No. 425 Squadron — Alouette

No. 425 “Alouette” Squadron was formed at RAF Dishforth in June 1942 and was unique among the Canadian bomber squadrons in being raised as a French-Canadian unit, Bomber Command being combed for French-speaking air and ground crew to fill its ranks. It flew the Vickers Wellington and later the Handley Page Halifax.

On the formation of the Canadian No. 6 Group it joined that group, and from mid-1943 served for several months in North Africa in support of the campaigns in Sicily and Italy before returning to fly from RAF Tholthorpe for the rest of the war. Its name and badge came from the French-Canadian folk song “Alouette”, and its motto, Je te plumerai — “I shall pluck you” — was taken from the song’s refrain.