Located in the heart of the Saguenay River Valley northeast of Quebec City, Bagotville traces its history to wartime Canada. In June 1942, No. 1 Fighter OTU was formed to train future fighter pilots for the RCAF. Other units operating from Bagotville during the war were: a detachment of No. 216 Squadron from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, flying Hawker Hurricane IIXAs; No. 129 Fighter Squadron operating Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIXs; No. 130 Fighter Squadron with Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIXs; and No. 12 Radar Unit, a Ground Control Intercept facility (previously known as No. 12 Radio Detachment). With the war in Europe favouring the allies, RCAF Station Bagotville was disbanded in October 1944.
RCAF Station Bagotville was reactivated as an Air Defence Command station in July 1951.. Later the following month 413 (F) Squadron formed with the nimble deHavilland Vampire Mk. III. In November, 413 Squadron was re-equipped with the Canadair Sabre Mk. 2. In April 1953, 413 Squadron proceeded overseas to No. 3 (F) Wing, Zweibrucken, Germany, as part of "Operation Leapfrog III". In November 1952, 414 (F) Squadron was being formed at Bagotville with the Canadair Sabre Mk. IV. They too, would be Europe-bound on "Operation Leapfrog IV" in August 1953, proceeding to No. 4 (F) Wing, Baden-Soellingen, Germany. In Janiary 1954, 440 (F) Squadron was formed with Avro CF-100s. In October 432 Squadron, with their CF-100 Canucks, was formed at Bagotville. They would remain in the Saguenay River Valley until disbandment in 1961.
In May 1957, RCAF Station Bagotville was officially designated an All Weather Station. That same month, 440 Squadron left for duty overseas on "Operation Nimble Bat III" to No. 3 (F) Wing, Zweibrucken, Germany. During these changes 413 Squadron returned from Europe to Bagotville. 413 AW (F) Squadron would patrol the area with their CF-100s until they were disbanded in December 1961. From January to February 1962, 416 AW (F) Squadron were temporary residents; they would reappear between July and November 1962 with their new CF-101 Voodoos. In May 1961 the future long-term Bagotville resident, 425 AW (F) Squadron was selected as one of five units to receive the supersonic CF-101 Voodoo interceptor. After serving as the CF-101 Training Squadron in Namao, Alberta, 425 Squadron was declared operational in October 1962 at Bagotville. A new unit evolved from the demand for qualified Voodoo aircrew and No. 3 AW (OTU) became a fixture at Bagotville for a short period. In 1964, 410 (Operational Training) Fighter Squadron, came to Nagotville and replaced No. 3 OTU. They would act as the operational training unit until the Voodoo era ended in 1984. When the Voodoos left Bagotville so did the USAFs Detachment 3 of the 425th Munitions Support Squadron; their job had been to look after the nuclear warheads used on the Genie rocket.
Arriving in 1968, 433e ETAC with their CF-5s was a lodger unit from 10 TAG until 1982 when they became part of Fighter Group. In 1988, they converted to the CF-18. In 1982, 434 Squadron arrived from Cold Lake with their CF-5s and they stayed until they moved to Chatham in 1985.
In September 1972 the first Air Weapons Instructor Course, run by the Air Weapons Control and Countermeasures School opened at CFB North Bay, was conducted simultaneously at Bagotville and the parent unit.
425 Squadron converted to the new CF-18 Hornet in late 1984 and became operational as 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron in April 1985. 425 Squadron assumed NORAD alert duties the following month. They have detachment facilities at CFB Goose Bay, and it is manned on occasion. NORAD duties are now shared equally between the two resident squadrons. On 1 April 1994, 3 Ere Bagotville officially stood up.
Updated: April 13, 2005