Lost B24 Squadron RCAF

[Ed Majden]

Anyone see a PBS program on a B-24 RCAF recon operation in the Indian
Ocean theater during WWII. If I recall correctly the daughter of one of the
crew members arranged to get a flight in a CAF B24 for her father. In an
interview he said he stopped going to aircrew reunions as no one ever heard
of this operation or Squadron. Does anyone know which squadron this was?
This may have been on the Canadian network but it may have been on PBS from
Washington State.
Ed

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

Ed Majden wrote in message ...
> Anyone see a PBS program on a B-24 RCAF recon operation in the Indian
>Ocean theater during WWII. If I recall correctly the daughter of one of the
>crew members arranged to get a flight in a CAF B24 for her father. In an
>interview he said he stopped going to aircrew reunions as no one ever heard
>of this operation or Squadron. Does anyone know which squadron this was?
>This may have been on the Canadian network but it may have been on PBS from
>Washington State.

Well the Canadian anti submarine squadron in the Indian Ocean
area was 413 squadron, formed June 1941 in England, sent to far
east in March 1942, returned to England in January 1945 and
disbanded the next month, flying Catalinas.

The Canadian transport squadrons in the area were,

435 squadron, formed November 1944 in India, transport, flew
Dakotas, sent to England in August 1945

436 squadron formed August 1944 in India, transport, flew
Dakotas, sent to England in August 1945.

Many Canadians never served in official Canadian squadrons.
If he did fly B-24s then he was most probably in one of the
following squadrons,

160, 203 or 321 for anti submarine work.
252 for transport duties,
99, 159, 355, 356 for bomber duties.
8, 357 or 358 for special duties.

321 was officially a Dutch squadron.

Geoffrey Sinclair
Remove the nb for email.

[Ed Majden]

in article ,
Geoffrey Sinclair at wrote on 8/23/04 21:59:


> Many Canadians never served in official Canadian squadrons.
> If he did fly B-24s then he was most probably in one of the
> following squadrons,
>
> 160, 203 or 321 for anti submarine work.
> 252 for transport duties,
> 99, 159, 355, 356 for bomber duties.
> 8, 357 or 358 for special duties.
>

If I remember correctly they showed a photo of the aircraft at Boundary
Bay airdrome just south of Vancouver. This may be why they referred to
themselves as the lost squadron as no one knew of their existence. They were
on anti sub duty so it could be one of the squadrons mentioned above. With
luck the program will eventually be repeated and I will play closer
attention.
Ed