Historical Aircraft

Records 1941

 

403 Squadron Operations Record Book

No. 403 Squadron
Badge A wolf’s head erased
Motto Stalk and strike
Authority King George VI, October 1943
The wolf is a fierce and powerful antagonist, indigenous to most parts of Canada.
Formed at Baginton, Warwickshire, England on 1 March 1941 as the first of 35 RCAF squadrons to be formed overseas – third Fighter squadron in
service – the unit flew Spitfire aircraft on offensive and defensive air operations, and in support of Allied ground forces in North-West Europe. The
squadron was disbanded at Fassberg, Germany on 10 July 1945.
Brief Chronology Formed at Baginton, War., Eng. 1 Mar 41. Disbanded at Fassberg, Ger. 10 Jul 45.
Title or Nickname “Wolf”
Adoption City of Calgary, Alta.
Commanders
S/L B.G. Morris (RAP) 6 Mar 41 – 21 Aug 42 POW.
S/L R.A. Lee-Knight (RAP), DFC 23 Aug 41 – 27 Sep 41 KIA.
S/L C. E. Gray (RAP), DFC and Bar 28 Sep 41 – 29 Sep 41.
S/L A.G. Douglas (RAP), DFC 30 Sep 41 – 11 Jan 42.
S/L C.N.S. Campbell (RAP), DFC 12 Jan 42- 27 Apr 42 POW.
S/L A.C. Deere (RAP), DFC and Bar 30 Apr 42- 12 Aug 42.
S/L L.S. Ford, DFC and Bar 13 Aug 42- 21 Apr 43.
S/L C.M. Magwood, DFC 22 Apr 43 – 12 Jun 43.
S/L H.C. Godefroy, DFC and Bar 13 Jun 43 – 11 Aug 43.
S/L W.A.G. Conrad; DFC 12 Aug 43 – 17 Aug 43 MIA. 1
S/L F.E. Grant .. 27 Aug 43 – 4 Sep 43 KIA.
S/L N.R. Fowlow, DFC 5 Sep 43- 5 Oct 43.
S/L R.A. Buckham, DFC and Bar 6 Oct 43- 14 Jun 44.
S/L E.P. Wood, DFC 16 Jun 44 – 15 Nov 44.
S/L J.E. Collier 26 Nov 44- 15 Feb 45. 2
S/L H.P.M~ Zary, DFC 16 Feb 45 – 16 May 45.
S/L A.E. Fleming 17 May 45- 10 Jul45.

Higher Formations and Squadron Locations
Fighter Command:
No. 9, Group, .
Baginton, War. 1 Mar 41 – 29 May 41.
Ternhill, Salop. 30 May 41- 3 Aug 41.
No. 11 Group,
Hornchurch, Essex 4 Aug 41- 14 Aug 41.
Debden, Essex 25 Aug 41 – 2 Oct 41.
Martlesham Heath, Suffolk 3 Oct 41 – 21 Dec 41.
North Weald, Essex 22 Dec 41 – 1 May 42.
Southend, Essex 2 May 41- 2 Jun 42 ..
Martlesham Heath, Suffolk 3 Jun 42 – 18 Jun 4.2.
No. 13 Group,
Catterick, Yorks. 19 Jun 42- 22 Jan 43.
4 aircraft, West Hartlepool, Durham 19 Jun 42 – 22 Jan 43.
No. 11 Group,
Canadian Kenley Wing,
Kenley, Surrey 23 Jan 43 – ·4 J ul 43.
Second Tactical Air Force:
No. 83 (Composite) Group,
No. 17 (RCAF) Sector (disbanded 13 Jul 44).
86
No. 127 (RCAF) Wing,
Kenley, Surrey 5 Jul 43 – 6 Aug 43.
Lashenden, Kent 7 Aug 43- 19 Aug 43.
Head com, Kent 20 Aug 43 – 13 Oct 43.
Kenley, Surrey 14 Oct 43- 17 Apr 44.
No. 16 Armament Practice Camp, Hutton Cranswick,
Yorks. 24-29 Feb 44.
Tangrnere, Sussex 18 Apr 44- 15 Jun 44.
B.(Base) 2 Bazenville, Fr. 16 Jun 44- 15 Aug 44.
B.26 Illiers l’Eveque, Fr. 26 Aug 44- 21 Sep 44.
B.68 Le Culot, Bel. 22 Sep 44- 30 Sep 44.
No. 11 Armament Practice Camp, Fairwood _Common, 5.
Wales 22 Sep- 3 Oct 44.
B.82 Grave, Neth. 1 Oct 44- 20 Oct 44.
B.58 Melsbroek, Bel. 21 Oct 44- 2 Nov 44. ·
B.56 Evere, Bel. 3 Nov 44- 1 Mar 45.
Pilots to United Kingdom to re-equip with Spitfire XVI’s
2-4 Dec 44.
No. 17 Armament Practice Camp, Warmwell, Dorset., Eng.
4-14 Jan 45.
B.90 Petit-Brogel, Bel. 2 Mar 45 – 30 Mar 45.
B.78 Eindhoven, Neth. 31 Mar 45- 10 Apr 45.
B.100 Goch, Ger. 11 Apr 45- 27 Apr 45.
B.152 Fassberg, Ger. 28 Apr 45 – 10 JuL 45.
Representative Aircraft (Unit Code KH)
Curtiss Tomahawk Mk.I & IIA (Mar- Jun 41) AK878 H
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I (May- Jul 41) N3066 N
P7129 A R6611 T R6984 F R7058 0 R7065 X
R7066 E R7068 G R7140 D X4026 J X4319 M
X4329 C X4674 R X4766 H X4856 L
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIA (Jul – Sep 41) P7280 N
P7352 B P7355 W P7368 J P7422 0 P7438 G
P7505 C P7529 C P7552 Q P7622 M P7743 Q
P7744 E P7746 K P7756 U P7776 S P7818 T
P7905 P P7911 B P7915 W P7979 Z P8017 Z
P8090 H P8171 A P8233 L ·
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB & VC (4-21 Aug 41)
P7220 F P7235 C P7310 B P7342 A P7343 D
P8740 E P8744 P P8792 Y R7260 T R7266 J R7273 L
R7279 S W3114 R W3436 X W3438 G W3446 V
W3453 M · W3502 K W3573 K W3630 Z
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB (Sep 41 -Jan 43)
P7438 G R6890 H W3170 V W3318 N W3426 D
W3421 F W3564 K W3650 X W3822 Q W3823 S
W3938 J AA834 B AA927 H AB190 Z AB364 U
AB799 J AB865 T AB981 Z AD114 W AD191 W
AD199 H AD206 R AD207 0 AD208 L
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX (Jan 43 – Feb 44)
BS509 H MA575 P
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXB (Feb – Dec 44)
MJ352 Q MJ355 H MJ480 R MK859 T
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVI (Dec 44 – Jul 45)
Operational History: First Mission 11 May 1941, 2
Tomahawks from Baginton – base patrol at 25,000 feet.
First Offensive Mission 5 August 1941, 11 Spitfire VB’s
from Homchurch – low squadron of high cover wing for
Blenheims bombing St Orner, France. First Victory 9 -~~
August 1941, 11 Spitfire VB’s from Hornchurch – target
support wing for Blenheims bombing Gosnay. P/0 K.H.
Anthony in K3573 KH-K credited with a Bf.109F probably
destroyed. 19 August 1941, 12 Spitfire VB’s from Homchurch
– dose-cover target support (independent wing) for
6 Blenheims bombing Gosnay, engaged 15 Bf.109’s.
Squadron credited with 4 destroyed, 1 probable and 2
. ·~
damaged for the loss of 2 Spitfires. (One pilot listed as
missing in action; the other, P/0 Anthony, rescued from
the Channel.) S/L B.G. Morris (RAF), in K3438 KH-G,
credited with 1 destroyed, 1 damaged. Triple Victory 2 July
1944, 12 Spitfire IXB’s from Bazenville – front line patrol
east of Caen, France; encountered 20-plus Bf.109’s and
credited with 9 destroyed, 3 damaged, without loss. F/L
J.D. Lindsay leading a flight assigned to high cover; while
climbing through cloud, engaged a second group of 15-plus
Bf.109’s and credited with 3 destroyed. Last Mission 8
May 1945, 6 Spitfire XVI’s from Fassberg- escorted
Dakotas to Copenhagen. Two of the Spitfires had
mechanical trouble and landed at Kastrup. Summary
Sorties: 13,004 (29 on Tomahawks). Operational/Nonoperational
Flying Hours: 17,728/13,253. Victories: Air,.
craft: 123 (plus 7 shared) destroyed, 10 probably
de~troyed, 72 (plus 1 shared) damaged. Ground: dropped
70 tons of bombs, credited with 17 rail cuts; destroyed or
damaged 50 locomotives, 150 freight cars, and almost 130
vehicles (including 30 armoured). Casualties: Operational:
85 aircraft; 76 pilots, of whom 4 were killed, 40 presumed
dead, 21 POW (1 escaped, 2 died), 11 evaded capture.
Non-operational: 19 personnel killed, 1 seriously injured.
Squadron Aces F/L H.D. MacDonald, DFC and Bar
7Yz-1-2. F/L J.D. Lindsay, DFC 6Yz-O-S. S/L L.S. Ford,
DFC and Bar 6-0-2. S/L H.C. Godefroy, DFC and Bar
5-0-1 Honours and Awards 4 Bars to DFC, 16 DFC’s, 1
Military Medal, 3 3 MiD’s. Battle Honours Defence of
Britain 1941-1944. English Channel and North Sea 1942.
Fortress Europe 1941-1944: Dieppe. France and Germany
1944-1945: Normandy 1944, Rhine.