No. 428 'Ghost' Squadron (RCAF) during the Second World War

No.428 "Ghost" Squadron was an RCAF squadron which was formed in Britain on 7 November 1942, as part of No.4 Group in Bomber Command. The squadron transferred to No.6 (RCAF) Group on 1 January 1943, and flew its first operation on 27 January.

The squadron remained part of Bomber Command's main bomber force until the end of the war, converting to the Halifax in June 1943, at the same time as it moved from Dalton to Middleton St. George. The Canadian built Lancaster B.Mk X arrived in June 1944, and the squadron operated that type from 14 June 1944 until the end of the war.

Location
7 November 1942-4 June 1943: Dalton
4 June 1943-31 May 1945: Middleton St. George

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]

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)

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (23 March 2007), No. 428 Squadron (RCAF): Second World War, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RCAF/428_wwII.html

No. 428 "Ghost" Squadron (RCAF): Second World War