No. 3 Squadron RCAF

The squadron traced its lineage back to No. 3 (Operations) Squadron RCAF.{{Sfn|Directorate of History and Heritage|2000|p=|pp=5–6}}

File:R.C.A.F. aircraft at Larder Lake, Ontario, 1926.jpg, 1926]]

No. 3 (Operations) Squadron was formed at Rockcliffe, Ontario on 1 April 1925{{Sfn|Directorate of History and Heritage|2000|p=|pp=5–6}} under the control of RCAF headquarters, one of four squadrons authorized to carry out missions in support of government agencies. It soon moved to Shirleys Bay a month after its formation. Commanded by Squadron Leader A.B. Shearer, it flew forestry patrols over Ontario and Quebec to support civil government, in addition to "operating a test and development centre for new aircraft and photographic equipment." Flight Lieutenant R.S. Grandy replaced Shearer on 12 January 1926, and would lead the squadron for the rest of its military career. The squadron was equipped with the Curtiss HS-2L, Vickers Viking, Canadian Vickers Varuna, and Canadian Vickers Vedette flying boats, as well as the Avro 552A floatplane. Due to opposition to the RCAF performing civil operations, the squadron was transferred to the nominally civilian Directorate of Civil Government Air Operations on 1 July 1927 and its designation lapsed.{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=15}} It was retroactively redesignated as No. 3 (Service) Squadron on 1 April with A Flight nominally consisting of Armstrong Whitworth Siskin fighters, B Flight consisting of Armstrong Whitworth Atlas army cooperation aircraft, and C Flight consisting of Fairchild 71 and Bellanca Pacemaker. The squadron was reformed a year later{{Sfn|Directorate of History and Heritage|2000|p=|pp=5–6}} as No. 3 (Advanced Training) Squadron, but due to a lack of aircraft, funding, and personnel it only existed on paper.{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=|pp=11–12}}

File:No 3 Squadron RCAF personnel 1938.jpg

No. 3 (Bomber) Squadron was formed on 1 September 1935 at the RCAF main training base in Trenton, Ontario, under the control of RCAF headquarters. Along with Nos. 2 and 6 Squadrons, It was authorized to be formed with two flights for purely military purposes during Fiscal Year 1936/1937.{{Sfn|Douglas|1986|p=140}} The squadron was to include a Fighter Flight with the Armstrong Whitworth Siskin Mark IIIA and a Bomber Flight with the Westland Wapiti. Only the former was formed on 1 September from the pre-existing Fighter Flight formed in 1930{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=22}} as the Wapitis had yet to arrive from England.{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=24}} Due to a shortage of aircraft and personnel, the squadron included only one flight on 15 April 1936. It expanded to two flights under the command of Squadron Leader A.H. Hull on 13 July; the Bomber Flight was to include the nucleus of No. 6 Squadron. On 10 August it was combined into a four-flight composite squadron under the command of Hull with No. 2 Squadron due to the shortages, with C Flight from the Bomber Flight with the No. 6 Squadron nucleus and D Flight from the Fighter Flight; A and B Flights were from No. 2. After No. 6 Squadron was activated on 1 December 1936, No. 3 Squadron again became a separate unit under the temporary command of Flight Lieutenant B.G. Carr-Harris on 7 April 1937.{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=|pp=17–18}}

File:No. 3 Squadron RCAF Westland Wapiti 509 Camp Borden 1938.jpg

Squadron Leader A.A Lewis, who had returned from exchange duty with the Royal Air Force, became commander on 17 May; he would command the squadron for the rest of its existence. After the delivery of four Wapiti Mark IIAs on 1 June 1937, the squadron was reorganized with only bomber aircraft and the Fighter Flight expanded into No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron. Relocating to Rockcliffe on 17 June, No. 3 Squadron initially included five pilots and five air gunners. Though the Wapiti proved unpopular with its pilots due to its poor performance, the Canadian government would not spend more money for superior aircraft. No. 3 Squadron completed initial air gunnery and bombing practice with the Wapitis that summer.{{Sfn|Douglas|1986|p=141}} Influenced by his RAF experience to believe that "the supreme test of a bombing squadron is its ability to reach its objective in any kind of weather", Lewis emphasized night flying and long-range navigation in squadron training.{{Sfn|Douglas|1986|p=146}} During 1938, the squadron received four more Wapitis to form an additional flight, though only four of its aircraft were equipped with wireless, logging 1,000 training hours. One of the original Wapitis received in 1937 was written off after a crash landing at Sharbot Lake on 14 July.{{Sfn|No. 3 (B) Squadron|1936–1939|p=|loc=Daily Diary, July 14, 1938 ([http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12223/992?r=0&s=3 image 992])}} In addition to practicing bombing with camera obscura during the year, the squadron flew simulated low-level bombing and gas attacks as part of the opposing force during Canadian Army exercises at Camp Borden in late August and early September.{{Sfn|Douglas|1986|p=|pp=148–149}}{{Sfn|No. 3 (B) Squadron|1936–1939|p=|loc=Daily Diary, August 27 to September 4, 1938 ([http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12223/994?r=0&s=3 images 994 to 995])}} In October, it flew its Wapitis {{Convert|2,300|mi|km|abbr=}} to relocate to Calgary using the Trans-Canada Air Lines route, joining Western Air Command on 21 October after departing Rockcliffe on 18 October; this was the first RCAF long-distance relocation by air.{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=24}} The move originally scheduled for September but was delayed as a result of the Munich Crisis.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/481573831/?terms=%22wapiti%22|title=Wapiti Bombing Planes Here, After Uneventful Journey From Ontario|date=24 October 1938|work=The Calgary Herald|access-date=24 December 2018|page=9|url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com}} At the time, the squadron included four officers and 91 airmen, with six pilots included.{{Sfn|No. 3 (B) Squadron|1936–1939|p=|loc=Operations Record Book, 26 August 1939 ([http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12223/1001?r=0&s=3 images 1001 to 1002])}}

File:Aircraft in V formation, No. 3 Squadron RCAF 1939.jpgOn 4 July 1939 the number of squadron aircraft was reduced to seven when one of its Wapitis was destroyed in a crash in Sarcee Camp while making a simulated reconnaissance of the militia training there; two militiamen were injured in the crash.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/481589216/?terms=%22wapiti%22|title=Two Young Edmonton Soldiers Injured As Low-Flying Plane Crashes at Sarcee|date=4 July 1939|work=The Calgary Herald|access-date=24 December 2018|page=1|url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com}} Training continued, with squadron aircraft launching mock strafing and gas attacks against militia during their annual summer camp.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/481589527/?terms=%22squadron%22%2Band%2B%22wapiti%22|title=Can Riflemen Repulse Modern Aerial Attack? Sarcee Squad Demonstrated Method of Defence|date=5 July 1939|work=The Calgary Herald|access-date=24 December 2018|page=9|url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com}} During the month the squadron supervised the annual training school for No. 120 (Bomber) Squadron of the reserve Auxiliary Active Air Force.{{Sfn|No. 3 (B) Squadron|1936–1939|p=|loc=Operations Record Book, 26 August 1939 ([http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12223/1001?r=0&s=3 images 1001 to 1002])}} File:No. 3 Squadron RCAF Wapitis in line prior to departure Rockcliffe 1939.jpgShortly before World War II began, on 26 August, the squadron was alerted for hostilities, immediately departing with seven obsolete Wapitis for the civil aerodrome at Halifax, Nova Scotia, where it joined Eastern Air Command on 1 September with half of its aircraft. It received three new Wapitis with crews on 30 August from Trenton while stopping at Rockcliffe, bringing total strength to two flights with five aircraft each.{{Sfn|No. 3 (B) Squadron|1936–1939|p=|loc=Operations Record Book, 30 August 1939 ([http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12223/1022?r=0&s=3 image 1022])}} Flying in short spurts, the aircraft took the direct route to Halifax, overflying American territory. The three remaining aircraft were forced down in Millinocket, Maine by engine trouble, risking internment if war was declared. Two of these remained there for needed repairs with spare parts flown in from Ottawa, which were effected by 3 September, though they were grounded by bad weather until the next day, a day after the British declaration of the war. They arrived at Halifax on 6 September – eleven days after departure. At Halifax, the squadron formed the Air Striking Force of Eastern Air Command, intended to launch attacks, either independently or in cooperation with the Royal Canadian Navy, against any German surface forces{{Sfn|Douglas|1986|p=375}} operating between Port Mouton and Cape Canso. The squadron was redesignated as No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron on 31 August while in transit, but was never actually converted to the latter. It was disbanded on 5 September, with its personnel and aircraft being transferred to No. 10 (Bomber) Squadron RCAF.{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=24}} The squadron received no battle honours.{{Sfn|Directorate of History and Heritage|2000|p=|pp=5–6}}

A No. 3 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron planned to be equipped with Consolidated Canso flying boats was ordered organized on 1 June 1943 due to a perceived need for additional anti-submarine units, but the order was swiftly cancelled after a reduction in the U-boat threat.{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=24}}[http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12223/960?r=0&s=3 Secret Organization Order No. 118: Formation of No. 3 (BR Squadron)] and [http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12223/963?r=0&s=3 Appendix A: Home War Establishment, No. 3 (BR) Squadron], [http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12223/959?r=0&s=3 Cancellation of Formation of No. 3 (BR) Squadron]

• Authorized as No. 3 (Operations) Squadron on 1 April 1925

: Redesignated No. 3 (Service) Squadron on 1 April 1927

: Disbanded on 1 July 1927

• Reformed as No. 3 (Advanced Training) Squadron on 1 April 1928

: Redesignated No. 3 (Bomber) Squadron on 1 November 1935

: Redesignated No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron on 28 August 1939

: Disbanded on 5 September 1939.{{Sfn|Directorate of History and Heritage|2000|p=|pp=5–6}}

• RCAF Headquarters, 1 April 1925 – 1 July 1927{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=15}}
• RCAF Headquarters, 1 April 1928{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=|pp=11–12}}
• Western Air Command, 21 October 1938
• Eastern Air Command, 1–5 September 1939{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=24}}

• Rockcliffe, Ontario, 1 April 1925
• Shirleys Bay, Ontario, 1 May 1925 – 1 July 1927{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=15}}
• Trenton, Ontario, 1 September 1935
• Rockcliffe, Ontario, 17 June 1937
• Calgary, Alberta, 21 October 1938
• Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1–5 September 1939{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=24}}

• Curtiss HS-2L, 1925–1927
• Vickers Viking, 1925–1927
• Canadian Vickers Varuna, 1925–1927
• Canadian Vickers Vedette, 1925–1927
• Avro 552N, 1925–1927{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=15}}
• Armstrong Whitworth Siskin Mark IIIA, 1935–1937
• Westland Wapiti Mark IIA, 1937–1939{{Sfn|Kostenuk|Griffin|1977|p=24}}

• {{cite journal|author=No. 3 (B) Squadron|date=1936–1939|title=Daily Diary|url=http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12223/994?r=0&s=3|publisher=Canadian Resource Knowledge Network|journal=Royal Canadian Air Force Operations Record Books}} – The microfilm also includes operations record book and orders, from image 965 to image 1034; images 958–964 cover the abortive No. 3 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron.
• {{Cite book|url=http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-4/doc/h0010.pdf|title=The Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces|last=Directorate of History and Heritage|year=2000|volume=4: Operational Flying Squadrons|location=Ottawa|oclc=907785176}}
• {{Cite book|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/popular-books/creation-national-air-force.html|title=The Official History of the Royal Canadian Air Force|last=Douglas|first=William Alexander Binny|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=1986|isbn=0-80202-584-6|volume=II: The Creation of a National Air Force|location=Toronto}}
• {{Cite book|title=RCAF: Squadron Histories and Aircraft, 1924–1968|last1=Kostenuk|first1=Samuel|last2=Griffin|first2=John|publisher=Samuel Stevens/Hakkert & Company|year=1977|isbn=0-88866-577-6|series=Canadian War Museum Historical Publication No. 14|location=Sarasota/Toronto}}

{{RCAF Squadrons}}

Category:Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons (disbanded)

Category:Military units and formations established in 1935

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1939