No. 430 Squadron

Badge: none

Formed as an Army Co-operation unit at Hartford Bridge, Hampshire, England on 1 January 1943 as the RCAF’s 30th- third and last army co-operation – squadron formed overseas, and redesignated Fighter Reconnaissance on 28 June 1943, the unit flew Mustang and Spitfire aircraft on air intelligence work, carrying out photographic reconnaissance for Allied invasion planners, and before-and-after photographs of air attacks on German “Noball” (V-1 flying bomb) launching sites. After 6 June 1944, it provided tactical photographic reconnaissance for ground forces in North-West Europe. The squadron was disbanded at Luneburg, Germany on 7 August 1945.

Brief Chronology: Formed as No. 430 (AC) Sqn, Hartford Bridge, Hants., Eng. 1 Jan 43. Redesignated No. 430 (FR) Sqn, Dunsfold, Surrey 28 Jun 43. Disbanded at Luneburg,) Ger. 7 Aug 45.

Title or Nickname: “City of Sudbury”

Adoption: City of Sudbury, Ont. (July 1943).

Commanders

• W/C E.H.G. Moncrieff, AFC 1 Jan 43 – 4 Jul 43.
• S/L R.A. Ellis, DFC 15 Jul 43 – 13 Sep 43.
• S/L F.H. Chesters 14 Sep 43 – 2 Oct 44 OTE.
• S/L J. Watts 3 Oct 44 – 2 Mar 45 OTE.
• S/L C.D. Bricker, DFC 3 Mar 45 – 11 May 45 OTE.
• S/L H.W. Russell 12 May 45 – 7 Aug 45.

Higher Formations and Squadron Locations

Army Co-operation Command:

No. 39 (RCAF) Wing,

• Hartford Bridge, Hants. 1 Jan 43 – 11 Jan 43.
• Dunsfold, Surrey 12 Jan 43 – 31 May 43.
• Armament Practice Camp, Weston Zoyland, Som. 25 Apr – 5 May 43.

Fighter Command:

No. 11 Group,

• Dunsfold, Surrey 1 Jun 43 – 4 Jul 43.

Second Tactical Air Force:

No. 83 (Composite) Group,

No. 39 (RCAF) Sector (disbanded 1 Jul 44),

No. 129 (RCAF) Wing,

• Ashford, Kent 13 Aug 43 – 14 Oct 43.
• Gatwick, Surrey 15 Oct 43 – 31 Mar 44.

No. 15 Armament Practice Camp, Peterhead, Scot. 5-18 Jan. 44.

• Exercise “Eagle”, Clifton, Yorks. 9-25 Feb 44.

No. 128 (RCAF) Wing,

• Odiham, Hants. 1 Apr 44 – 28 Jun 44.
• B.(Base)8 Sommervieu, Fr. 29 Jun 44 – 1 Jul 44.

No. 39 (RCAF) Wing,

• B.8 Sommervieu, Fr. 2 Jul 44 – 13 Aug 44.
• B.21 Ste-Honorine-de-Ducy, Fr. 14 Aug 44. 31 Aug 44.
• B.34 Avrilly, Fr. 1 Sep 44 – 19 Sep 44.
• B.66 Diest, Bel. 20 Sep 44 – 3 Oct 44.
• B.78 Eindhoven, Neth. 4 Oct 44 – 6 Mar 45.
• B.90 Petit-Brogel, Bel. 7 Mar 45 – 9 Apr 45.
• B.108 Rheine, Ger. 10 Apr 45 – 15 Apr 45.
• B.116 Wunstorf, Ger. 16 Apr 45 – 27 Apr 45.
• B.154 Soltau, Ger. 28 Apr 45 – 7 May 45.
• B.156 Luneburg, Ger. 8 May 45 – 7 Aug 45.

No. 17 Armament Practice Camp, Warmwell, Dorset., Eng. 23 Jul – 2 Aug 45.

Representative Aircraft (Unit Code G9)

Curtiss Tomahawk Mk.I & II (Jan – Feb 43, not on opera­tions)

North American Mustang Mk.I (Jan 43 – Dec 44)

• AG227 H AG349 A AG377 D AG433 Z AG488 V AG552 M AG553 R AG627 C AG628 R AL978 B AL986 T AL997 0 AM103 0 AM125 W AM170 P AM227 L AM228 N AM237 K AP178 J AP179 F AP180 E AP186 Y AP188 0 AP235 X

Supermarine Spitfire F.R.Mk.XIV (Nov 44 – Aug 45)

• RM180 A RM817 V RM818 C RM820 M RM821 B RM822 P RM847 K RM848 S RM850 D RM851 F RM852 J RM853 N RM856 R RM857 E RM860 0 RM866 T RM974 L RM876 H RM910 Y RM996 T RNll 4 W RN115 Q RN116 C RN202 C

Operational History: First Mission 1 June 1943, 2 Mustangs from Dunsfold (F/L N.S. Clarke and F/O T.M. Pethick) rhubarb, attacked a train just north of Sees and a second train between Voutre and Evron. Many hits were scored, no enemy aircraft or flak encountered.

Last Mission: 5 May 1945, 2 Spitfire XIV’s from Soltau (W/C R.C.A. Waddell in RM824 “Z” and F/O C.W. Anderson in RM817 “V”) – tactical reconnaissance over an enemy airfield at Kiel.

Summary Sorties: 4946.

• Operational/Non-operational Fly­ing Hours: 5831/5838.
• Victories:
  • Aircraft: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged.
  • Ground: destroyed 31 locomotives, 13-plus elec­trical pylons, 4 armoured fighting vehicles, 4 motor vehicles, 3 boats.
• Casualties:
  • Operational: 29 aircraft; 23 pilots, of whom 3 were killed, 13 presumed dead, 3 POW, 4 injured.
  • Non-operational: 7 personnel, of whom 3 were killed, 2 wounded, 2 injured.

Honours and Awards: 9 DFC’s, 1 Air Medal (USA), 1 Croix de Guerre (Fr).

Battle Honours:

• Fortress Europe 1943-1944.
• France and Germany 1944-1945: Normandy 1944, Arnhem, Rhine.