No. 441 Squadron

Badge: A silver fox’s mask
Motto: Stalk and kill
Authority: King George VI, December 1945

The silver fox, an animal indigenous to Canada, represents the squadron’s nickname.

Formed as a Fighter unit at St Hubert (Montreal), Quebec on 1 March 1951 with Vampire and later with Sabre air­craft, the squadron joined No. 1 (Fighter) Wing at North Luffenham, Nottinghamshire, England in March 1952; its personnel and Sabre aircraft were brought to England by the Royal Canadian Navy’s carrier Magnificent. Early in 1955 the unit moved with the wing to its French base at Marville. Selected as one of eight squadrons in No. 1 Air Division Europe to be re-equipped with CF-104 Starfighter aircraft, it was deactivated on 1 September 1963 and reac­tivated as Strike Reconnaissance on the 15th. On 1 February 1968 the squadron was integrated into the Cana­dian Armed Forces.

Brief Chronology: Formed as No. 441 (Fl Sqn, St Hubert, Que. 1 Mar 51. Deactivated at Marville, Fr. 1 Sep 63. Reactivated as No. 441 (STIR) Sqn 15 Sep 63. Integrated into CAF at Lahr, Ger. 1 Feb 68.

Nickname: “Silver Fox”

Commanders

• S/L A.R. MacKenzie, DFC 1 Mar 51 – 6 Nov 52 (1).
• S/L W.T.H. Gill, DFC, CD 1 Feb 53 – 1 Mar 54.
• S/L D.R. Cuthbertson, AFC, CD 2 Mar 54 – 11 Sep 56.
• S/L A.W. Fisher, CD 1 Oct 56 – 3 Dec 56.
• S/L L.J. Hill, CD 4 Dec 56 – 13 Aug 59.
• W/C H. Mclachlan, DFC, CD 14 Aug 59 – 18 Jul 61.
• W/C D.A.B. Smiley, DFC 19 Jul 61 – 1 Jun 63.
• S/L E.L. Arnold, CD 2 Jun 63 – 25 Aug 63.
• S/L L. C. Price 26 Aug 63 – 1 Sep 63.

Squadron inactive

• W/C R.M. Edwards, AFC, CD 15 Sep 63 – 11 Oct 65.
• W/C J.F. Dunlop, DFC, CD 12 Oct 65 – 31 Jan 68.

Higher Formations and Squadron Locations

Air Defence Command:

• St Hubert, Que. 1 Mar 51 – 12 Feb 52.
• Dorval, Que. (St Hubert runways under repair) 1 Jun – 15 Aug 51.
• En route overseas (aboard HMCS Magnificent) 13 Feb 52 – 28 Feb 52.

No. 1 Air Division Europe:

No. 1 (Fighter) Wing,

• North Luffenham, Notts., Eng. (2) 1 Mar 52 – 20 Dec 54. No. 3 (Fighter) Wing,
• Zweibrucken, Ger. (3) 21 Dec 54 – 31 Mar 55.

No. 1 (Fighter) Wing,

• Marville, Fr. 1 Apr 55 – 1 Sep 63.

Squadron inactive

No. 1 Wing,

• Marville, Fr. 15 Sep 63 – 31 Mar 67.
• Lahr, Ger. 1 Apr 67 – 31 Jan 68.

Representative Aircraft (Unit Code 1951-58 BT)

de Havilland Vampire Mk.III (Mar – Jun 51)

• 17004   17067 BT-O

Canadair Sabre Mk.2 (Jun 51 – Jun 53)

• 19134 BT-B   19142 BT-M   19149 BT-W   19150 BT-A   19152 BT-C   19160 BT-D   19162 BT-H   19163 BT-G

Canadair Sabre Mk.5 (Jan 55 – Aug 56)

• 23206

Canadair Sabre Mk.6 (Aug 56 – Sep 63)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (Sep 63 – Jan 68)

(1) Posted to Korea, SIL MacKenzie was shot down on 5 December 1952 and taken prisoner.

(2) Under the operational control of RAF Fighter Command through its No. 11 Group.

(3) A temporary location while No. 1 Wing was moving to Marville.