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No. 409 Squadron Badge: In front of a cloak a crossbow  Motto: Media nor meridies noster (Midnight is our noon)  Authority: King George VI, March 1944  The crossbow in front of a dark cloak indicates the unit's functions as a night fighter squadron.

THE WAR YEARS 

Formed at Digby, Lincolnshire, England on 7 June 1941 as the RCAF's seventh -- second Night Fighter squadron formed overseas, the unit flew Beaufighter and Mosquito aircraft in the night air defence of Britain and Allied forces in North-West Europe. It was the first night fighter squadron to cross over to Normandy following the Allied landings and operate from the Continent, and the first to be stationed in Belgium and Germany. For the period June 1944 to May 1945, it was the top-scoring RAF/RCAF night fighter unit, with 581/2 aircraft and 12 V-l flying bombs destroyed. The squadron was disbanded at Twente, in The Netherlands, on 1 July 1945. 

Brief Chronology: Formed at Digby, Lincs., Eng. 17 Jun 41. Disbanded at Twente, Neth. 
1 July 45. 

Title or Nickname: "Nighthawk" 

Adoption City of Victoria, B.C.

Commanders

W/C N.B. Petersen 17 Jun 41 - 2 Sep 41 KIFA. 
W/C P.Y. Davoud, DFC 5 Sep 41- 3 Feb 43 OTE.
W/C J.W. Reid DFC(U.S.) 4 Feb 43 - 31 Jul 44 OTE. 
W/C M.W. Beveridge, DFC 1 Aug 44 - 20 Sep 44 KIFA. 
W/C J.D. Somerville, DSO, DFC 10 Oct 44 -11 Mar 45 OTE. 
W/C R.F. Hatton, DFC, CD 12 Mar 45 - 1 Jul 45.

Higher Formations and Squadron Locations 

Fighter Command renamed Air Defence Great Britain (15 Nov 43):
No. 12 Group, Digby, Lines. 17 Jun 41 - 24 Jul 41. 
Coleby Grange, Lines. 25 Jul 41 - 27 Feb 43. 
Acklington, Northumb. 28 Feb 43 - 29 Feb 44. 

Second Tactical Air Force: 
No. 85 (Base) Group, No. 147 (RAF) Wing, Acklington, Northumb. 1 Mar 44 -13 May 44. 
No. 148 (RAF) Wing, West Malling, Kent 14 May 44 -18 Jun 44. 
Hunsdon, Herts. 19 Jun 44 - 23 Aug 44. 
B.(Base) 17 Carpiquet, Fr. 24 Aug 44 -10 Sep 44. 
B.24 St Andre, Fr. 11 Sep 44 - 26 Sep 44. 
B.48 Glisy, Fr. 27 Sep 44 - 3 Oct 44. 
B.68 Le Culot, Eel. 4 Oct 44 -11 Oct 44. 
B.51 Vendeville, Fr. 12 Oct 44 -18 Apr 45. 
B.108 Rheine, Ger. 19 Apr 45 - 11 May 45. 
B.77 Gilze-Rijen, Neth. 12 May 45 - 2 Jun 45. 
B.106 Twente, Neth. 3 Jun 45 - 1 Tul 45. 

Operational History: 

First Mission 3 August 1941, Defiant from Coleby Grange -- aerodrome patrol. 

First Victory 1 November 1941, Beaufighter II from Coleby Grange with W/C Davoud and Sgt T. Carpenter (RAF, navigator) night readiness, scrambled and credited with a Do.217 destroyed 70 miles east of Digby. Triple Victory 23/24 April 1945, Mosquito XIII HK429 KP-D from Rheine with F/O E. Hermanson and F/L D. Hamm (navigator) patrol; credited with 2 Ju.87's and 1 Fw.190 destroyed. 

Last Mission 2 May 1945, 6 Mosquito XIII's from Rheine front line patrol; 2 returned early with radar problems, 2 called back early owing to lack of enemy activity, and 2 completed uneventful patrols. 

Summary Sorties: 2313. Operational/Non-operational Flying Hours: 7514/24,424. Victories: Aircraft: 651/2 destroyed, 7 probably destroyed, 24 damaged. V-l: 12 destroyed. Casualties: Operational: 17 aircraft; 52 aircrew (including 6 RAF) killed or missing. 

Squadron Ace F/L R.I.E. Britten, DFC 5-0-1. 

Honours and Awards 2 MBE, 1 DSO, 1 bar to DFC, 13 DFC's, 2 AFC's, 2 BEM's, 7 MiD's, 1 DFC (USA). 

Battle Honours Defence of Britain 1941-1944. Fortress Europe 1942-1944. France and Germany 1944-1945: Nomandy 1944, Rhine. 

Post War

Formed as an All-Weather (Fighter) unit at Comox, British Columbia on 1 November 1954, the squadron flew CF-100 and CF-101 aircraft on North American (West Coast) air defence duty, and on 1 February 1968 was integrated into the Canadian Armed Forces.

 Brief Chronology Formed at Comox, B.C. 1 Nov 54. Integrated into CAF 1 Feb 68. Nickname "Nighthawk"

Operational History:

First CF101 alert began 0001 PST 19 Mar 62
Last CF100 to leave for storage in Lethbridge 19 Apr 62
Last CF101 alert 30 Jun 84

Commanders

 S/L F.E. Haley, CD 1 Nov 54 - 4 Mar 56.
W/C T.J. Evans, CD S Mar 62 - 21 Jul 58. 
W/C H.E. Bridges, DFC, CD 22 Jul 58 - 11 Aug 61. 
W/C E.G. Ireland, DFC, CD 12 Aug 61 - 1 Jul 62. 
W/C G. Inglis, CD 10 Oct 62 - 21 Oct 65. 
W/C W.H. Vincent, CD 22 Oct 65 -1 Aug 67. 
W/C G.W. Patterson, CD 2 July 67 - June 68 
LCol G.F. Hammond, CD 1 Feb 68 - Jul 70. 
LCol S.J. Telford, CD Jul 70 - Jul 72. 
LCol L.C. Price, CD Jul 72 - May 74. 
LCol A.E. McKay, CD May 74 - Jun 76. 
LCol G.H. Herbert, CD Jun 76 - Jul 78. 
LCol G.W. McAffer, CD Jul 78 - Dec 80 
LCol L.G. Lott, CD Dec 80 - Jul 84. 

Higher Formations and Squadron Locations

North American Air Defence Command (12 Sep 57), 
RCAF Air Defence Command: Comox, B.C. 1 Nov 54 - 31 Jan 68. 
Namao, Alta (conversion to DF-IOI under No. 425 AW(F) Sqn) 5 Feb -- 13 Mar 62.