No. 424 Squadron

Badge: A heraldic tiger’s head erased

Motto: Castigandos castigamus (We chastise those who deserve to be chastised)

Authority: King George VI, June 1945

The squadron was adopted by the City of Hamilton and adopted the tiger’s head in reference to the Hamilton rugby team.

Formed at Topcliffe, Yorkshire, England on 15 October 1942 as the RCAF’s 23rd – sixth Bomber – squadron formed overseas, the unit flew Wellington, Halifax and Lancaster aircraft on strategic and tactical bombing operations. From June to October 1943, it flew tropicalized Wellington aircraft from North Africa in sup­port of the invasions of Sicily and Italy. After hostilities in Europe, the unit remained in England as part of Bomber Command’s strike force, under which it lifted British and Canadian troops from Italy to the United Kingdom. The squadron was disbanded at Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire on 15 October 1945.

Brief Chronology: Formed at Topcliffe, Yorks., Eng. 15 Oct 42. Disbanded at Skipton-on-Swale, Yorks. 15 Oct 45.Adoption City of Hamilton, Ont.

Title or Nickname: “Tiger”

Adoption: City of Hamilton, Ont.

Commanders

• W/C H.M. Carscallen 20 Oct 42 – 16 Apr 43.
• W/C G.A. Roy, DFC 17 Apr 43 – 2 Oct 43.
• W/C J.P. McCarthy, DFC 3 Oct 43 – 29 Nov 43.
• W/C A.N. Martin 18 Dec 43 – 21 Jan 44 KIA.
• W/C J.D. Blane 27 Jan 44 – 28 Jul 44 KIA.
• W/C G.A. Roy, DFC 15 Aug 44 – 9 Oct 44 POW.
• W/C C.C.W. Marshall, DFC 19 Oct 44 – 26 Mar 45.
• W/C R.W. Norris 27 Mar 45 – 30 Sep 45.
• W/C R.D.P. Blagrave 1 Oct 45 – 15 Oct 45.

Higher Formations and Squadron Locations

Bomber Command:

No. 4 Group,

• Topcliffe, Yorks. 15 Oct 42 – 31 Dec 42.

No. 6 (RCAF) Group,

• Topcliffe, Yorks. 1 Jan 43 – 7 Apr 43.
• Leeming, Yorks. 8 Apr 43 – 2 May 43.
• Dalton, Yorks. 3 May 43 – 15 May 43.
• En route to North Africa (1) 16 May 43 – 22 Jun 43.

Mediterranean Air Command:

No. 205 Group,

No. 331 (RCAF) Wing,

• Kairouan/Pavillier, Tunisia 23 Jun 43 – 29 Sep 43.
• Hani East Landing Ground, Tunisia 30 Sep 43 – 18 Oct 43.
• En route to England (minus aircraft) 26 Oct 43 – 5 Nov 43.

Bomber Command:

No. 6 (RCAF) Group,

No. 63 (RCAF) Base,

• Skipton-on-Swale, Yorks. 6 Nov 43 – 29 Aug 45.

No. 1 Group,

• Skipton-on-Swale, Yorks. 30 Aug 45 – 15 Oct 45.

Representative Aircraft (Unit Code QB)

Vickers Wellington B.Mk.III (Oct 42 – Apr 43)

• X3401 E X3409 J X3426 D X3789 N X3790 H Z1674 G Z1691 R Z1692 L BJ658 Q BJ714 F BK144 V BK348 J BK398 W BK435 U BK436 P BK560 C DF613 X DF618 B DF621 0 DF671 K

Vickers Wellington B.Mk.X (England, Feb – May 43)

• HE159 P HE222 E HE367 F HE369 P HE438 A HE554 M HE589 N HE594 C HE656 L HE684 R HE687 T HE689 X HE691 K HE703 B HE705 H HE737 V HE738 0 HE864 W HZ272 S HZ273 G LN402 U LN439 D MS481 Q

Vickers Wellington B.Mk.X (North Africa, May – Nov 43)

• HE273 B HE296 V HE482 W HE513 A HE515 T HE535 R HE536 E HE794 D HE795 F HE929 V HE962 N HE963 U HE967 0 HE968 Q HE971 G HE974 K HF477 C HZ371 E HZ515 B LN423 S LN433 L LN441 X MS476 H MS477 J

Handley Page Halifax B.Mk.III (Dec 43 – Jan 45)

• HX313 B HX318 0 HX319 P LV879 A LV959 R L V991 U LW113 F LW131 J LW170 I LW347 X LW416 L LW433 W LW438 T LW444 H MZ418 U MZ458 G MZ802 G MZ813 B MZ822 F MZ901 N NP930 W NP945 D NR227 A NR228 Q

Avro Lancaster B.Mk.I & III (Jan – Oct 45)

• ME456 K ME458 T NG277 G NG279 0 NG280 U NG281 X NG347 P NG400 R NG441 L NG446 J NG451 E NG456 D NG457 C NG458 H NG459 K NG484 L NN777 F P A324 K P A326 W PB989 A RA504 M RA507 S RF128(2) V RF150 W

Operational History: First Mission 15/16 January 1943, 5 Wellington I’s from Topcliffe bombed Lorient, France.

Last Mission: 25 April 1945, 10 Lancaster I/Ill’s from Skipton­on-Swale despatched to bomb gun positions on the Island of Wangerooge; 9 bombed the primary target, 1 dropped its bombs 3 miles from the target when the pilot was hit in the eye by a perspex splinter.

Summary Sorties: 3257 (including 668 from North Africa, and 39 airlifting 884 liberated POW’s from Europe to England).

• Operational/Non-operational Flying Hours: 17,478/7106. Bombs dropped: 8776 tons.
• Victories: Aircraft: 9 destroyed, 5 damaged, in 60 engagements.
• Casualties:
  • Operational: 52 aircraft (including 12 in the Mediterra­nean); 313 aircrew, of whom 37 were killed, 252 missing (of whom 16 proved safe), 14 POW, 10 injured.
  • Non­operational: 4 aircraft; 9 personnel killed, 5 injured.

Honours and Awards: 1 DSO, 1 bar to DFC, 49 DFC’s, 1 CGM, 11 DFM’s, 1 MiD.

Battle Honours:

• English Channel and North Sea 1943-1945.
• Baltic 1944-1945.
• Fortress Europe 1943-1944.
• France and Germany 1944-1945: Biscay Ports 1943-1944, Ruhr 1943-1945, Berlin 1944, German Ports 1943-1945, Normandy 1944, Rhine. Biscay 1943-1944.  Sicily 1943. Italy 1943: Salerno.

(1) Ground crew by sea 16-27 May, aircraft 5-7 June. See also No. 331 (Medium Bomber) Wing.

(2) Flew the squadron’s 2000th four-engine sortie, on 21 March 1945 (F/L J.F. Thomas and crew).