PL - Robert Smith Bennie KIA

ABOUT
CASPIR Data Archive Mission & Data Sources Significant Canadian Historians Our Team RCAF Assistance CASPIR Volunteering
CASPIR contains documents, images and history of Canada's military aviation. The personnel and aircraft data has been compiled using data provided by trusted Canadian military aviation historians and original source documents. Where possible source documents are linked.
RESEARCH
CASPIR Resources
RCAF Accident Cards (1939-1945)JA Griffin Documents 1968 and 2005 Obtaining a World War II Service File
External Resources
RCAF.info: Research Resources RCAF.info: Finding Your Family Records
Griffin Library, 17 Wing Winnipeg
John Griffin was a significant historian, documenting Canada's Military aircraft
AIRCRAFT
Military Aircraft Associated with Canadians Choose a Specific Aircraft Serial
Lancaster FM213
CWHM flies one of the two airworthy Lancasters in the world. FM213 is usually marked as KB726 honouring Andrew Mynarski, VC.
PERSONNEL
Name or Home Town Search Unit (Squadron) Search Aircraft Type or Serial Search Browse by Letter This Day in History Choose a Day in History
Prisoner of War Evaded Capture Interned in a Neutral Country Catastrophic Losses (Ships Hotels Aircraft)Choose Specific Military Cemeteries (WW1 WW2 and Beyond)
Andrew Mynarski, VC
We Shall Remember Them.
HISTORY
✅ Start Here ✅ Glossary ✅ Canada and World War II ✅ Combatants & First Airmen Casualties ✅ Air Force Operations ✅ Battle of Britain ✅ Women in War ✅ War Artists
"A" Able flying through the Eiffel Tower? (although this event likely happened, this photograph is likely fake.) It is signed by the late Bill Bryant RAF who was the navigator of that aircraft piloted by Bob Boorman RCAF. The caption reads "This Stars Stripes photograph was taken on 14 September 1944 and shows a Mosquito Mk XIII of 409 Squadron RCAF. Pilot - W/O Bob Boorman RCAF Navigator F/S Bill Bryant RAF Flying through the Eiffel Tower."
CONTACT
Click here for Information Requests & Data Submissions
NEW & INTERESTING
Exceptionally Interesting Stories and Aircraft What is new in CASPIR?

Bennie, Robert Smith (Second-Lieutenant)

Killed in Action 1917-June-05

Male Head

Canada

Birth Date: unkown date (age 20)

Born: Chatham, Ontario

Robert Bennie & Ada W. Bennie

unmarried

Home: Pelee Island, Ontario

Service
RFC

Unit
45 (BR) Sqn- Squadron (RFC)

Base
France

Rank

Position
pilot

Service Numbers
490832

Confirm if he is MIA. *S.L.* YES, pf Bennie was posted to 45 Sqn on 1917-05-10. He and his gunner/observer Lt. Thomas Arthur Metheral (Canadian) encountered16 enemy aircraft while on patrol. Under constant attack the Strutter took fire and both men jumped, rather than burning with the aircraft.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com Finadagrave.com

Second-Lieutenant Robert Smith Bennie has no known grave.

Home

Google Map

Pelee Island, Ontario

Google Map

Cement House Cemetery
XVIII C 9-10 joint

© Canadian Warplane Heritage 2025