Hawker Hurricanes

Photo source : Canadian Air Force site

On 6 January 1944 the first aircraft, two Hurricane IVs, were received and the next day the advance party set out for Ayr.  On the 8th the main party departed from Wellingore, leaving S/Ls Kelly and Smith (who had arrived on the 6th) to fly the two aircraft up to Ayr two days later. At this base on the Firth of Clyde No. 439 joined No. 438 (formerly No. 118) which had preceded it overseas. Together they constituted a new RCAF air field, No. 143 Wing, under the command of W/C P.W. Hillock. With W/C R.T.P. Davidson, DFC, a Canadian in the R.A.F., as Wing Commander Flying. The Wing was completed a month later, on 14 February, when No. 440 (formerly No. 111) arrived at Ayr; the three squadrons remained together until the end of hostilities. In the new airfield organisation the Squadron's ground personnel became 6439 Servicing Echelon, leaving only the pilots and a small ground staff (two officers and 26 airman) in the actual Squadron. 6439 Servicing Echelon, leaving only the pilots and a small ground staff (two officers and 26 airman) in the actual Squadron.

After moving to the Scottish base No. 439's initial complement of two Hurricanes was quickly built up to fourteen,( click here for registry) and on 14 January flying training began to prepare the pilots for their new operational role, dive-bombing in close support of ground operations.  For a time it was apparently expected that the Squadron would also use rocket projectiles and several pilots went to Acklington for practice on this new weapon. Before long, however, the Squadron learned that it would not carry rockets but would be strictly a fighter-bomber unit.  A preview of future plans and operations was given to some pilots who were detailed to attend assault landing exercises in Moray Firth in February; clearly “the balloon"  would be going up soon.

Sqn posing at Ayr, Scotland

Photo source: 439 Sqn archives PL28100

The Hurricane IV was an "interim" type for conversion to the Squadron's new role and its operational aircraft, the Hawker Typhoon.  Late in January the first of the new type was delivered to Ayr and was carefully examined by all the pilots as it reposed in the maintenance hanger. A few days later, "much to our great joy”, three more Typhoons were ferried in by the Air Transport Auxiliary.  Their number was very limited, however, for many weeks, and it was not until the end of April that the Squadron reached its full quota of eighteen Tiffies.