No. 428 Squadron RCAF



No. 428 Squadron RCAF, also known as 428 Bomber Squadron, and 428 Ghost Squadron, was a bomber squadron in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Throughout its service in the Second World War the squadron was based in England and flew bombing missions against the enemy. After the end of the war the squadron then moved to Canada before being disbanded in September 1945. In 1954 the squadron was reformed as 428 All Weather Fighter Squadron, before being disbanded in 1961.

The motto of the squadron is Usque ad finem (Latin: "To the very end") and the squadron's badge contains a Death's Head in a shroud. The badge refers to the squadron's Ghost designation which was earned through its night bombing operations, and the death and destruction which it inflicted upon the enemy.

No. 428 Squadron RCAF
No. 428 Squadron RCAF was first formed during the Second World War at RAF Dalton in Yorkshire, England on November 7 1942. The squadron was a bomber unit in No. 4 Group RAF. The squadron transferred to No. 6 Group RCAF on January 1, 1943 operating with it until April 25, 1945. The squadron was first equipped with Vickers Wellingtons (Mk III and Mk X), and its first operational mission of the war was on January 26–27 1943, when 5 Wellingtons bombed Lorient. In the early part of June 1943, the squadron moved to RAF Middleton St. George where it remained for the remainder of the squadron's duration in the United Kingdom. Around this time the squadron was equipped with Handley Page Halifaxes (Mk V, and later supplemented by Mk II Series IIA).

In January 1944 Halifaxes from No. 428 Squadron RCAF participated in the first high-level mining raid, when mines were dropped by parachute from 15,000 feet (4,570 m) over Brest. The squadron flew its last sortie with the Halifax on June 12, and was re-equipped with Canadian-built Avro Lancasters (B. Mark X). The first sortie involving the squadrons new Lancasters took place on June 14, and they were used for the continuation of the war. For the rest of the war the squadron took part in both day and night raids, with its last operational sortie on April 25, 1945, when 15 Lancasters bombed gun batteries on the island of Wangerooge. No. 428 Squadron RCAF remained in service in the UK until the end of May 1945. By the end of May the squadron then had moved to RCAF Station Yarmouth in Nova Scotia, where it was disbanded on September 5, 1945.

428 Squadron was "sponsored" by the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, an organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

428 All Weather Fighter Squadron
On June 21, 1954 the squadron was reformed at RCAF Station Uplands as 428 All Weather Fighter Squadron. The squadron was a night fighter squadron and flew Avro CF-100 Canuck.

It was supposed to have upgraded and re-equipped with the Avro CF-105 Arrow, but with the controversial cancellation of the Arrow the squadron was finally disbanded on June 1, 1961.