Colonel Vachon, CWO Harper HCols , LCol Stubbert, LCol Arsenault, distinguised guests, 405 Sqn members And my dear family,
The first flight I ever took was with my dad on Eastern airlines and I was 9 years old. We hit so much turbulence we rose above our seats and food trays went flying everywhere. The stewardesses were crying because of the mess. Despite internally freaking out, my dad turned to me and said “it happens all the time, don’t worry”. Later on in the flight, I was invited to see the cockpit and got my very own Eastern Airlines Wings from the aircraft captain. From that moment on, I was hooked on airplanes and flying. I had found my passion.
My love for the Air Force was cultivated over the last 40 years both in or out of uniform and has lead me down a path right back to 11 hangar thanks to LCol Arsenault. Long before the opportunity to be involved with the squadron, I have been singing the praises of the Pathfinders to thousands of visitors of the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum including grade 6 students. I have probably taught them their one and only latin lesson when I explained that the 405 Sqn motto was Ducimus or in English We Lead. 405 Sqn indeed has a history of leading the pack. From being the only Canadian sqn part of the famed
Pathfinder Force who marked targets during WWII, to winning the Fincastle anti- submarine warfare trophy in the first year of flying the Aurora and many other firsts in between and since. The Squadron’s reputation as a leader is irrefutable.
I can’t wait to see how many other firsts the squadron will accomplish over the next three years starting maybe with something easy like a first place at the upcoming Winter Carnival?
Honorary Colonels are not only advocates for their units and the CAF but they also serve as a link to strengthen the military’s bond with the community.
In 2000 Chris Ward published a book called " RAF Bomber Command, Squadron Profiles Number 84, 405 Squadron" Researched, compiled and written by Chris the book profiles the Squadron's activities during the war. It was not meant to be a comprehensive history but to provide as much information as possible in a non-anecdotal form.
In 2024 Chris published a more informative history of 405 Squadron's wartime activities. It is three times the size of his frist book and is available on Amazon
405 Squadron Welcomes
Honorary Colonel Sophie Saulnier
NEW - WAR TIME HISTORY OF 405 SQUADRON
The crest of 405 Long Range Patrol Squadron depicts an eagle's head facing to the sinister and holding in the beak a sprig of maple. Its motto refers to the fact that this was the first and only Royal Canadian Air Force Pathfinder squadron. The eagle's head which faces the sinister suggests leadership, is derived from the pathfinder badge