I'm pretty sure this is the first time since August 1943 that this Rolls Royce Merlin engine from Halifax HR871 of the Canadian 405 Squadron has sat the correct way up! The aircraft was ditched due to a lightning strike and sat at the bottom of the Baltic sea off the coast of Sweden for almost 80 years...... Ran fine when last used ! It's with great thanks to the Bomber Command Museum of Canada and Halifax 57 Rescue that this ''Golden Gem'' of history can be displayed at the RAF Snaith Museum
405 Squadron represented at Bomber Command Museum RCAF100 event
Air Commodore Johnny Fauquier’s medals, from left, include the Distinguished Service Order with double bar, Distinguished Flying Dross 1941, 1939-1949 Star (Campaign Medal), Air Crew Europe with France and German Clasps, Defence Medal, Canada Volunteer Service Medal, War Medal 1939-1945, Chevalier De L’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur and the Croix de Guerre 1939-1945.
2024
MWO, The Reverent (Retired) Herb Townsend celebrates his 90th birthday with 405 Squadron
NEW SQUADRON PATYCH
HR 871 Engine Recovered
From left are Nancy Penny, Vals Fauquier and Ruth Kirkey, with the replicas of Air Commodore Johnny Fauquier’s medals, which Kirkey brought from 14 Wing Greenwood to Nanton, Alberta, for the Bomber Command Museum’s RCAF centennial celebration. The original medals were donated by Vals Fauquier to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, and are currently on loan to the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum at 14 Wing. The replicas are on permanent display at 405 Squadron.
HR 871 Engine Recovered
April 23, 405 (Long Range Patrol) Squadron, based at 14 Wing Greenwood, celebrated its 83rd birthday with a celebratory cake. Pathfinders gathered, as Lieutenant-Colonel Dan Arsenault, right, and Chief Warrant Officer Duane May got ready for cutting and serving duties.
405 Squadron was the first Royal Canadian Air Force bomber squadron, formed in England April 3, 1941. June 12, 1941, saw its first bombing operation. Elite and experienced bomber crews continued to serve through the Second World War. In 1950, the squadron reformed at Greenwood for maritime patrol work. In 1955, the war-time Lancaster was replaced by the Neptune and then, in 1958, the Argus. The CP140 Aurora arrived in 1980 and, through several modernizations, remains Canada's essential long range patrol and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, at home and abroad.
Ducimus!
Photo: Sergeant R. Beers
May 4 brought warmth and sunshine to Southern Alberta, melting away the last remnants of winter. It wasn't just the weather that brought brightness to the day; it was a time to honour Air Commodore Johnny Fauquier, and commemorate the legacy of 405 Squadron, at the Bomber Command Museum in Nanton, part of its #RCAF100 Royal Canadian Air Force centennial celebrations.
The festivities included a special Lancaster engine run, a tribute to Fauquier’s favourite LQ-J aircrafts, which he always flew, whether it be a Wellington, Halifax Mark II or a Lancaster. Additionally, attendees enjoyed the rumble of a Bristol Hercules engine and a captivating presentation by Richard De Boer, a member of both the Bomber Command Museum and the Mosquito Society in Calgary. One highlight was undoubtedly the heartfelt video presentation by Lieutenant-Colonel Dan Arsenault, current commanding officer of 405 (Long Range Patrol) Squadron, sharing poignant insights into Fauquier's remarkable journey and his continued connection to 14 Wing Greenwood.
Among the esteemed guests at the celebratory occasion were a few of Fauquier's children: David Fauquier, who traveled from the United Kingdom; and daughters Vals Fauquier and Nancy Penny, who travelled from British Columbia. Ruth Kirkey, 405 Squadron commanding officer administrative assistant, had the distinct pleasure of meeting them and capturing a photograph together, standing proudly in front of their father's well-deserved medals, which she had the honour of transporting from their home at 14 Wing to Nanton for display at this significant event.
Fauquier emerged as Canada's leading bomber pilot during the Second World War, boasting an impressive tally of over 93 documented combat missions - though tales exist of additional missions outside the pages of his logbook. His storied career saw him rise to commanding officer of 405 Squadron not once, but twice.
Upon his arrival as a flight lieutenant, he swiftly ascended to command, etching his name in history as the first Canadian to lead a British Bomber Command squadron. As the war progressed, he reached new heights, steering 405 Squadron into the ranks of the Canadian Pathfinder Squadron, a trailblazing achievement. Eventually, he assumed command of the legendary "Dambusters," solidifying his place in aviation history.
In February 1942, he was promoted to acting wing commander and given command of 405 Squadron. His leadership did not go unnoticed, as he was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for acts of gallantry. One standout moment unfolded during Operation Hydra in 1943, when he assumed the role of deputy master bomber in a daring 600-plane attack of a German research target, the centre of Nazi testing of the V-1 and V-2 rockets that later devastated London. Fauquier made a staggering 17 passes over the target throughout the 35-minute raid, dodging antiaircraft fire that downed 41 Royal Air Force bombers. Many Nazi scientists were killed in the raid and the base was demolished. This led to his receipt of the Distinguished Service Order in September 1943. In recognition of his leadership and valour, he rose to the rank of acting group captain of 405 Squadron which, by then, had joined the elite Pathfinder Force.
In January of 1944, Fauquier embarked on a whirlwind 38 missions, completing his second tour of duty with 405 Squadron. He was promoted air commodore and precluded from operational flying, though his name remained a fixture in dispatches. Unwilling to be confined to a desk, he made a bold decision, willingly accepting a reduction in rank to group captain. This maneuver allowed him to lead his third operational tour, this time as the commanding officer of 617 Squadron, famously known as the Dambusters. He guided the Dambusters through a series of daring raids on submarine pens, viaducts, dams and other strategic targets until the war's end. His exceptional leadership merited him a second bar to his Distinguished Service Order, a fitting tribute to his command of 617 Squadron.
In addition to being the only Canadian to win the Distinguished Service Order with two bars, the British also awarded Fauquier with the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the French awarded him the Croix de Guerre with Palm and made him a member of the Legion of Honour.
Fauquier is fondly remembered as one of the toughest commanders, with zero tolerance for incompetence or inefficiency that could jeopardize mission success. Following the war, he transitioned back to civilian life, delving into private enterprise before being inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1974. In a poignant moment in July 1964, Fauquier journeyed to Calgary alongside the minister of defence to witness the final official flight of an Avro Lancaster. Fauquier’s memory lives on in 405 Squadron today, with a briefing room dedicated in his honour where replicas of his medals hang on display. These are the same replica medals that were brought to Alberta for the day of celebration for the public to view.
More information on the Bomber Command Museum and Air Commodore Johnny Fauquier may be found at bombercommandmuseum.ca, where you may also find the book, “Johnny,” written by Dave Birrell, the director of displays, library and archives at the Nanton museum.