No. 419 Moose Squadron (RCAF) during the Second World War

No.419 'Moose' Squadron was a RCAF squadron formed on 15 December 1941 as a bomber squadron within Bomber Command. Operations with the Vickers Wellington began on 11 January 1942, and continued until November 1942, when the squadron converted to the Halifax.

Operations with the new machine began on 29 January 1943 and continued until the Canadian built Lancaster B.Mk X arrived in March 1944. The new aircraft entered action on 27 April 1944, and the squadron remained active until the end of the war in Europe.

In June 1945 No.419 Squadron was selected to be part of Tiger Force, the RAF's contribution to the air war against Japan. The squadron flew to Canada to prepare for the move to the Far East, but the war ended before Tiger Force was deployed, and the squadron was disbanded on 5 September 1945.

Location
15 December 1941-12 August 1942: Mildenhall
12-18 August 1942: Leeming
18 August-30 September 1942: Topcliffe
30 September-9 November 1942: Croft
9 November 1942-4 June 1945: Middleton St. George

Bomber Offensive, Sir Arthur Harris. The autobiography of Bomber Harris, giving his view of the strategic bombing campaign in its immediate aftermath. Invaluable for the insights it provides into Harris’s approach to the war, what he was trying to achieve and the problems he faced. Harris perhaps overstates his case, not entirely surprisingly given how soon after the end of the war this book was written (Read Full Review)

6 Group Bomber Command: An Operation Record, Chris Ward. This is a very detailed reference book that looks at the wartime service of the Canadian group in RAF Bomber Command. A detailed narrative history of the group is followed by a series of chapters on each squadron, with a brief history, list of stations, commanding officers and types of aircraft, and most impressively a list of every individual aircraft to serve with each squadron and its fate [read full review]

Battlefields in the Air: Canadians in the Allied Bomber Command, Dan McCaffery. A look at Bomber Command's controversial campaign against Germany, and the role played in it by the Canadian pilots of No.6 Group. McCaffery's well researched text is supported by eye witness accounts from both the Canadian air crew and the German targets of the bombing campaign.

Review of Halifax Squadrons by John lake

Halifax Squadrons of World War II , Jon Lake. This is a very good book on the combat record of the Handley Page Halifax. It covers much more than just its role as a front line bomber, with chapters on the Halifax with Coastal Command, the Pathfinders and SOE, amongst others. [see more]

Lancaster Squadrons 1944-45, Jon Lake. A well balanced look at the career of the Avro Lancaster in 1944-45, the period most famous for the systematic night bombardment of German cities. This was also the period that saw the Lancaster used to support the invasion of France, and the period that saw 617 Squadron drop Barnes Wallis's huge streamlined bombs with great precision. [see more]

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (23 March 2007), No. 419 Squadron (RCAF): Second World War, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RCAF/419_wwII.html

No. 419 "Moose" Squadron (RCAF): Second World War