Conflict
The
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) operated in three broad
theatres of war: Northwest Europe, the Mediterannean and
Southeast Asia. By far the bulk of its activity took place
in Northwest Europe, where RCAF aircrews took on a variety
of roles: day fighters, night fighters, bombers, intruders,
transport, pathfinding, laying mines, escorting ships and
taking on U-boats
in the Atlantic, among others. The RCAF’s greatest contribution
to action in the Mediterannean was with the dispatch of
331 Wing, made up of three bomber squadrons, which played
a part in reclaiming the island of Sicily and gaining a
toehold in Italy. In Southeast Asia, Canadian transport
squadrons helped support the critical supply lifeline for
troops moving through the mountainous jungles of Burma.
The focus here will be on
RCAF squadrons, and the thousands of RCAF crewmen
who served
around the world in other national air forces, especially
the Royal Air Force.
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