The Battle of Britain was formally held from July 10th to October 31st, 1940. According to Veterans Affairs Canada:
Many Canadians served in the squadrons of Spitfires and Hurricanes which repulsed the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940. No. 1 Fighter Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), equipped with modern eight-gun fighters, became the first RCAF unit to engage enemy planes in battle when it met a formation of German bombers over southern England on August 26, 1940. It shot down three of them and damaged four others with the loss of one pilot and one plane. Its next meeting with the enemy was not as fortunate as it was attacked out of the sun by Messerschmitts and lost three planes. By mid-October the squadron had accounted for 31 enemy aircraft destroyed and probably 43 more destroyed or damaged. It lost 16 Hurricanes; three pilots had been killed.
The Canadians flew with the Royal Air Force during that difficult period. No. 242 (Canadian) Squadron RAF, which had been formed in 1939 from some of the many Canadians who flew directly with the Royal Air Force, was now reinforced with Veterans from the French campaign and joined in the battle. On August 30, nine of its planes met a hundred enemy aircraft over Essex. Attacking from above, the squadron claimed 12 victories and escaped unscathed.
Canadians also shared in repulsing the Luftwaffe’s last major daylight attack. On September 27, 303 Squadron RAF and 1 Squadron RCAF attacked the first wave of enemy bombers. Seven, possibly eight enemy planes were destroyed, and another seven damaged. The Royal Canadian Air Force thus received its baptism of fire.
For several decades the Royal Canadian Air Force Association 900 Wing San Francisco (otherwise known as the “Golden Bear Wing”) hosted a Battle of Britain service at the Presidio Chapel in San Francisco. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the RCAF, join Branch 25 (San Francisco) of the Royal Canadian Legion and Rana Sarkar (Consul General of Canada in San Francisco) for the 2024 Battle of Britain service.
Sunday, 15 September 2024 at 11am
Presidio Chapel – 130 Fisher Loop, San Francisco, CA 94129
If you are unable to attend the service in person, it will be live streamed on the day of the event. To register to watch the service online, please visit https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_S3GLUF7JQDWESFbZfVa5hw
For questions please contact:
Michael Barbour
President, Branch 25 (San Francisco)
Royal Canadian Legion
mkbarbour@gmail.com
https://royalcanadianlegionus25.com/
Royal Canadian Legion, US Branch #25 