| 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron | |
|---|---|
|
File:438 ETAH Logo.jpg 438 Squadron badge | |
| Active | 1934-present |
| Country | Canada |
| Branch | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Role | Tactical helicopter |
| Part of | 1 Wing |
| Home station | CFB Montreal |
| Nickname(s) | Wildcats |
| Motto(s) | Going down |
| Battle honours |
|
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge | The head of a wildcat affronte |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Helicopter | CH-146 Griffon |
438 "City of Montreal" Tactical Helicopter Squadron is a unit of the Canadian Forces under Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron operates the CH-146 Griffon tactical helicopter from CFB St. Hubert in Quebec, Canada. Its tasks include transport, reconnaissance, search and rescue, and support to local law enforcement.
The motto Going Down was adopted during the Second World War when operating on Hawker Typhoons over occupied Europe. This was the flight leader's instruction to begin diving attacks with bombs and/or cannons.
History[]
Wildcat mascot nose art on CH-146 Griffon
Authorized at Montreal, Quebec, on September 1, 1934 as No.18 Squadron. It was renumbered No.118 Squadron on November 17, 1937. In its pre-war years, the unit flew the de Havilland DH.60 Moth.
A book was written and published on the history of the Squadron: Le 438e Escadron tactique d'hélicoptères 1934-2009 by Jerry Fielden and Michel Pratt was published in August 2010.
Second World War[]
Still then numbered as No. 118 (Fighter) Squadron, the unit moved to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in October 1939 as the only operational fighter squadron on the east coast of Canada. On January 16, 1942, two squadron Kittyhawks spotted and attacked a surfaced German U-boat barely 10 miles from Halifax. F/O W.P. Roberts flying Kittyhawk AK851 was able to fire six bursts and obtain a number of hits around the conning tower. Embarking for Europe on November 2, 1943, the unit was renumbered No. 438 Squadron, and was part of 2TAF's 143 Wing RCAF.
Aircraft operated:
- Blackburn Shark (October 1939 - September 1940)
- Armstrong Whitworth Atlas (October 1939 - September 1940)
- Westland Lysander (October 1939 - September 1940)
- Grumman Goblin (December - November 1940)
- P-40 Kittyhawk MkI (December 1941 - October 1943)
- Hawker Hurricane MkIV (November 1943 - May 1944)
- Hawker Typhoon MkIB (January 1944 - August 1945)
Postwar[]
Aircraft operated:
- North American Harvard (November 1946 - March 1948)
- de Havilland Vampire (April 1948 - September 1954)
- Canadair T-33 Silver Star (November 1954 - September 1958)
- Canadair Sabre (October 1956 - November 1958)
- Beechcraft Expeditor (November 1958 - March 1964)
- CSR-123 Otter (September 1960 - 1982)
- CH-136 Kiowa (1982–1995)
- CH-146 Griffon (1995 to present)
Griffon number 438 operated by Tactical Helicopter Squadron of the same number.
External links[]
- "438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron". Royal Canadian Air Force. 2013. http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/1-wing/438-squadron.page.
- "438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron". CMP Directorate of History and Heritage. 2013. http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-4/7009-eng.asp.
- "No. 438 Squadron". canadianwings.com. 2013. http://www.canadianwings.com/Squadrons/squadronDetail.php?No.-438-Squadron-94.
- "438 Squadron Operations Record Book, June 1944". Juno Beach Centre. 2003. http://www.junobeach.org/e/4/can-tac-air-fig-438-e.htm.
The original article can be found at 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron and the edit history here.