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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

War Status Search Catastrophic Losses (Ships Hotels Aircraft) Choose Specific Military Cemeteries (WW1 WW2 and Beyond)

Andrew Mynarski, VC

We Shall Remember Them.
History

Education & History
Start Here Glossary Canada and World War II Combatants & First Airmen Casualties Air Force Operations Battle of Britain Women in War War Artists Canada in Korean Air War 1950-1953

Blogs & Articles
CASPIR Overview First World War Neighbourhood - Dufferin & Dupont Canada's First Military Aeroplane 1917

"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

Bird, John Edward (Sergeant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1943-March-25

Male Head

Birth Date: 1923

Born:

Parents: Son of John Wilfrid Newboult Bird and Ruby Bird, of South Harrow, Middlesex, England.

Spouse:

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RAFVR

Unit

31 ANS- Air Navigation School (RAF)

Base

RCAF Stn. Port Albert, Ontario

Rank

Sergeant

Position

Service Numbers

1334377

Final Burial

Google Map

Maitland Cemetery
Range B Sec 4 Lot 94

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave Finadagrave.com

Crew or Other Personnel

Anson R9720

Sergeant John Edward Bird RAFVR

Sergeant Bird, John Edward (RAFVR)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-March-25
Maitland Cemetery, Goderich, Ontario, Canada

Leading Aircraftman Geoffrey Herbert Hicks RAFVR

Leading Aircraftman Hicks, Geoffrey Herbert (RAFVR)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-March-25
Maitland Cemetery, Goderich, Ontario, Canada

Accident Card - Avro Anson Mk. I serial:R9720

This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1943-March-25. Anson I s/n R9720.

This accident involved 5 people. Bird JE, Coles WHK, Hicks GH, Thomas DR, White AP

This accident had 2 fatalities. Sergeant John Edward Bird RAFVR Killed in Flying Accident service no:1334377 Anson R9720, Leading Aircraftman Geoffrey Herbert Hicks RAFVR Killed in Flying Accident service no:1321921 Anson R9720

Unit Desciption

31 ANS (31 Air Navigation School)

Nos. 1 & 2 Air Navigation Schools offered four-week courses in astronavigation and were the last step for Air Observers.

The RAF schools, Nos. 31, 32, and 33, provided the same training as Air Observer Schools.

NO31 ANS Port Albert ON

Originally Navigation School No. 48 General Reconnaissance from St. Athan, Wales, which moved to Port Albert as No. 31 Air Navigation School in October 1940.

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - RCAF Station Port Albert On

Unvetted Source HuronCounty.ca - 31 ANS History

Unvetted Source RAF Metman - 31 ANS History

Project 44 BCATP

Unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy