439 Combat Support Squadron

Fangs of Death

Callsign : TIGER

Nato Tiger Association status : honorary member

439 Combat Support Squadron (French: 439e Escadron de soutien au combat) was formed as No. 123 (Army Co-operation) Squadron in early 1942 for army training operations in eastern Canada during World War II, as part of No. 3 Training Command under No. 12 Group, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Eastern Air Command.

Equipped with North American Harvard Mark IIB trainers and Westland Lysander Mark II army co-operation aircraft, the squadron trained with the 4th Canadian (Armoured) and the 7th Canadian Divisions in close support and reconnaissance, preparing for the move to Europe.

It was the second of six home squadrons, RCAF squadrons designed primarily for home defence, to be transferred overseas without its aircraft, and was re-designated No. 439 (Fighter-Bomber) Squadron, RCAF at Wellingore, Lincolnshire, UK on December 31, 1943.

Though the squadron was slated to become a fighter-bomber unit operating the Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB, it initially operated the Hawker Hurricane Mk.IV in addition to the Typhoon until April 1944.

On 27 March 1944, it flew its first ground attack mission against V-1 flying bomb launch sites as part of No. 143 Wing RCAF.  The squadron attacked German bases and communications targets in preparation for the Normandy landings of 6 June.  As part of the Second Tactical Air Force, it was flying ground attack missions in support of Allied advances in northwestern Europe from mid-1944 to the end of the war in May 1945.

During World War II they had 7632 flying hours, of which 4206 hours were flown in combat, they claimed 11 destroyed, 1 probably destroyed and 9 damaged aircraft, dropped 2108 tons of bombs, cut 360 railroad lines, destroyed 6 bridges, destroyed or damaged 688 tanks and other vehicles plus over 500 trains and barges.  They lost 41 aircraft and 30 pilots.

Disbanded on 26 August 1945 the squadron was re-formed as a fighter unit at Uplands (Ottawa), Ontario on 1 September 1951, equipped with Canadair Sabre aircraft.  The squadron joined No. 1 (Fighter) Wing at North Luffenham, Nottinghamshire, England in June 1952.  In doing so, it initiated the first of four Operations “Leapfrog”, mass transatlantic flights by Sabre-equipped units, to No. 1 Air Division Europe.

The squadron badge was approved by Queen Elizabeth II in May 1954 showing “in front of a fountain a sabre-toothed tiger’s head erased”.  The fountain is indicative of the fact that the unit was the first squadron to fly Sabre aircraft direct from Canada to the United Kingdom.

Already on 2 March 1964 is was reformed, this time as 439 Reconnaissance/Attack Squadron, operating the CF-104 "Starfighter".  Moved to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Lahr, Germany in 1967, it underwent several redesignations, first to Reconnaissance Squadron in 1968 and then back to Reconnaissance/Attack Squadron in 1970, before assuming a ground attack mission at CFB Baden–Söllingen, Germany as 439 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1972.

After converting to the CF-18 "Hornet" in the mid-1980s, the squadron participated in the Gulf War.

The role of a Combat Support Squadron is to provide an immediate response to aircraft emergencies for operational squadrons flying out of 3 Wing Bagotville, 1 Canadian Air Division.  As a secondary role, the Squadron can be called on to augment Search and Rescue operations in the region, tasked by the Joint Regional Co-ordination Centre.  The squadron’s crews train often with outside agencies like the Canadian Coast Guard, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association or local police.  439 Combat Support Squadron’s crews, maintainers and aircraft are also often tasked with supporting Operation LENTUS, the Canadian Armed Forces response to natural disasters in Canada.

(all aircraft are to scale, not all drawings show an aircraft in 439 markings)

Aircraft

North American Harvard Mk.IIB

Westland Lysander MK.II

Hawker Hurricane Mk.IV

Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB

Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk.5

Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk.6

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter

Canadair CF-104D Starfighter

McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet

Canadair CT-133 Silver Star

Bell CH-146 Griffon

4th Canadian (Armoured) Division

7th Canadian Division

No. 439 (Fighter-Bomber) Squadron

1 Fighter wing

No. 1 Air Division Europe

1 Fighter wing

439 Fighter Squadron

439 Squadron

CFB Lahr

CFB Baden-Söllingen

439 Squadron - Escadrille

439 Squadron - Escadron (after 14 Feb. 1989)

439e Escadron de soutien au combat

439e Escadron de soutien au combat

3 Wing

CFB Bagotville

1 Canadian Air Division

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text & picture sources : own collection & library + the world wide web / No copyright infringement intended : drawings, photos, etc. belong to the rightful owners.