No. 433 (Porcupine) Squadron RCAF

Motto: "Qui s'y frotte s'y pique" ("Who opposes it gets hurt").
Badge: In front of a hurt a porcupine.This squadron was adopted by the Porcupine District of Northern Ontario. The hurt, or blue disc, symbolises the "hurt" done to the enemy and the sky through which the unit operated. The motto refers to the squadron and its nickname.
Authority: King George VI, December 1945.

No. 433 Squadron was formed as a heavy-bomber unit of No. 6 (RCAF) Group at Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, on 25th September 1943, but did not begin operations until January 1944. It was to be based at Skipton-on-Swale throughout its wartime existence of nearly two years. The squadron operated with Halifax IIIs until mid-January 1945, and then wound up its operations against the enemy on Lancasters. It flew 2,316 operational sorties on 155 bombing and 54 mining operations and lost 38 aircraft. It won 146 decorations comprising 1 BEM, 132 DFCs, 2 bars to DFCs, 9 DFMs, 1 Purple Heart (US) and 1 Air Medal (US).

Bomber Command WWII Bases:
Formed 25.9.43 as No. 433 (Bomber) Squadron at:

• Skipton-on-Swale, Yorks : Sep 1943 onwards

Bomber Command WWII Aircraft:

• Handley Page Halifax B.III : Nov 1943-Feb 1945
• Avro Lancaster B.I : Jan 1945 onwards

Code Letters:

• "BM"

First Operational Mission in WWII:

• 2nd/3rd January 1944 : 3 Halifaxes laid mines in Frisian Islands area

First Bombing Mission in WWII:

• 18/19th January 1944 : 6 Halifaxes bombed Berlin (primary target) and another - one of two early returning aircraft - bombed Kiel instead.

Last Operational Mission in WWII:

• 25th April 1945 : 10 Lancasters bombed gun batteries on island of Wangerooge.

 

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