Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant passages that can help answer the question.
Query: When was the No. 428 Squadron RCAF formed?
No. 428 Squadron RCAF was the ninth long-range heavy bomber Article XV squadron formed overseas during the Second World War at RAF Dalton in Yorkshire, England on November 7, 1942.[3][5] The squadron was initially assigned to No. 4 Group RAF.[2] With the creation of No. 6 Group RCAF, the squadron was reallocated on January 1, 1943 operating with it until April 25, 1945.[2]
No. 431 (Fighter) Squadron re-formed at RCAF Station Bagotville on 18 January 1954 using the Sabre. The squadron was formed on a temporary basis until there were enough new CF-100s available to fulfill RCAF squadron needs and was deactivated on 1 October 1954. Also in 1954 432 and 440 squadrons were transferred to RCAF Station Bagotville flying the CF-100 Canuck all-weather fighter. In 1957 440 squadron deployed to RCAF Station Zweibrücken in West Germany and on 1 May 1957 413 squadron returned to the base flying the Canuck. That year also saw the CT-133 Silver Star arrive at the base as a training aircraft.
The squadron was first equipped with Vickers Wellingtons (Mk III and Mk X), and its first operational mission was on January 26–27, 1943, when five Wellingtons bombed the Keroman Submarine Base U-Boat pens at Lorient in Brittany, on the Bay of Biscay.[4] In the early part of June 1943, the squadron moved to RAF Middleton St. George where it remained for the remainder of the war.[2] Around this time the squadron was converted to Handley Page Halifaxes (Mk Vs, and later supplemented by Mk II Series IIA).[6]
RAF Dalton, Hambleton was home to No. 102 Squadron beginning in November 1941. No. 102 Squadron returned to Topcliffe in June 1942 and for a time Dalton hosted No. 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) flying Halifaxes. The airfield was improved in 1942 and in early 1943 was allocated to No. 6 Group Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Canadian squadrons stationed here at one time or another included No. 428 Squadron, No. 424 Squadron, No. 420 Squadron, and No. 1666 Heavy Conversion Unit (which moved to RAF Wombleton in October 1943). The station also housed no. 1691 Bomber Gunnery Flight (BGF) RCAF and its successor, No. 1695 Bomber Defence Training Flight (BDTF) RCAF, the last RCAF unit to serve at this station.
The motto of the squadron is Usque ad finem (Latin: "To the very end") and the squadron's badge contains a white Death's Head in a black shroud.[4] The badge refers to the squadron's Ghost designation which was earned through its night bombing operations, as 'Hitler's Haunters' and the death and destruction which it inflicted upon the enemy.[4]
No. 664 Squadron RCAF, No. 665 Squadron RCAF, and No. 666 Squadron RCAF were also issued with the Auster Mk. IV and V, formed in the UK at RAF Andover in late 1944 and early 1945. The RCAF squadrons were manned by Canadian personnel of the Royal Canadian Artillery and the RCAF, with brief secondment to the squadrons with pilots from the Royal Artillery; overall control was maintained in the UK by 70 Group, RAF Fighter Command. The three squadrons deployed from RAF Andover, England, to the Netherlands, to Dunkirk, France, where the last Canadian 'shots' in Europe were fired, and later to occupied Germany.
For the final phase of the air campaign against Germany, the squadron took part in day and night raids,[8] with its last operational sortie taking place on April 25, 1945, when 15 Lancasters bombed anti-aircraft gun batteries defending the mouth of the Weser, on the Frisian Island of Wangerooge.[4] No. 428 Squadron RCAF remained in service in the United Kingdom until the end of May 1945.[9]
The RCAF had established a presence at the Uplands (Ottawa) Airport, in August 1940, under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, as No. 2 Service Flying Training School began operations.[31] With the war ending, No.2 SFTS closed on 14 April 1945, the Station became home to Headquarters RCAF Maintenance Command, and when Maintenance Command relocated, in 1947, RCAF association with the site ceased.[32] RCAF flying activities resumed at Uplands, with the re-activation of several WW2 fighter squadrons, they designated again for service in Europe. No.439 Squadron was first re-formed in September 1951, at Uplands, as was No.416 Squadron, in September 1952, both departing for in Europe in 1953, they flying the F86 Sabre.[33]
No. 666 Squadron RCAF was originally an RCAF Air Observation Post (AOP) squadron formed during the Second World War. It was manned principally by Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) personnel.
No. 421 Squadron RCAF was a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. It was the last RCAF fighter squadron to be formed in the UK during World War II. 
As an RCAF Air Defence Command Fighter Squadron, 428 AW(F) was allocated to No.3 ADCC Operational Sector, its Operational Control Centre located at RCAF Station Edgar ON. No.3 ADCC coordinated the operations of No. 31 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (also located at RCAF Station Edgar), No. 32 AC&W Squadron at RCAF Station Foymount ON, No. 33 AC&W Sqn at RCAF Station Falconbridge ON, No. 34 AC&W Sqn at RCAF Station Senneterre QC, and 912 Squadron (USAF) at RCAF Station Ramore ON. Responsive to the Sector Commander, the Fighter Control Operators at No.3 ADCC provided the squadron's 'Ground-Controlled Interception' direction, through the signing of the NORAD Agreement in 1958.[40]
In addition, No. 419 Squadron RCAF and No. 428 Squadron RCAF were disbanded in Yarmouth in September 1945 after the Surrender of Japan. Both squadrons, flying the Avro Lancaster, were to be trained and re-equipped for the Commonwealth Tiger Force in the Pacific Theatre.
W/C E.W. Smith DSO was appointed Officer Commanding No.428 All-Weather (Fighter) Squadron on 4 January 1955 and served in that post until 26 April 1957, having previously made a transition from heavy bombers and strategic transport aircraft, to jet fighters. Born in Metis Beach QC, on 11 November 1920, he joined the RCAF on 20 July 1940, selected for pilot training, he earned his wings in February 1941 and went overseas in March 1941. He completed two operational tours, first with No.102 (Ceylon) Squadron RAF, and a second with No.424 (Tiger) Squadron RCAF.[50]
During the Second World War, No. 428 Squadron RCAF was awarded several battle honours. These honours are certified by the Canadian Air Force.[18]
Having reached 'FOC' the challenge to an AW(F) Squadron was maintaining 'operational effectiveness' with the constant of change in crews and aircraft. Individual crews, on two week rotations, got evaluated at 'Rocket Camps' run at the RCAF Weapons Practice Unit (WPU) at RCAF Station Cold Lake, and their best tested at the Annual WPU 'Rocket Meet' – 428 AW(F) winning the MacBrien Trophy (Team Effort) in 1958.[36] Local, Regional and Continental Exercises in COCKED PISTOL, CRACKER JACK and SKYSHIELD tested the squadron, its Wing and its ADDC Sector.[37] A favourite CGI exercise involved simulated combat scrambles against the USAF Boeing B-47 Stratojet, it then the backbone of the USAF Strategic Air Command, in their 'Returning to Base', everyone wanting an MA – Mission Accomplished and not the MI – Mission Incomplete designation.[38][39]
Tiger Force's No. 6 Group, RCAF / No. 661 (Heavy Bomber) Wing (10 July 1945), to be commanded by Wing Commander F.R. Sharp, DFC, was to form at RCAF Station Yarmouth, Nova Scotia with No. 419 and No. 428 Squadrons. Beginning reorganization and training on 10 August 1945 'Ghost' Squadron was to be ready for deployment on 1 January 1946, manned with ‘volunteering' personnel from within No. 6 Bomber Group.[23] The 'volunteers' would be sought amongst those who had not served overseas, those who had not yet completed their tours, in sorties or hours and actually elected to participate.[24] Their Mk. Xs were to be modified, removing the mid-upper turret and fitting huge "saddle tanks" on top of the fuselage, painted and crewed for an initial six week training programme flying from Yarmouth.[25] With the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (06/9 August), and Japan's formal surrender on 2 September, No. 428 Squadron received disbandment orders on 5 September 1945.[26][27]
In January 1944, Halifax bombers from No. 428 Squadron participated in the first high-level mining raid "Gardening", when mines were dropped by parachute from 15,000 feet (4,570 m) over Brest on 4/5 Jan and Saint-Nazaire on 6/7 Jan 1945.[7] The squadron flew its last sortie with the Halifax on June 12, 1944,[8] then converting to the Canadian-built Avro Lancaster (B. Mark X), the first sortie taking place on June 14, 1944.[8]
According to BCATP Article XV, Canadian graduate aircrews were to form 35 RCAF squadrons after arrival in England. However, when Edwards arrived in London he discovered that Canadians were dispersed over "Hell's half acre" within the RAF. RCAF Officers in the posting departments in England had received little direction to concentrate Canadians into RCAF squadrons and were uncertain of the location of more than 6,000 Canadians posted into RAF squadrons. Edwards established a Records and Statistics Directorate to track the whereabouts of all RCAF personnel. He increased RCAF medical staff in RAF hospitals and supported the building of the plastic surgery hospital in East Grinstead. He improved the postal system and introduced a Canadian newsletter, "Wings Abroad". Edwards established seven district headquarters, to provide a direct channel of communication for RCAF personnel in the field, on matters administered by the RCAF (pay, allowances, promotion, etc.). Similarly, with the ever-increasing number of RCAF personnel in the Mediterranean and Far East, district headquarters were opened in Cairo, Egypt and India.
No. 423 Squadron RCAF was a World War II unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Formed in 1942 in Oban, Argyll, Scotland for General Reconnaissance duties, it later moved to RAF Castle Archdale, Northern Ireland where it flew Sunderland flying boat patrol bombers. It changed to a transport role in 1945 and was disbanded later that year. Re-formed in 1953 at RCAF Station St Hubert (now Montréal/Saint-Hubert Airport) flying the CF-100 in a continental defence role, it was transferred to RCAF Station Grostenquin in 1957 where it replaced No. 416 Squadron which flew Sabres. The squadron was again disbanded in 1962 when the RCAF's CF-100s were removed from service. In 1974, it was re-formed a final time as No. 423 Anti-Submarine Squadron. In 1995 its name was changed to 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron. It flew CH-124 Sea King helicopters, but now operates the Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone since January 2018.
No. 428 Squadron RCAF,[2] also known as 428 Bomber Squadron,[3] and 428 Ghost Squadron,[4] was first a night bomber squadron in the Royal Canadian Air Force engaged in strategic bombing during World War II, as based in Yorkshire.[3] At the end of the war the squadron moved to Nova Scotia before being disbanded in September 1945. In 1954 the squadron was reformed as 428 All-Weather (Fighter) Squadron, before being again disbanded in 1961.[3]
Subsequent to the Second World War the RCAF expanded their squadron numbers to include 444-450. No. 450 was also a Royal Australian Air Force squadron during the war and the Canadian squadron duplicated the number by error, which was discovered when No. 450 Squadron RCAF was formed in 1968.
By the middle of June the squadron had moved to RCAF Station Yarmouth in Nova Scotia, where it was disbanded on September 5, 1945.[3][10] 428 Squadron was "sponsored" by the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, a Canadian national women's charitable organization based in Toronto in Ontario, Canada.[5]
As the fifth Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck equipped squadron, on June 21, 1954, the squadron was re-activated at RCAF Station Uplands as 428 All-Weather (Fighter) Squadron, stood up as an interceptor squadron, capable of operating both day and night.[3] 428 All-Weather (Fighter) Squadron was re-activated, as one of nine Canadian based RCAF squadrons, to be operating under the new RCAF Air Defense Command, protecting North American airspace from Soviet intruders and long range bombers.[28] The squadron received eighteen CF-100s, of which a prototype of its first aircraft, the Mark IV, had flown on 11 October 1952. It received its first Mk-4As in June 1954 (i.e. Tail No. 18211/18223), seeing an engine boost in the MK-4Bs it began to receive in February 1955 (i.e. Tail No. 18331/18356) and the big change with the Mk-5s (i.e. Tail No. 18464/18542) it began to receive in March 1956 (losing its guns).[5]
By late 1944, the RCAF Overseas leadership became committed to provisional planning of a (very) long-range heavy bomber force being considered for a post-Europe deployment, to the Far East.[19] Code-named 'Tiger Force' it was to operate from the Okinawa Islands, and in its final design assemble two groups, each of eight RAF and RCAF squadrons, to include No. 428 Squadron.[20] Formation orders issued, the designated Canadian squadrons were to re-equip with newer Avro Lancaster Mk. Xs, of the RAF owned FM and KB series.[21] When released from No.6 Group, 428 Squadron journeyed via Lagens, on Terceira Island, The Azores, to Gander, Newfoundland and onto Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, making a singular mark on the way. Of 165 Tiger Force Lancasters dispatched, 164 made the crossing, whereas on June 4, 1945, Lancaster KB764 No. 428 Squadron approaching Lagens, having previously lost its port outer engine and then its port inner engine, power completely asymmetric, crashed 3km (1.9mi) out to sea. "No trouble was experienced in leaving the aircraft", wrote Flight Lieutenant Elihu Paul Acree.[22]
In January 1950, he captained the No. 412 (Composite) Squadron C-5 Canadair North Star (DC-4 M1 7518) making the first RCAF round-the-world flight. Covering 43,000 kilometres, it transported then Secretary of State for External Affairs Minister Lester B. Pearson, and Governor-General Field Marshall Viscount Harold Alexander, to the Commonwealth Conference of Foreign Ministers, held in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), from 9–14 January 1950.[55] After commanding 428 AW(F) Squadron, he took up command of the relocated No.3 All-Weather (Fighter) Operational Training Unit then at RCAF Station Cold Lake.[56][57]