2013 Battle of Britain Parade 2Lt Catie Keyser On Sunday the 15th of September, Canadians paid tribute to the selfless acts and bravery of the many Canadian and Allied nations’ members who, back in the summer and fall of 1940, defended skies of England against the Axis Forces. The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust details that the “last major daylight raid on London took place on 15 September, now commemorated as Battle of Britain Day.” Several Edmonton individuals were a part of the approximate 700 Allied aircrew that defended…
Read MoreFamily Day at 408 THS
Family Day at 408 THS 2Lt Catie Keyser, 408 THS 14 September 2013 This past Saturday, 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (THS) hosted their annual Family Day. The day honoured the family of current 408 THS members, and allowed them to tour the workplace of their loved ones. Saturday’s event was host to a variety of events and activities, including demonstrations and tours of various sections of the unit. Attendees were granted access to the Air Traffic Control Tower, were given demonstrations of the use of night vision goggles, and close…
Read MoreInternational Air Cadet Exchange Canada 2013 visits 408THS
International Air Cadet Exchange Canada 2013 visits 408THS 2Lt Catherine Keyser, 408THS 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron hosted 90 international Air Cadets on July 25th 2013. The cadets were visiting as part of the 2013 International Air Cadet Exchange to Canada. The participants included cadets ages 16 to 21 from the UK, France, Turkey, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. They took part in familiarization flights on the CH146 Griffon helicopter and were given a tour of the various sections of the Sqn. Additionally, they were given demonstrations on…
Read MoreNew Bomber Command honour unveiled
Air Force History New Bomber Command honour unveiled Apr. 16, 2013 From Veterans Affairs Canada The new Bomber Command honour, in the form of a bar to be worn on the ribbon of the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal (CVSM), was unveiled yesterday at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa. Applications are now officially being accepted for this honour. To apply for the honour visit www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/cmdp/bomber. “Our Government announced its intention to create a Bomber Command honour, and we are now pleased to unveil this honour today,” said Veterans…
Read MoreSt. Clement Danes
Air Force Articles [responsive_vid] St. Clement Danes: A tribute to Commonwealth air forces Nov. 10, 2010 By Dave O’Malley “Re-consecrated in 1958 as a perpetual shrine of remembrance to those killed on active service and those of the Allied Air Forces who gave their lives during the Second World War, it is a living church prayed in daily and visited throughout the year by thousands seeking solace and reflection,” St. Clement Danes on the Strand Buried deep in Westminster, one of the most historic sectors of London, England, stands…
Read MoreMarcus R. Humphrey
Marcus R. Humphrey, 89-1/2, of Gettysburg, passed away at Gettysburg Hospital on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Mr. Humphrey was born in 1923 in Omaha, Neb., son of the late Marcus R. Humphrey Sr. and Mabel Frappia Humphrey. He graduated from Pawnee City High School in Pawnee City, Neb., in 1941. In the summer of 1941, he hitch-hiked to Canada to join the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was sent to England and served in the Royal Air Force 408 Squadron as a pilot of a Lancaster bomber. He flew 30…
Read More408 Squadron: looking back and getting ready
Air Force Articles 408 Squadron: looking back and getting ready Dec. 7, 2012 by Capt Rodney Dietzmann It’s hard to believe that more than a year has passed since members of Edmonton, Alberta-based 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron redeployed from the final rotation of Canadian Forces aviation support in Afghanistan. It has been an incredibly busy year as 408 Squadron members have regrouped, refocused on endeavours such as northern operations and provided a high level of support to other operations and exercises. All of this was accomplished while everyone got back…
Read MoreA rookie’s perspective: Exercise Maple Resolve 2012
Air Force Articles A rookie’s perspective: Exercise Maple Resolve 2012 Nov. 15, 2012 by Second-Lieutenant Darren Kroeker Second-Lieutenant Kroeker, a former commercial pilot, is a new member of the Canadian Forces. He is currently assigned to 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, in Edmonton, Alta. He recently took part in Exercise Maple Resolve 2012, a month-long high-readiness training exercise that involving nearly 4 000 soldiers at the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre, Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, Alta., and concluded November 2. 2Lt Kroeker describes what it’s like to be on a major exercise…
Read MoreAn historic move by 408 Tac Hel Squadron
An historic move by 408 Tac Hel Squadron July 31, 2012 By Capt Rodney Dietzmann On June 8, 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, located at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, but belonging to 1 Wing Kingston, Ont., played a unique part in seeing that a part of Royal Canadian Air Force history is preserved. Ten members of the squadron’s maintenance flight loaded most of the airframe and parts of an H-44a “Flying Banana” that was being stored at the Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alta., for its long journey to the Greenwood…
Read MoreA comforting show of appreciation
A comforting show of appreciation July 20, 2012 By Capt Rodney Dietzmann Serving overseas is something most Canadian Forces members look forward to doing with pride. However, no one hopes to be wounded or sustain injuries. When that happens, it is comforting to know that people care. After Corporal Pres Lavier, a flight engineer with Edmonton-based 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, sustained injuries in a CH-147 Chinook helicopter crash while serving in Afghanistan, it was touching to be recognized by a Canadian organization called Quilts of Valour Canada. “Receiving the quilt…
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