# 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron

443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron (French: 443$^e$ Escadron d'hélicoptères maritimes) is a Canadian Armed Forces helicopter squadron under the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It was originally a Second World War RCAF squadron that operated as part of RAF Fighter Command in Europe with the Supermarine Spitfire.

## History
### Formation and World War II

Originally formed as No. 127 (Fighter) Squadron in the fighter role in July 1942, it operated along the East Coast of Canada (Including RCAF Gander in Newfoundland) flying Hawker Hurricanes until late 1943, when it was selected for overseas service. Arriving in Britain on 8 February 1944, it was redesignated No. 443 Squadron at Bournemouth and was soon based at RAF Digby, Lincolnshire, together with Nos. 441 and 442 Squadrons as Article XV squadrons under the control of the British Royal Air Force.
Working up on Spitfire Mk. Vs from RAF Westhampnett, the squadron received Spitfire Mk. IXs the following month when a move was made to Holmsley South to form No. 144 Wing RAF, Second Tactical Air Force, and the squadron became operational. The first sorties were as bomber escorts and until the invasion in June the squadron carried out deep penetration missions using 90-imperial-gallon (410 L) drop tanks. During the Normandy landings themselves, the squadron provided low-level fighter cover and on 15 June it moved to France in the close-support and armed aerial reconnaissance role. It was now heavily involved in ground attack sorties and continued to move forward following the Allied advance through Belgium and into the Netherlands to maintain its close air support of the ground forces. Having returned to RAF Warmwell for an air-firing course the squadron missed the Luftwaffe's New Year's attack on Allied airfields. Unlike its two fellow squadrons, it did not return to Britain, but stayed on the continent, following the Allied armies advance into Germany equipped with the Spitfire Mk. XVI. With the end of the war the squadron joined the British Air Forces of Occupation until disbanding at Uetersen on 15 March 1946.

### Post war

The squadron was re-formed on 12 September 1951 at RCAF Station Sea Island (Vancouver) and became New Westminster (Vancouver) Auxiliary Squadron. Aircraft flown included the North American P-51 Mustang, Harvard, and Expeditor. The squadron again disbanded on 31 March 1964.
No. 443 was reactivated again on 25 October 1974 as 443 Anti-Submarine Helicopter Squadron at CFB Shearwater, Nova Scotia. In the late 1980s, the squadron moved to Patricia Bay on Vancouver Island. In 1995 the squadron changed its name to 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron. It flew the CH-124 Sea King helicopter in support of Canadian Forces warships in the Arabian Sea after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. As of March 2019, the squadron operates three CH-148 Cyclone helicopters.

## Aircraft operated

| Dates | Aircraft | Variant | Notes |
| February 1944 – April 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.Vb | Single-engined piston fighter |
| April 1944 – February 1945 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.IXb | |
| January 1945 – January 1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.XVI | |
| January 1946 – April 1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.XIVe | |
| September 1951 – March 1964 | Beechcraft Expeditor | C-45 | Dual-engined Trainer & Utility aircraft |
| December 1951 – September 1958 | North American Harvard | T-6 (Harvard Mk.2) | Single-engined trainer |
| November 1952 – October 1956 | North American Mustang | P-51D (Mustang Mk.4) | Single-engined piston fighter |
| August 1956 – 1958 | North American Sabre | F-86 (Sabre Mk.5) | Single-engined jet fighter |
| October 1974 – December 2018 | Sikorsky Sea King | CH-124 | Helicopter |
| August 2018 – Present | Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone | CH-148 | Helicopter |