View source for 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron

{{Short description|Canadian military flying unit}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron
| native_name = {{lang|fr|442<sup>e</sup> Escadron de transport et de sauvetage}}
| image = 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron.png
| image_size = 
| caption = Squadron badge featuring a {{lang|nuk|[[haietlik]]}}
| dates = 1944–1945, 1946–1964, 1968–present
| country = Canada
| branch = [[Royal Canadian Air Force]]
| type = Tactical transport, search and rescue
| command_structure = [[19 Wing Comox]]
| motto = {{langnf|fr|links=no|Un Dieu, une reine, un cœur|One God, one queen, one heart}}
| battle_honours = {{flatlist|
* {{smallcaps|Fortress Europe, 1944}}
* {{smallcaps|France and Germany, 1944–1945}}
* Normandy, 1944
* Arnhem
* Rhine
* {{smallcaps|Aleutians, 1943}}<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-4/442-trs-ets-eng.asp|title=Volume 4: Operational Flying Squadrons|publisher=Department of National Defence/Directorate of History and Heritage|date=19 August 2010}}</ref>
}}
| website = {{official URL}}
| commander1 = Lieutenant-Colonel Francois Fasquelle
| commander1_label = Commander<!-- Aircraft -->
| aircraft_attack = 
| aircraft_bomber = 
| aircraft_electronic = 
| aircraft_fighter = 
| aircraft_interceptor = 
| aircraft_patrol = 
| aircraft_recon = 
| aircraft_trainer = 
| aircraft_transport = Past - [[Grumman HU-16 Albatross]], [[Douglas DC-3 Dakota]], [[DeHavilland CC-115 Buffalo]], [[Boeing Vertol CH-113/113A Labrador]]. Current - [[Lockheed CC-130 Hercules]], [[EADS CASA C-295|CC-295 Kingfisher]] and [[AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant]]
}}

'''442 Transport and Rescue Squadron''' ({{langx|fr|links=no|442<sup>e</sup> Escadron de transport et de sauvetage}}) is a [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] tactical transport and [[search and rescue]] unit based at [[CFB Comox|Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Comox]] in [[British Columbia]]. The squadron flies six [[CC-295 Kingfisher]] aircraft, replacing six [[CC-115 Buffalo]] [[STOL]] aircraft, which have been retired as of 2020, and five [[AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant]] rescue helicopters. One of each is on constant readiness to deploy in response to distress calls in the [[JRCC Victoria|Victoria Search and Rescue Region]], which includes most of British Columbia and the territory of [[Yukon]] as well as 560,000 square kilometres in the Pacific Ocean, up to {{convert|600|nmi|km}} offshore. The squadron also serves as the operational training unit for the CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and CC-295 Kingfisher aircraft.

==History==
The unit was first activated in 1942 flying Curtis Kittyhawks as 14 Fighter Squadron with the [[RCAF Western Air Command]] due to the threat to Canada's west coast after the [[Pearl Harbor attack]]. The squadron moved to Alaska and participated on [[strafing]] and bombing missions against then-Japanese held [[Kiska]] during the [[Aleutian Islands Campaign]].<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/19w-19e/sqns-escs/page-eng.asp?id=571|title=Aleutian Campaign|publisher=Department of National Defence/Royal Canadian Air Force|date=10 December 2008|access-date=24 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109110053/http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/19w-19e/sqns-escs/page-eng.asp?id=571|archive-date=9 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The squadron was then renumbered to 442 Fighter Squadron and transferred to [[England]] in January 1944 and flew attack and long-range bomber escort sorties in [[Northwest Europe]] flying the North American Mustang IV, claiming over 58 enemy aircraft and hundreds of vehicles, locomotives and rail cars.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/19w-19e/sqns-escs/page-eng.asp?id=572|title=World War II|publisher=Department of National Defence/Royal Canadian Air Force|date=10 December 2008}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The squadron was disbanded in England in 1945 following the end of hostilities, and reformed a year later at [[Vancouver International Airport|RCAF Station Sea Island]] as an auxiliary fighter squadron with deHavilland Vampires.  Starting in 1956 the Vampires were augmented with the more modern Canadair Sabre 5.  However, by 1958 they reequipped with deHavilland Otters and Beech Expeditors flying as a redesignated auxiliary transport squadron.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/19w-19e/sqns-escs/page-eng.asp?id=573|title=Post-War|publisher=Department of National Defence/Royal Canadian Air Force|date=10 December 2008}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> It was again disbanded in 1964.

The squadron was reformed during the 1968 [[unification of the Canadian Forces]] as '''442 Communications and Rescue Squadron''' at [[CFB Comox]] before being redesignated to its current name and role a few months later. Since then, 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron has become the busiest search and rescue unit in the country.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/19w-19e/sqns-escs/page-eng.asp?id=574|title=1960s and beyond|publisher=Department of National Defence/Royal Canadian Air Force|date=10 December 2008}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

<gallery>
Image:DehavillandCC-115Buffalo12.JPG|[[De Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo|CC-115 Buffalo]] of 442 Squadron in 2004 (retired in 2020)
Image:CAFcormorantYQR (cropped).JPG|442 Squadron Cormorant 901 in 2008
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100601211815/http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/e0003868 Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria]

{{RCAF Squadrons}}
{{Canadian Forces Air Command units}}

[[Category:Canadian Forces aircraft squadrons]]
[[Category:Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of Canada in World War II]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1968]]