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> Units and Formations
Flying Squadrons
5 Sqn
6 Sqn
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10 Sqn
11 Sqn
12 Sqn
15 Sqn
18 Sqn
21 Sqn
22 Sqn
23 Sqn
25 Sqn
27 Sqn
29 Sqn
33 Sqn
35 Sqn
39 Sqn
41 Sqn
43 Sqn
44 Sqn
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49 Sqn
50 Sqn
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54 Sqn
56 Sqn
57 Sqn
61 Sqn
64 Sqn
65 Sqn
68 Sqn
69 Sqn
70 Sqn
71 Sqn
73 Sqn
75 Sqn
81 Sqn
83 Sqn
85 Sqn
88 Sqn
90 Sqn
92 Sqn
97 Sqn
100 Sqn
101 Sqn
103 Sqn
104 Sqn
106 Sqn
109 Sqn
110 Sqn
111 Sqn
112 Sqn
113 Sqn
116 Sqn
121 Sqn
133 Sqn
136 Sqn
139 Sqn
141 Sqn
142 Sqn
143 Sqn
144 Sqn
148 Sqn
149 Sqn
150 Sqn
151 Sqn
153 Sqn
154 Sqn
166 Sqn
170 Sqn
189 Sqn
198 Sqn
199 Sqn
203 Sqn
206 Sqn
207 Sqn
209 Sqn
210 Sqn
211 Sqn
214 Sqn
222 Sqn
227 Sqn
228 Sqn
229 Sqn
235 Sqn
236 Sqn
248 Sqn
249 Sqn
251 Sqn
253 Sqn
254 Sqn
255 Sqn
256 Sqn
264 Sqn
266 Sqn
280 Sqn
288 Sqn
300 Sqn
301 Sqn
302 Sqn
303 Sqn
305 Sqn
307 Sqn
309 Sqn
310 Sqn
349 Sqn
350 Sqn
401 Sqn
402 Sqn
404 Sqn
407 Sqn
409 Sqn
410 Sqn
411 Sqn
412 Sqn
415 Sqn
416 Sqn
420 Sqn
421 Sqn
430 Sqn
438 Sqn
439 Sqn
441 Sqn
442 Sqn
443 Sqn
452 Sqn
455 Sqn
460 Sqn
463 Sqn
467 Sqn
486 Sqn
503 Sqn
504 Sqn
527 Sqn
528 Sqn
532 Sqn
538 Sqn
542 Sqn
550 Sqn
576 Sqn
601 Sqn
609 Sqn
613 Sqn
616 Sqn
617 Sqn
619 Sqn
625 Sqn
626 Sqn
627 Sqn
630 Sqn
Heavy
Conversion Units
1654
HCU
1656 HCU
1660 HCU
1661 HCU
1662 HCU
1665 HCU
1667 HCU
1668 HCU
21 HGCU
Advanced
Flying Schools
201
AFS
Advanced
Flying Units
12
AFU
15 AFU
Flying
Training Schools
1 FTS
2 FTS
3 FTS
6 FTS
7
FTS
12 FTS
1 Lancaster Finishing School
Central Flying School
Operational
Training/
Conversion Units (Fighter)
6
OTU
53 OTU
56 OTU
Air
Armament Schools
1
AAS
2 AAS
Empire Central AS
Other
schools
1 Gp Aircrew School
1 Ground Defence School
1 Air Observers School
Central
Gunnery School
5 Gp Anti Air School
Other units
Bomber Command
Coastal Command
Fighter Command
HQ No 5 Group
HQ No 23 Group
1485
Gunnery Flight
2782
Defence Sqn
178 Support Unit
399 Signals Unit
Nationality
based Sqns
Updated: 2 Aug 04
Established: 1 Jan 1943
Based at:
No 6 Group Units and Stations
6 Gp RCAF of Bomber Command was stood up on 1 Jan 1943, but to best understand its place in the order of battle it is necessary to return to the origins of the RCAF. From modest beginnings, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) grew to be the fourth largest air force in the world in 1945. A significant proportion of this force operated from England and Lincolnshire in both fighter and bomber forces.
The Army Council had proposed to Canada as early as 1915 that they should raise their own air units, but the proposed Royal Canadian Flying Corps did not materialise. By May 1918 there were 13 000 Canadian subjects serving in the RAF and the Canadian Privvy Council considered using this base to form some Canadian sqns within the RAF. On 5 Aug 1918 the Air Ministry authorised the formation of two Canadian sqns, one fighter and one bomber squadron. Two weeks later a Canadian Air Force detatchment formed at the school of Technical Training at RAF Halton to train ground crew for these sqns and on 19 Sep the Canadian Privy Council approved the formation of the CAF in England.
20 days after the war had ended, on 20 Nov 1918, No 1 Squadron (Fighter) was formed, followed on 25 Nov by No 2 (Day Bombing) Squadron. However the Canadian government did not propose to have a permanent peacetime air force and both Sqns and their Wing disbanded by 5 Feb 1920. The first permanent air force, the RCAF, was finally created at the fifth attempt on 1 Apr 1924.
In 1939 the RCAF had 20 sqns on strength with 270 aircraft of twenty different types; only 124 were suitable for operational service types and only 29 were first-line equipment (19 Hurricanes and 10 Battle Bombers). This was a contributing factor to the signing of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan on 17 Dec 1939 ; Canada would be turned into a giant training mill. However in 1940 an agreement had been signed to allow the growing RCAF more than a training support role stating RCAF would supply 25 sqns for operations in the UK.
The first RCAF squadrons to arrive were renumbered to avoid confusion between dominion air forces (see Squadron numbering and codes for more details). No 1 Sqn became 401 Sqn, 110 Sqn became 400 Sqn and 112 Sqn became 402 Sqn. RCAF formed night fighter sqns - 406 Sqn, 409 Sqn and 410 Sqn) squadrons and an intruder (No 418) sqn, all operational in the summer of 1941.
The first RCAF bomber squadrons were formed in late 1941 under No 4 Gp in Yorkshire. On 1 Jan 1943 HQ No 6 Group assumed operational command of the RCAF bomber squadrons overseas. The group eventually operated 14 squadrons on eight different stations. RCAF Digby was unique in the UK in being a station titled RCAF rather than RAF and being commanded by Canadian Group Captain.
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