This stained glass window commemorates the 50th Anniversary of 412 Squadron. It is window #1 (of two) that commemorates this anniversary.
412 (Fighter) Squadron was formed at RAF Digby, England. John Gillespie Magee, the author of the famous aviation poem “High Flight” was serving with 412 Squadron when he was killed in a mid-air collision in his Spitfire in 1941. Equipped with the Spitfire Vb, 412 Squadron served at a number of RAF Stations in the United Kingdom.
In October 1943, the squadron joined RCAF 126 Wing, part of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force. It was re-equipped with the Spitfire lXb in November and began operating over northern France in preparation for the Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings. It was during late 1943 that the ace George “Screwball” Beurling scored his last air victory while serving with the squadron. The squadron was moved to France in June 1944, days after the Allied landings and operated on continental Europe for the remainder of the war.
The squadron was based at Wunstorf, Germany when the war ended in May 1945 and recorded a total of 108 victories. After the war it was re-formed at Rockcliffe as a transport squadron and later transferred to Uplands. Upon unification, 412 Squadron became the VIP squadron for the Canadian Forces based at CFB Uplands and flew the CC-117 Falcon, CC-144 Challenger and CC-109 Cosmopolitan. Today, the Squadron performs the VIP and general transport duties with the CC-144 Challenger.
