417 Combat Support Squadron

417 Combat Support Squadron

Active	1941–1945 1947–1949 1968–1983 1993–present
Country	Canada
Branch	Royal Canadian Air Force
Type	Combat support
Size	One squadron
Part of	4 Wing
Garrison/HQ	CFB Cold Lake
Motto(s)	Supporting liberty and justice
Battle honours	Defence of Britain, 1942 Egypt and Libya, 1942–1943 North Africa, 1943 Sicily, 1943 Italy, 1943–1945 Salerno Anzio and Nettuno Gustav Line Gothic Line
Website	www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/4-wing/417-squadron.page
Commanders
Honorary colonel	Glen Suitor
Insignia
Identification symbol	Argent in front of a palm tree Or eradicated a sword Argent and fasces Gules in saltire
Aircraft flown
Transport	CH-146 Griffon

417 Combat Support Squadron (French: 417^e Escadron de soutien au combat) is an Air Force unit with the Canadian Forces. Based at CFB Cold Lake it provides helicopter support to the base operations. Since 1994, it has also provided search and rescue.

417 Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron formed in England on 27 November 1941 at RAF Charmy Down and was known as the "City of Windsor" squadron. It was equipped with the Hurricane and later the Spitfire. It was initially deployed in Egypt and followed the allied advance through the western desert. With the defeat of axis forces in North Africa, the squadron followed the advance through Italy. It disbanded in Italy on July 1, 1945.

The squadron reactivated in Canada on June 1, 1947, at Rivers, Manitoba. It was equipped with the Mustang for army close support training until August 1, 1948.

Reformed as a part of the Canadian Forces in 1970 it operated as an operational training squadron on the CF-104 Starfighter at CFB Cold Lake. The squadron disbanded in 1983 with the retirement of the CF-104 fleet.

On April 1, 1993, 417 Combat Support squadron was formed from CFB Cold Lake Base Flight plus aircraft servicing and maintenance elements of the Wing Maintenance organization. The squadron continued Base Flight's operations with ten CT-133 Silver Stars and three CH-118 Iroquois. When Base Rescue Moose Jaw was disbanded in 1993, 417 Squadron gained two of their CH-118s, to operate a total of five.

...
Wikipedia