No. 39 Wing RCAF

No. 39 Wing RCAF
No. 39 (Reconnaissance) Wing RCAF
No. 39 (Army Co-operation) Wing RCAF
ActiveSeptember 1942 – August 1945
Country Canada
BranchRoyal Air Force / Royal Canadian Air Force
TypeWing
RoleReconnaissance
Part ofFirst Canadian Army
RAF Second Tactical Air Force

No. 39 Wing RCAF was a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force which served with the Royal Air Force in Europe during the Second World War.

History

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No. 39 Wing was established on 12 September 1942 as an "Army Cooperation" Wing at Leatherhead, Surrey, England.[1][2] It comprised No. 400 Squadron RCAF, No. 414 Squadron RCAF, and No. 430 Squadron RCAF. As a reconnaissance unit, its purpose was to gather photographic intelligence in support of allied ground operations.[1]

The Wing left the UK and moved to the European continent on 2 July 1944 at Sommervieu, France.[1] The Wing moved ever eastward following the front and finished the war at airfield B156 Luneburg, Germany where it was finally disbanded.[1]

Aircraft

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Commanding Officers

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  • G/C D.M. Smith, 12 Sep 42 – 9 Feb 44
  • G/C E.H.G. Moncrieff AFC, 10 Feb 44 – 8 Feb 45
  • G/C G.H. Sellers, AFC, 9 Feb 45 – 15 May 45
  • G/C R.C.A. Waddell, DSO DFC, 16 May 45 – 7 Aug 45

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d Kostenuk, Samuel; Griffin, John (1977). RCAF Squadron Histories and Aircraft 1924–1968. Toronto: National Museum of Man Canada. p. 255. ISBN 0-88866-577-6.
  2. ^ "Air Force (Canada) History". Royal Canadian Air Force Association. Retrieved 26 May 2022.