No. 39 Wing RCAF explained

Unit Name:	No. 39 Wing RCAF No. 39 (Reconnaissance) Wing RCAF No. 39 (Army Co-operation) Wing RCAF
Dates:	September 1942 – August 1945
Branch:	Royal Air Force / Royal Canadian Air Force
Type:	Wing
Role:	Reconnaissance
Command Structure:	First Canadian Army RAF Second Tactical Air Force

No. 39 Wing RCAF was a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force which served with the Royal Air Force in Europe during the Second World War.

History

No. 39 Wing was established on 12 September 1942 as an "Army Cooperation" Wing at Leatherhead, Surrey, England.^{[1] [2]} It comprised No. 400 Squadron RCAF, No. 414 Squadron RCAF, and No. 430 Squadron RCAF. As a reconnaissance unit, its purpose was to gather photographic intelligence in support of allied ground operations.^[1]

The Wing left the UK and moved to the European continent on 2 July 1944 at Sommervieu, France.^[1] The Wing moved ever eastward following the front and finished the war at airfield B156 Luneburg, Germany where it was finally disbanded.^[1]

Aircraft

• Curtiss Tomahawk I (1942–1943)
• North American Mustang I (1942–1945)
• Supermarine Spitfire LF IX (1944–1945)
• de Havilland Mosquito PR XVI (1943–1945)

Commanding Officers

• G/C D.M. Smith, 12 Sep 42 – 9 Feb 44
• G/C E.H.G. Moncrieff AFC, 10 Feb 44 – 8 Feb 45
• G/C G.H. Sellers, AFC, 9 Feb 45 – 15 May 45
• G/C R.C.A. Waddell, DSO DFC, 16 May 45 – 7 Aug 45

See also

• List of Wings of the Royal Air Force

References

Citations

Notes and References

1. Book: Kostenuk . Samuel . John . Griffin . RCAF Squadron Histories and Aircraft 1924–1968 . Toronto . National Museum of Man Canada . 1977 . 255. 0-88866-577-6 .
2. Web site: Air Force (Canada) History . 2022-05-26 . Royal Canadian Air Force Association . en-CA.