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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

Hughes, Gerald Clark (Warrant Officer 1st Class)

Killed in Flying Accident 1943-August-19

Warrant Officer 1st Class Gerald Clark Hughes RCAF

Birth Date: 1918-July-19

Born: Calgary Alberta

Parents: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Allan Hughes of Regina

Spouse: Husband of Joyce Hughes, of Saskatoon.

Home: Regina, Saskatchewan

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

3 WS- Wireless School

Base

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Rank

Warrant Officer 1st Class

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

R/83992

Home

Google Map

Regina, Saskatchewan

Final Burial

Google Map

Regina Cemetery
Block C Plot 1 Grave 35

Fleet Fort aircraft 3629 was engaged in a wireless exercise when it was in a mid-air collision with Anson aircraft 6505. The Anson landed safely but the Fleet Fort went out of control and crashed at Stevenson Field, Winnipeg. Warrant Officer Hughes was the only casualty.

Canada Primary Source School Daily Diary Entry - 1943-08-19

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave Finadagrave.com

Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial

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

Accident Card - Fleet Fort serial:3629

This accident involved 2 aircraft on 1943-August-19. They are: Fleet Fort II s/n 3629, Anson I s/n 6505.

This accident involved 3 people. Watkins KL, Rollins FW, Hughes G

This accident had 1 fatality. Warrant Officer 1st Class Gerald Clark Hughes RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/83992 Fort 3629

Unit Desciption

3 WS (3 Wireless School)

Trainees in the "Wireless Air Gunner" (WAG) stream spent 24 weeks at a Wireless Schoo learning the theory and application of wireless communications. This included signalling with lights and flags as well as radio. Their "WAG" training was completed with four weeks at a Bombing & Gunnery School.

NO3 WS Winnipeg

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - RCAF Station Winnipeg MB - 3 WS

Project 44 BCATP

Unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy