423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron

423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron (French: 423e Escadron d'hélicoptères maritimes) is a unit of the Canadian Forces under Royal Canadian Air Force. It currently operates the Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone from CFB Shearwater in Nova Scotia, Canada.

423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron
Active
  • 18 May 1942 – 4 September 1945
  • 1 June 1953 – 31 December 1962
  • 3 September 1974 – present
Country Canada
Branch Royal Canadian Air Force
Part of12 Wing
Nickname(s)Eagle
Motto(s)Latin: Quærimus et petimus ("We search and strike")
Battle honours
  • Atlantic, 1942–1945
  • English Channel and North Sea, 1944–1945
  • Normandy, 1944
  • Biscay, 1944
  • Gulf and Kuwait
  • Arabian Sea[1]
Websitewww.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/12-wing/423-squadron.page
Commanders
Honorary colonelFrank Wayne Adams
Insignia
Squadron badgeArgent a bald-headed eagle volant proper wings displayed and inverted, legs and claws extended

History

No. 423 Squadron RCAF was a World War II unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Formed in 1942 in Oban, Argyll, Scotland for General Reconnaissance duties, it later moved to RAF Castle Archdale, Northern Ireland where it flew Sunderland flying boat patrol bombers. It changed to a transport role in 1945 and was disbanded later that year. Re-formed in 1953 at RCAF Station St Hubert (now Montréal/Saint-Hubert Airport) flying the CF-100 in a continental defence role, it was transferred to RCAF Station Grostenquin in 1957 where it replaced No. 416 Squadron which flew Sabres. The squadron was again disbanded in 1962 when the RCAF's CF-100s were removed from service. In 1974, it was re-formed a final time as No. 423 Anti-Submarine Squadron. In 1995 its name was changed to 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron. It flew CH-124 Sea King helicopter, which it used in support of Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) warships during the 1991 Gulf War and in the Arabian Sea after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. It now operates the Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone since January 2018.

No. 423 Squadron CF-100s, 1962

References
  1. Canadian DND - Honours & Recognition for the Men and Women of the Canadian Armed Forces 10th Edition - 2016, pg 46.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.