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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

Drynan, Gerald Clarence (Warrant Officer )

Killed in Action 1943-August-05

Warrant Officer Gerald Clarence Drynan RCAF

Birth Date: 1922-May-18

Born: London Ontario

Parents: Son of Gerald V. Drynan and Eva Alberta Drynan, of London, Ontario.

Spouse: Husband of Vera D. Drynan of Guelph, Ontario.

Home: London, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

145 Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Diu Noctuque Pugnamus We fight by day and night

Base

RAF Lentini West, Itaky

Rank

Warrant Officer

Position

Wireless Air Gunner

Service Numbers

R/99717

Home

Google Map

London, Ontario

Final Burial

Google Map

CWG Cemetery
Plot 1 Row 3 Grave 22

145 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron (Furor Non Sine Frenis). Ventura aircraft crashed.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave Finadagrave.com

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Ventura 2169

Warrant Officer Gerald Clarence Drynan RCAF

Warrant Officer Drynan, Gerald Clarence (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1943-August-05
CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland, Canada

Pilot Officer Milton Eric Griff RCAF

Pilot Officer Griff, Milton Eric (RCAF)
Navigator
Killed in Action
1943-August-05
CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland, Canada

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Wilbur Moats Lee RCAF

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Lee, Wilbur Moats (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1943-August-05
CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland, Canada

Pilot Officer William Robert Gale Richardson RCAF

Pilot Officer Richardson, William Robert Gale (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1943-August-05
CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland, Canada

Accident Card - Lockheed Ventura G.R. Mk. V serial:2169

This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1943-August-05. Ventura GRV s/n 2169.

This accident involved 4 people. Drynan GC, Richardson WRG, Griff ME, Lee WM

This accident had 4 fatalities. Warrant Officer 2nd Class Wilbur Moats Lee RCAF Killed in Action service no:R/121930 Ventura 2169, Pilot Officer William Robert Gale Richardson RCAF Killed in Action service no:C/29623 Ventura 2169, Pilot Officer Milton Eric Griff RCAF Killed in Action service no:J/35972 Ventura 2169, Warrant Officer Gerald Clarence Drynan RCAF Killed in Action service no:R/99717 Ventura 2169