RCAF Patch Sqn Royal Canadian Air Force 407 Squadron Escadrille

RCAF Patch 407 Maritime Patrol Squadron Escadrille Royal Canadian Air Force Demons Anti Submarine Patch Late 1970s CP 107 Argus Maritime Reconnaissance CFB Comox Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 74mm two and seven eighth inches diameter.

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407 Maritime Reconnaissance Squadron Demon was reactivated on 1 July 1952 at RCAF Station Comox equipped with Lancaster Mk Xs to carry out maritime and anti submarine patrolling but did not come under the control of Maritime Air Command until 1954. 407 MRS Lancaster crews with detachments at Churchill Resolute Bay Cambridge Bay and Torbay carried out photo and ice reconnaissance operations off Arctic and Eastern Canadian coasts and took part regular major joint anti submarine exercises with NATO countries. On 17 July 1956 it was renamed 407 Maritime Patrol Squadron and as with the other maritime patrol squadrons the Squadron unofficially adopted the US Naval numbering prefix VP becoming known as VP 407.

The Squadron completed conversion to P2V 7 Neptune maritime patrol aircraft in 1958 and In July 1959 the squadron was placed under control of
Maritime Command Headquarters Pacific in Victoria and control of the squadron was transferred to the West Coast. The Squadron requipped with CP 107 Argus patrol aircraft in 1968 which greatly extended the Squadrons range with Australia New Zealand the Philippines Japan Hawaii becoming regular ports of call for the squadron as well as many other Pacific islands used as stepping stones to the more remote deployment areas and participated in joint exercises such as RIMPAC while the Northern Patrol NORPAT continued.

CP 140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft were received in 1983 with the last Argus left the Squadron in 1985 and continued to operate on maritime patrol arctic surveillance and anti submarine duties with search and rescue SAR capability using air droppable survival pods. As part of Air Commands intent to reestablish a visible and united Air Force the prefix VP was removed in 1986 and the Squadron reverted back to its original designation as 407 Maritime Patrol MP Squadron. When the Canadian Forces Air Command adopted the Wing concept on 1 April 1993 CFB Comox was redesignated 19 Wing CFB Comox. The Squadron was redesignated 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron LRP Sqn.

407 LRP Squadron deployed assets to Afghanistan in support of Operation Apollo from 2001 2003 and for OperationAthena in 2009. The Squadron served in an Intelligence Reconnassaince and Surveillance role in the skies over Libya in 2010 and 2011 during Operation Mobile. The Squadron is due to complete transition to CP 207 Argus II maritime patrol aircraft during 2013.

This patch dates from the late 1970s.