History
Motto:
"NOCTIVAGA" ("Wandering
by Night")
Formed at Ayr as the RCAF's third night fighter unit on 30 June 1941, it
was equipped with Defiants. These were used until May 1942 when
Beaufighters, which began arriving in April, finally replaced them.
From Ayr, it operated a
detachment at Acklington, which was continued when the squadron moved to
Drem in August, where it remained until returning to Ayr in June 1942.
in September it moved to Scorton but in October was back at Acklington
to convert to Mosquitoes. Moving to Coleby grange in February 1943, It
was now involved in Bomber Support operations as well as the more normal
night fighter duties.
In October 1943 the
squadron moved again, this time to West Malling, where it joined No 11
Group, from where it undertook night patrols. After D-Day the squadron
began re-equipping with Mosquito XXXs and with these it joined 2nd
Tactical Air Force in September, moving onto the continent in the same
month. However, following the end of hostilities, the squadron was
disbanded on 9 June 1945 at Gilze-Rijen.
No. 410 has the distinction of being
the top-scoring night-fighter unit in 2nd TAF in the period between
D-Day and VE-Day.
(Source
and
©:
rafweb.org)
Relevant
Websites and books
410 Squadron, A History, Capt
Bob Merrick, et al, DDDS-7 NDHQ Ottawa, 1976
History of 410 Squadron, June 1941 -
June 1945, unknown, self-published, unknown (link
to online PDF file of the book)
Casualties of the squadron, buried
in the Netherlands.
