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No.412 Sqn RCAF

Name : No.412 Sqn RCAF Founded : 30th June 1941 Disbanded : 21st March 1946 Country : Canada Fate : Disbanded 21st March 1946 More Details : Promptus ad vindictum - Swift to avenge Known Code Letters : , VZ,

Known Service Details :
Pilot or Aircrew	Rank	Start of Service	End of Service	Known Dates	Aircraft	Airframes	Notes
John Allan Cameron Crimmins	Flight Lieutenant	unknown	10th May 1944		Spitfire	MK853	Killed in Action
J S Hamilton	Flying Officer	unknown	unknown	11th May 1944	Spitfire	MJ136
A B W Ketterson	Flight Lieutenant	unknown	4th March 1944		Spitfire	MJ306	Killed in Action
Donald C Laubman	Flight Lieutenant	16th August 1943	5th November 1944		Spitfire	MJ230
E C Likeness	Flight Lieutenant	unknown	10th May 1944		Spitfire	MH617	Taken prisoner.
Lawrence Wyman Love	Warrant Officer	unknown	17th June 1944		Spitfire	MJ384	Killed in Action
John Gillespie Magee		unknown	13th December 1941		Spitfire		John Magee joined the RCAF as an American volunteer in 1940 after training he was assigned to active service in the newly formed,Number 412 RCAF Fighter Squadron, based at Digby, Lincolnshire.Magee was killed at the age of 19, while flying Spitfire coded VZ-H, serial number AD291. He had taken off with other members of 412 Squadron from RAF Wellingore (near Navenby & RAF Digby, and about three miles northwest of RAF Cranwell), which has now reverted to agriculture. The aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision with an Airspeed Oxford trainer from Cranwell, flown by Leading Aircraftman Ernest Aubrey Griffin. The two aircraft collided just below the cloud base at about 1,400 feet AGL, at 11:30, over the hamlet of Roxholme, which lies between RAF Cranwell and RAF Digby, in Lincolnshire. Magee was descending at high speed through a break in the clouds with three other aircraft. At the inquiry afterwards a farmer testified that he saw the Spitfire pilot struggling to push back the canopy.[2] The pilot stood up to jump from the plane but was too close to the ground for his parachute to open, and died on impact. Griffin was also killed. He was killed in a mid-air collision during practice maneuvers on December 13th, 1941 Killed in Action
D. G. McKay	Flight Lieutenant	unknown	unknown	28th January 1944	Spitfire	MJ302
T M Saunderson	Flying Officer	unknown	unknown	16th March 1944	Spitfire	MJ149
A E Seller	Warrant Officer	unknown	28th June 1944		Spitfire	MH754	Taken prisoner.
R W Thatcher	Flying Officer	unknown	unknown	11th May 1944	Spitfire	MH427

Pilots and Aircrew for : No.412 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
Baker, H C Click the name above to see a profile of Baker, H C	Baker, H C Just one month before the Battle began, Henry "Butch" Baker had already seen fierce fighting over Dunkirk where he shot down one German aircraft and damaged another. After surviving a car accident, he joined 41 Squadron on September 15 – viewed by many as Battle of Britain Day – when 17 squadrons fought off a major attack. Flew Spitfires and helped destroy seven Messerschmitts in the Battle.
Beurling, George Click the name above to see a profile of Beurling, George	Beurling, George
Crimmins, John Allan Cameron Click the name above to see a profile of Crimmins, John Allan Cameron    Died : 10 / 5 / 1944	Crimmins, John Allan Cameron Killed on 10th May 1944 after his Spitfire Mk.IX MK853 was shot down by Fw190s near Reims. He is buried in Marissel French National Cemetery.
Hamilton, J S Click the name above to see a profile of Hamilton, J S	Hamilton, J S On 11th May 1944, his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ136 of No.412 Sqn RCAF was in collision with Spitfire Mk.IX MH427 also of No.412 Sqn RCAF piloted by Flying Officer R W Thatcher, over the Pas de Calais. He abandoned the stricken Spitfire and was rescued. Flying Officer Thatcher ditched Spitfire MH427 into the English Channel and was also rescued.
Ketterson, A B W Click the name above to see a profile of Ketterson, A B W    Died : 4 / 3 / 1944	Ketterson, A B W Killed on 4th March 1944 after his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ306 of No.412 Sqn RCAF suffered engine failure and force landed near Ypres.
Laubman, Donald C Click the name above to see a profile of Laubman, Donald C	Laubman, Donald C Born in Provost, Alberta, 16th October 1921. Home in Edmonton. Enlisted there, 13th September 1941. Trained at No.2 ITS (graduated 27th November 1940), No.5 EFTS (graduated 16th January 1942) and No.3 SFTS (graduated 4th May 1941), Awarded wings 4th May 1941 as a Sergeant. Promoted successively to Flight Sergeant and Warrant Officer. Commissioned 1st July 1942. Promoted to Flying Officer, 1st January 1943, Flight Lieutenant, 1st July 1944, Squadron Leader, 6th April 1945. Retained in Canada for home defence duties with No.133 Squadron from 7th September 1942 to 8th May 1943. Arrived in UK, June 1943. With No.412 Squadron, 16th August 1943 to 5th November 1944, and No.402 Squadron 6th-14th April 1945. Briefly POW, 14th April 1945. Released 25th September 1945. Re-enrolled 17th January 1946. Initially with No.6 Communications Flight, NWAC. Command of No.416 Squadron (January 1951 to March 1952). Command of No.3 Wing at Zweibrucken (July 1963 to August 1966). Command of No.1 Air Division (July 1969 to April 1970). Command of Canadian Forces in Europe (April 1970 to Aug. 1971), &. Chief of Personnel, CFHQ (May 1972 to retirement) On 23rd March 1943, his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ230 of No.412 Sqn RCAF was damaged in a crash landing at Kenley after sustaining hits from the return fire of a Ju88. He survived the event unscathed. On 14th April 1945 his Spitfire Mk.XIV RM932 of No.402 Sqn RCAF was abandoned after being hit by flak near Saltan. He was taken prisoner.
Likeness, E C Click the name above to see a profile of Likeness, E C	Likeness, E C Taken prisoner on 10th May 1944 after his Spitfire Mk.IX MH617 of No.413 Sqn RCAF was shot down by Fw190 near Reims.
Love, Lawrence Wyman Click the name above to see a profile of Love, Lawrence Wyman    Died : 17 / 6 / 1944	Love, Lawrence Wyman Killed on 17th June 1944 when his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ384 of No.412 Sqn RCAF went missing over the Normandy beaches. He is buried in Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery.
Magee, John Gillespie Click the name above to see a profile of Magee, John Gillespie    Died : 13 / 12 / 1941	Magee, John Gillespie John Magee joined the RCAF as an American volunteer in 1940 and spent most of the following year training in Canada. After obtaining his wings in mid 1941, he was transferred to South Wales, via the Personnel Reception Centre at Bournemouth, for some final training. Shortly afterwards he was assigned to active service in the newly formed,Number 412 RCAF Fighter Squadron, based at Digby, Lincolnshire. He was killed in a mid-air collision during practice maneuvers on December 13th, 1941 at the age of 19, while flying Spitfire coded VZ-H, serial number AD291. He had taken off with other members of 412 Squadron from RAF Wellingore (near Navenby & RAF Digby, and about three miles northwest of RAF Cranwell), which has now reverted to agriculture. The aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision with an Airspeed Oxford trainer from Cranwell, flown by Leading Aircraftman Ernest Aubrey Griffin. The two aircraft collided just below the cloud base at about 1,400 feet AGL, at 11:30, over the hamlet of Roxholme, which lies between RAF Cranwell and RAF Digby, in Lincolnshire. Magee was descending at high speed through a break in the clouds with three other aircraft. At the inquiry afterwards a farmer testified that he saw the Spitfire pilot struggling to push back the canopy.[2] The pilot stood up to jump from the plane but was too close to the ground for his parachute to open, and died on impact. Griffin was also killed.
McKay, D. G. Click the name above to see a profile of McKay, D. G.	McKay, D. G. On 28th January 1944, his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ302 of No.412 Sqn RCAF suffered enhine failure over the English Channel and he baled out. He was picked up by a Walrus of Air Sea Rescue.
Saunderson, T M Click the name above to see a profile of Saunderson, T M	Saunderson, T M On 16th March 1944, his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ149 of No.412 Sqn RCAF suffered engine failure and was abandoned over the Somme Estuary. He was picked up by a Walrus seaplane of Air Sea Rescue.
Seller, A E Click the name above to see a profile of Seller, A E	Seller, A E On 28th June 1944 his Spitfire Mk.IX MH754 of No.412 Sqn RCAF suffered engine failure and crash landed south east of Caen. He was taken prisoner.
Smith, Roderick Click the name above to see a profile of Smith, Roderick    Died : 16 / 4 / 2002	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.
Thatcher, R W Click the name above to see a profile of Thatcher, R W	Thatcher, R W On 11th May 1944, his Spitfire Mk.IX MH427 of No.412 Sqn RCAF collided with Spitfire Mk.IX MJ136 also of No.412 Sqn RCAF over the Pas de Calais and ditched into the English Channel. He waqs rescued. The pilot of Spitfire MJ136, Flying Officer J S Hamilton, baled out and was also rescued.