442 Transport and Rescue Squadron

442 Transport and Rescue Squadron (French: 442e Escadron de transport et de sauvetage) is a Royal Canadian Air Force tactical transport and search and rescue unit based at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Comox in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The squadron flies six De Havilland Canada CC-115 Buffalo STOL aircraft and five AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant rescue helicopters. One of each is on constant readyness to deploy in response to distress calls in the Victoria Search and Rescue Region, which includes most of British Columbia and the territory of Yukon as well as 560,000 square kilometers in the Pacific Ocean, up to 600 nm offshore. The squadron also serves as the Operational Training Unit for the Cormorant helicopter.

History
The unit was first activated as a fighter squadron in 1942 due to the perceived threat on Canada's west coast after the Pearl Harbor attack. The squadron participated on strafing and bombing missions against then-Japanese held Kiska during the Aleutian Islands Campaign. The squadron then transferred to England in January 1944 and flew attack and long-range bomber escort sorties in Northwest Europe, claiming over 58 enemy aircraft and hundreds of vehicles, locomotives and rail cars. The squadron was disbanded in England in 1945 following the end of hostilities, and reformed a year later at RCAF Station Sea Island as an auxiliary fighter squadron, and later redesignated as an auxiliary transport squadron. It was again disbanded in 1964 and reformed during the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces as 442 Communications and Rescue Squadron at CFB Comox before being redesignated to its current name and role a few months later. Since then, 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron has become the busiest search and rescue unit in the country.