flt. Lt. J.R.C. Tyre, RCAF, C/1370, Saanichton, British Columbia, Canada
Spitfire, BM650, July 13, 1942

“Circus 199”, escorting 12 Boston Bombers from R.A.F. No. 88 Squadron, spitfires BL782 and BM650 had a mid-air collision over the Somme Estuary, France. Both pilots were killed when both aircraft crashed.

F/O L.A. Dunn, RCAF, J/18146, Meath Park, Saskatchewan, Canada
Spitfire, ML342, April 17,1945

While attacking a German train, the train blew up sending shrapnel into the spitfire causing it to crash, F/O Dunn was killed and listed on the Runnymede Memorial

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F/O H.E. Fenwick, RCAF, J/15790, Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada
Spitfire, NH207, June 21, 1944

While on evening beach head patrol chasing an enemy aircraft near Bayeux, France, F/O Fenwick’s spitfire was hit by allied friendly flak, aircraft crashed killing the pilot.

P/O/ J.K. Ferguson, RCAF, J/15276, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Spitfire, BS159, August 17, 1942

“Circus 204” While escorting B-17’s to bomb the rail road at Rouen/Sotteville, P/O Feruson’s aircraft was shot down by Fw-190’s near Rouen, France. P/O Ferguson did not survive.

Sgt. W.K. Ferguson, RCAF, J/85171, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Spitfire, EN183, January 15, 1943

“Ramrod” Aircraft was shot down by Flak near Saint-Martin-des-Entrées, Normandy, France while strafing an enemy locomotive. Sgt. Ferguson did not survive crash.

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Sgt. R.W. Gardner, RCAF, R/78091, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Spitfire, AA925, November 8, 1941

Aircraft went missing from a fighter sweep, cause of aircraft loss has not been established, Sgt. Gardner did not survive the crash.

Flt. Sgt. L. Gillis, PAF, 793791, Telechany, Poland
Spitfire, W3839, February 17, 1943

W/O 1 H.D. Muirhead, RCAF, R/79587, Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada
Spitfire, BM346, February 17, 1943

While in a training exercise, Flt. Sgt. Gillis in Spitfire W3839 was involved in a mid-air collision with Spitfire BM346 flown by W/O 1 Muirhead, both aircraft crashed between Otterington and Northallerton, United Kingdom, both pilots were killed in the crash.