No. 442 Squadron

Badge: none

Formed in Canada as No. 14 (Fighter) Squadron on 2 January 1942, the unit was the fifth of six home squadrons transferred overseas (complete in personnel but without air­craft) in preparation for the Allied invasion of Europe, and was redesignated No. 442 (Fighter) Squadron at Digby, Lin­colnshire, England on 8 February 1944. It flew Spitfire air­craft on defensive and offensive air operations and, after D-Day, gave close support to ground forces in North-West Europe. In March 1945 the unit was re-equipped with Mustang aircraft and employed on long-range bomber escort duty. The squadron was disbanded at Molesworth, Huntingdonshire on 7 August 1945.

Brief Chronology: Formed as No. 14 (F) Sqn, Rockcliffe, Ont. 2 Jan 42. Renumbered No. 442 (F) Sqn, Digby, Lines., Eng. 8 Feb 44. Disbanded at Molesworth, Hunts. 7 Aug 45.

Title or Nickname: “Caribou”

Commanders

• S/L B.R. Walker, DFC 8 Feb 44 – 27 Apr 44.
• S/L B.D. Russel, DFC 28 Apr 44 – 6 Jul 44.
• S/L H.J. Dowding, DFC and Bar 7 Jul 44 – 22 Sep 44 OTE.
• S/L W.A. Olmstead, DSO, DFC and Bar 23 Sep 44 – 13 Dec 44 2 OTE.
• S/L M.E. Jowsey, DFC 14 Dec 44 – 22 Feb 45 MIA. (1)
• S/L M. Johnston 22 Feb 45 – 7 Aug 45.

Higher Formations and Squadron Locations

Air Defence Great Britain:

No. 12 Group,

• Digby, Lines. 8 Feb 44 – 17 Mar 44.

Second Tactical Air Force:

No. 83 (Composite) Group,

No. 22 (RCAF) Sector,

No. 17 (RCAF) Sector (21 Apr 44, disbanded 13 Jul 44),

No. 144 (RCAF) Wing,

• Holmsley South, Hants. 18 Mar 44 – 31 Mar 44.
• Westhampnett, Sussex 1 Apr 44 – 22 Apr 44.
• Funtington, Sussex 23 Apr 44 – 14 May 44.

No. 16 Armament Practice Camp, Hutton Cranswick, Yorks. 25 Apr -1 May 44.

• Ford, Sussex 15 May 44 – 14 Jun 44.
• B.(Base) 3 Ste Croix-sur-Mer, Fr. 15 Jun 44 – 14 Jul 44.

No. 126 (RCAF) Wing,

• B.4 Beny-sur-Mer, Fr. 15 Jul 44 – 7 Aug 44.
• B.18 Cristot, Fr. 8 Aug 44 – 31 Aug 44.
• B.24 St Andre, Fr. 1 Sep 44.
• B.25 Illiers l’Eveque, Fr. 2 Sep 44.
• B.44 Poix, Fr. 3 Sep 44 – 6 Sep 44.
• B.56 Evere, Bel. 7 Sep 44 – 20 Sep 44.
• B.58 Le Culot, Bel. 21 Sep 44 – 2 Oct 44.
• B.84 Rips, Neth. 3 Oct 44 – 13 Oct 44.
• B.80 Volkel, Neth. 14 Oct 44 – 5 Dec 44.

No. 17 Armament Practice Camp, Warmwell, Dorset., Eng. 14-25 Nov 44.

• B.88 Heesch, Neth. 6 Dec 44 – 22 Mar 45.

Fighter Command:

No. 11 Group,

• Hunsdon, Herts., 23 Mar 45 – 16 May 45.

No. 12 Group,

• Digby, Lines. 17 May 45 – 16 Jul 45.
• Molesworth, Hunts. 17 Jul 45 – 7 Aug 45.

Representative Aircraft (Unit Code Y2)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB (Feb – Mar 44, not on opera­tions)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXB(Mar – Sep 44)

• MH718 M MJ368 S MJ515 W MJ520 R MJ608 W MJ829 H MJ967 X MK131 X MK141 J MK149 B MK181 C MK193 E MK194 H MK206 I MK295 X MK464 Y MK777 Z MK826 X MK416 D NH325 H NH412 S PL280 F

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXE (Sep 44 – Mar 45)

• MH456 R MH728 L MJ425 T MJ466 J MK303 B MK564 M MK844 Y ML324 G NH369 F PL207 B PL213 W PL260 D PL330 K PL344 P PL423 V PL436 F PL493 E PL495 M PT402 I PT644 S PT883 A PV148 K PV190 A RR196 Q

North American Mustang Mk.III (Mar – Aug 45)

• KH661 C KH665 V KH680 B KH694 P KH700 S KH709 J KH711 N KH729 A KH735 W KH737 D KH747 Y KH765 R KM122 F KM218 Q

Operational History: First Mission 28 March 1944, 12 Spit­fire IXB’s from Holmsley South, with 12 from No. 441 Squadron, all part of No. 144 Wing – supporting fighter sweep for USAAF Fortresses bombing aerodromes in northern France. (The squadron acted as top cover for No. 441 Squadron in the strafing of Dreux aerodrome, west of Paris.)

First Victory: 22 June 1944, 7 Spitfire IXB’s from Ste Croix-sur-Mer – returning from a fighter sweep, attacked by 8 enemy aircraft just west of Argentan, claimed 3 destroyed without loss. P/O W.R. Weeks in Y2-D and P/O F.B. Young in Y2-E each credited with a Bf.109 destroyed; S/L B.D. Russel in Y2-A and F/L J.T. Marriott in Y2-U shared a Fw.190 destroyed. The squadron diary credited P/O Weeks with drawing first blood.

Last Mission: 9 May 1945, 13 Mustangs from Hunsdon with long-range tanks – patrol over the Channel Islands while an Allied task force landed and liberated the areas: 3 returned early (mechanical trouble). (2)

Summary Sorties: 4954, (including 82 Mustang).

• Operational/Non-operational Flying Hours: 7186/2977.
• Victories:
  • Aircraft: 56 destroyed, 5 probably destroyed, 25 damaged. (3)
  • Ground: dropped 328 tons of bombs, credited with 91 rail cuts; destroyed/damaged 909 motor vehicles, 125 locomotives, 194 trains.
• Casualties:
  • Operational: 16 pilots: 1 killed, 9 presumed dead, 4 POW (1 escaped), 1 wounded; 1 proved safe.
  • Non-operational: 2 personnel killed.

Squadron Ace: F/L D.C. Gordon, DFC 5½-0-1.

Honours and Awards: 1 DSO, 3 bars to DFC, 10 DFC’s, 1 Croix de Guerre (Fr).

Battle Honours: Fortress Europe 1944. France and Germany 1944-1945: Normandy 1944, Arnhem, Rhine. Aleutians 1943. (4)

(1) Evaded capture and returned safely to England.

(2) The squadron’s last bomber escort mission was on 25 April 1945 when 12 Mustangs from Hunsdon (with 12 of No. 611 Squadron) escorted Lancasters in an attack on Hitler’s refuge at Berchtesgaden.

(3) Includes 2 Fw.190’s credited to Mustang pilots on 16 April 1945 — one shared by F/O’s R.J. Robillard (KH668 Y2-T) and L.H. Wilson (KH647 Y2-H), and one to F/L W.V. Shank (KH659 Y2-I).

(4) Earned as No. 14 (F) Squadron