Photo source: 439 Sqn Archives

After a week's well deserved leave, during which the Squadron invaded London for the first time, No. 439 quickly became operational, and settled down to the task of providing air defense for NATO practice intercepts, high level battle formation, alerts, and exercises were carried out regularly with good success.

 

Tragedy struck 439 on 1 July when F/O Raymond "Digger" Conti reported a low fuel condition, and that he was preparing to abandon his aircraft. No trace was ever found of the pilot or plane, and F/O Conti thus became the Squadron's first casualty since World War

In the middle of July the first rocket and air-to-air firing trips were carried out with the Sabre to complete the operational readiness requirements for the Squadron. Competition now began in earnest among the three Canadian based at North Luffenham, and the high proficiency in flying, which was to make Canadian pilots respected throughout NATO, began to develop into fact.

In March 53, No. 439 was proud to announce that F/L Bliss had been selected to go to Korea to fly with the USAF in order to gain for Canada some truly operational flying. This policy, adopted by the Canadian Government, proved in later years to be invaluable, in that it provided our squadrons with a number of pilots possessing first hand information to show others some of the best methods of operational flying developed under actual wartime conditions.

S/L Bricker completed his tour of duty with 439 on 8 July 1953, and relinquished command of the Squadron to S/L Belieau who had just arrived from Canada.

 

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Operation Readiness - North Luffenham