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28few weeks the squadron was carrying out reconnaissance flights from Koggala and on 4 April, a Catalina captained by Squadron Leader Leonard Birchall spotted a large Japanese fleet about 350 miles south of Ceylon. Before his aircraft was shot down, the crew had radioed a sighting report which gave sufficient warning for the defence forces to counter the Japanese. Birchall and the survivors of his crew were taken prisoner. Birchall was given the epithet %u2018Saviour of Ceylon%u2019 and awarded a DFC and, for his later courage and example whilst a POW, the OBE. The squadron continued to operate in the Indian Ocean area for the remainder of the war but success against both U8boats and Japanese submarines was hard to come by. Without a doubt, the major contribution made by Canada was its involvement in the bomber offensive against Germany. In the spring of 1941, No 405 Sqn was formed on Wellingtons and assigned to No 4 Group. Re8equipped with Halifaxes a year later, it spent six months on detachment to Coastal Command before joining No 8 Gp to become the RCAF element of the Pathfinder Force. The build up of RCAF bomber squadrons continued throughout 1941 and %u201842, with most starting on Wellingtons and progressing to the Halifax or Lancaster, only the last two, Nos 433 and 434 Sqns being armed with four8engined types from the outset. I have already mentioned Air Marshal Croil%u2019s ideas for forming fighter and bomber groups but the former was a non8starter because the RCAF was unable to field anything like the number if squadrons A Lancaster of No 424 Sqn RCAF.