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No.401 Sqn RCAF |
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Name : No.401 Sqn RCAF Founded : 1st March 1941 Disbanded : 10th July 1945 Country : Canada Fate : Disbanded 10th July 1945 More Details : Ram Mors cellerima hostibus - Very swift death to the enemy |
Known Service Details : | |||||||
Pilot or Aircrew | Rank | Start of Service | End of Service | Known Dates | Aircraft | Airframes | Notes |
Flying Officer | unknown | unknown | 30th June 1944 | ||||
Flight Lieutenant | unknown | unknown | 14th June 1944 | ||||
Flying Officer | unknown | 3rd June 1944 | Killed in Action | ||||
Flying Officer | unknown | 27th April 1944 | Killed in Action | ||||
Flying Officer | unknown | unknown | 09th January 1944 | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | 28th June 1944 | Killed in Action | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | 7th May 1944 | Taken prisoner. | ||||
Flying Officer | unknown | 21st June 1944 | Killed in Action | ||||
Flying Officer | unknown | 10th May 1944 | Taken prisoner | ||||
unknown | unknown | 09th June 1942 | |||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | 7th June 1944 | Killed in Action | ||||
Flight Lieutenant | unknown | 28th June 1944 | Killed in Action | ||||
Flight Lieutenant | unknown | unknown | 24th January 1944 | ||||
Flying Officer | unknown | unknown | 15th March 1944 | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 16th March 1944 | ||||
| Pilots and Aircrew for : No.401 Sqn RCAF | ||
| A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | ||
| Name | Info | |
| Ashleigh, D D Click the name above to see a profile of Ashleigh, D D | Ashleigh, D D On 30th June 1944, his Spitfire Mk.IX MH872 of No.401 Sqn RCAF was hit by flak and crash landed near Mormal. He was unharmed. | |
| Bishop, Arthur Click the name above to see a profile of Bishop, Arthur | Bishop, Arthur Arthur Bishop is the son of Billy Bishop VC, perhaps the most famous of all the First World War Canadian Aces. Arthur joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941. Arriving in England he joined 401 Squadron RCAF flying Spitfires as part of 83 Group in the then recently formed 2nd TAF. After D-Day the Squadron was based in France, where he continued intensive flying. After the war he became a distinguished Canadian author, whose books include The Splendid Hundred - the story of Canadians who flew in the Battle of Britain. | |
| Blakeslee, Donald Click the name above to see a profile of Blakeslee, Donald
| Blakeslee, Donald Joining the RAF in 1940 Don Blakeslee flew Spitfires with 401 Squadron. When the Eagle Squadron were formed he transferred as an experienced flight commander with several victories to his credit. An aggressive and fearless fighter pilot, Blakeslee was promoted to lead 133 Squadron, and was described as the best fighter leader the war produced. Already an Ace, he transferred to the USAAF 4th Fighter Group. By the war end he had over four years of continuous combat flying, and 14.5 air victories to his credit. Colonel Don Blakeslee sadly passed away on 3rd September 2008. | |
| Bouskill, R R Click the name above to see a profile of Bouskill, R R | Bouskill, R R On 14th June 1944, his Spitfire Mk.IX NH413 of No.401 Sqn RCAF was damaged beyond repair after crash landing. He had been landing on the airfield, but attempted to take off once more in order to avoid a motorcycle, stalling the aircraft and causing it to crash land. He was uninjured. | |
| Cohen, Cyril Branston Click the name above to see a profile of Cohen, Cyril Branston
| Cohen, Cyril Branston Killed on 3rd June 1944 after his Spitfire Mk.IX MK840 of No.401 Sqn RCAF suffered engine failure and he baled out over the English Channel. The aircraft was too low when he baled out. His name is on the Runnymede Memorial. | |
| Cummings, Wesley Elmore Click the name above to see a profile of Cummings, Wesley Elmore
| Cummings, Wesley Elmore Killed aged 21 on 27th April 1944 after his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ982 of No.401 Sqn RCAF flew into the ground during an attack on a rail bridge at Granville. He is buried in Lessay Communal Cemetery in France. Son of George Howard Cummings and Kate Louise Cummings, of North Bay, Ontario, Canada. | |
| Davenport, R M Click the name above to see a profile of Davenport, R M | Davenport, R M Served with No.401 Sqn RCAF flying Spitfire and was shot down by flak on 9th January 1944. He managed to evade capture and was again shot down by flak on 18th August 1944, once again evading capture. | |
| Davidson, Robert Dunlop Click the name above to see a profile of Davidson, Robert Dunlop
| Davidson, Robert Dunlop Killed aged 21 on 28th June 1944 when his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ428 of No.401 Sqn RCAF was shot down by Fw190s south of Caen. He is buried in Couterne Churchyard. Son of William and Jessie McLeod Davidson, of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. | |
| Dowbiggin, T. W. Click the name above to see a profile of Dowbiggin, T. W. | Dowbiggin, T. W. Taken prisoner on 7th May 1944 after his Spitfire Mk.IX MH483 of No.401 Sqn RCAF suffered engine failure and crash landed near Laon during a sweep to Lille. His aircraft was later destroyed by a strafing run by Squadron Leader L M Cameron. | |
| Fenwick, Harry Elmore Click the name above to see a profile of Fenwick, Harry Elmore
| Fenwick, Harry Elmore Killed aged 23 on 21st June 1944 when his Spitfire Mk.IX NH207 of No.401 Sqn RCAF was shot down by Allied anti-aircraft fire as he duelled with an enemy aircraft. He is buried in Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery. Son of Harry and Rosine Fenwick, of Sioux Lookout, Ontario. | |
| Godefroy, Hugh Click the name above to see a profile of Godefroy, Hugh | Godefroy, Hugh Born on the 28th of October 1919 in Java while his Dutch father worked there, Hugh Godefroy returned to Canada to be educated in Ontario. Hugh Godefroy enlisted in Toronto on 22nd June 1940 and trained at No.2 ITS, graduating on 27th July 1940, with further training at No.7 EFTS and No.1 SFTS, graduating on 30th January 1941. Hugh Godefroy was commissioned 21st January 1941 and arrived in the UK on 4th February 1941 going to No.56 Officer Training Unit a month later. He then joined No.401 Squadron,on 15th April 1941. Hugh Godefroy was promoted to Flying Officer on 23rd January 1942 and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 4th March 1942. On 12th November 1942 Flt Lt Hugh Godefroy joined No.401 Squadron, and transferred to No.403 Squadron on 4th March 1943. On 13th June 1943 Godefroy was promoted to Squadron Leader and joined No.17 Wing on 16th August 1943. He was promoted to Wing Commander on 16th September 1943. On 1st May 1944 he went to the Royal Canadian Air Force Overseas HQ and returned to Canada on 17th August 1944. Between 10th September 1944 and 2nd January 1945 served on the War Staff in Toronto. | |
| Hamilton, H K Click the name above to see a profile of Hamilton, H K | Hamilton, H K Taken prisoner on 10th May 1944 after his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ385 was shot down by flak near St Omer. | |
| MacLennan, Ian R Click the name above to see a profile of MacLennan, Ian R | MacLennan, Ian R Canadian Ian Maclennan joined the RCAF in October 1940, arriving in England in August 1941. He joined 610 Squadron in February 1942, then 401 Sqn, where he destroyed an Fw190. Posted to Malta, he flew his Spitfire off HMS Eagle on 9th June, and shortly after transferred to 1435 Flight. On Malta he claimed 7 victories and was awarded the DFM. He was commissioned, becoming a flight commander in November. In December he returned to England. In February 1944 he joined 433 Squadron as a flight commander. On 7th June his Spitfire Mk.IX MH850 2I-H was hit by ground fire whilst covering the Normandy beaches, crash landed west of Cabourg, and he was taken prisoner. | |
| Marshall, Norman Click the name above to see a profile of Marshall, Norman
| Marshall, Norman Killed aged 27 on 7th June 1944 when his Spitfire Mk.IX MK902 of No.401 Sqn RCAF was shot down by an enemy fighter and crashed at Banville-la-Compagne. He is buried in Banneville-la-Campagne War Cemetery. Son of Alexander and Marjorie C. Marshall, of London, Ontario. Canada. | |
| Murray, G B Click the name above to see a profile of Murray, G B
| Murray, G B Killed on 28th June 1944 when his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ246 was shot down by Fw190s south of Caen. He baled out but did not survive. | |
| Sheppard, J Click the name above to see a profile of Sheppard, J | Sheppard, J On 24th January 1944, the engine of his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ145 of No.401 Sqn failed as he was over the English Channel. He managed to bale out and was picked up by an Air Sea Rescue launch. | |
| Sherk, R J F Click the name above to see a profile of Sherk, R J F | Sherk, R J F On 15th March 1944 his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ126 of No.401 Sqn RCAF suffered engine failure and crash landed near Albert. Feldwebel Bohm of JG26 claimed a victory over this Spitfire. | |
| Smith, Roderick Click the name above to see a profile of Smith, Roderick
| Smith, Roderick Flight Commander 412 Sqn RCAF, Flight Commander 126 Sqn RAF, Squadron Commander 401 Sqn RCAF. One of Canada's most skillful Spitfire pilots, his victory total included a shared victory over an Me262 jet fighter.Born in 1922, he joined the RCAF and was sent to Scotland for training on the Spitfire Mk.I. He was posted to Malta with No.126 Sqn, where his older brother was already serving. His brother was killed in action during theit time in Malta, and Roderick himself was forced to bail out of his burning aircraft. On D-Day, he flew over the Normandy beaches as Flight Commander of No.412 Sqn RCAF. He returned to Canada in December 1944 and retired the next year. Sadly, Roderick Smith died on 16th April 2002. | |
| Woodhouse, K B Click the name above to see a profile of Woodhouse, K B | Woodhouse, K B On 16th March 1944, his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ119 of No.401 Sqn RCAF suffered engine failure and he baled out near Amiens. He managed to evade capture. | |
Known Individual Aircraft of No.401 Sqn RCAF : | ||||||||
Type | Serial | Codes | First Flew | Squadron History | Aircrew History | History Notes | Engine | Factory |
- | no information | |||||||
- | no information | |||||||
- | no information | no information | Merlin 45M | Westland | ||||
- | Merlin 45 | Westland | ||||||
- | no information | no information | Merlin 45 | Westland | ||||
- | no information | no information | Merlin 45 | Westland | ||||
- | no information | no information | Merlin 46 | Westland | ||||
- | no information | no information | Merlin 45 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||
- | no information | no information | Merlin 45M | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||
- | no information | no information | Merlin 45 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||
YO-D | - | no information | no information | Merlin 45 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | |||
- | Merlin 45M | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | no information | no information | Merlin 45 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | no information | no information | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
- | Merlin 66 | Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory | ||||||
| Aircraft for : No.401 Sqn RCAF | ||
| A list of all aircraft associated with No.401 Sqn RCAF. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
| Aircraft | Info | |
Hurricane 
Manufacturer : Hawker Production Began : 1936 Number Built : 14533 | Hurricane Royal Air Force Fighter, the Hawker Hurricane had a top speed of 320mph, at 18,200 feet and 340mph at 17,500, ceiling of 34,200 and a range of 935 miles. The Hurricane was armed with eight fixed wing mounted .303 browning machine guns in the Mark I and twelve .303 browning's in the MKIIB in the Hurricane MKIIC it had four 20mm cannon. All time classic fighter the Hurricane was designed in 1933-1934, the first prototype flew in June 1936 and a contract for 600 for the Royal Air Force was placed. The first production model flew ion the 12th October 1937 and 111 squadron of the Royal Air Force received the first Hurricanes in January 1938. By the outbreak of World war two the Royal Air Force had 18 operational squadrons of Hurricanes. During the Battle of Britain a total of 1715 Hurricanes took part, (which was more than the rest of the aircraft of the Royal air force put together) and almost 75% of the Victories during the Battle of Britain went to hurricane pilots. The Hawker Hurricane was used in all theatres during World war two, and in many roles. in total 14,533 Hurricanes were built. | |
Spitfire 
Manufacturer : Supermarine Production Began : 1936 Retired : 1948 Number Built : 20351 | Spitfire Royal Air Force fighter aircraft, maximum speed for mark I Supermarine Spitfire, 362mph up to The Seafire 47 with a top speed of 452mph. maximum ceiling for Mk I 34,000feet up to 44,500 for the mark XIV. Maximum range for MK I 575 miles . up to 1475 miles for the Seafire 47. Armament for the various Marks of Spitfire. for MK I, and II . eight fixed .303 browning Machine guns, for MKs V-IX and XVI two 20mm Hispano cannons and four .303 browning machine guns. and on later Marks, six to eight Rockets under the wings or a maximum bomb load of 1,000 lbs. Designed by R J Mitchell, The proto type Spitfire first flew on the 5th March 1936. and entered service with the Royal Air Force in August 1938, with 19 squadron based and RAF Duxford. by the outbreak of World war two, there were twelve squadrons with a total of 187 spitfires, with another 83 in store. Between 1939 and 1945, a large variety of modifications and developments produced a variety of MK,s from I to XVI. The mark II came into service in late 1940, and in March 1941, the Mk,V came into service. To counter the Improvements in fighters of the Luftwaffe especially the FW190, the MK,XII was introduced with its Griffin engine. The Fleet Air Arm used the Mk,I and II and were named Seafires. By the end of production in 1948 a total of 20,351 spitfires had been made and 2408 Seafires. The most produced variant was the Spitfire Mark V, with a total of 6479 spitfires produced. The Royal Air Force kept Spitfires in front line use until April 1954. | |
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Died : 3 / 9 / 2008