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

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

McLay, Donald Francis (Leading Aircraftman)

Killed in Flying Accident 1944-August-01

Leading Aircraftman Donald Francis McLay RCAF

Birth Date: 1921-May-18

Born:

Parents: Son of James and Bella May McLay, of Moose Jaw.

Spouse:

Home: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

4 BGS- Bombing & Gunnery School

Base

Fingal, Ontario, Canada

Rank

Leading Aircraftman

Position

Bomb Aimer

Service Numbers

R/149817

Home

Google Map

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Final Burial

Google Map

Rosedale Cemetery
Lot 8 Block 10 Grave 187

The crew of Anson aircraft 6711 were on a routine bombing exercise when the aircraft stuck the ground and burned two miles east of Southwold Station, Ontario. Pilot Officer K.M. Joyce, Pilot Officer I.H. Rees, Leading Aircraftman D.F. McLay and Leading Aircraftman S.C. Turner (RAAF) were also killed.

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

Anson 6711

Pilot Officer Keith Mayhew Joyce RCAF

Pilot Officer Joyce, Keith Mayhew (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1944-August-01
Holy Angels Roman Catholic Cemetery, St Thomas, Ontario, Canada

Leading Aircraftman Donald Francis McLay RCAF

Leading Aircraftman McLay, Donald Francis (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Flying Accident
1944-August-01
Rosedale Cemetery, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada

Pilot Officer Ivan Henry Rees RCAF

Pilot Officer Rees, Ivan Henry (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer (instructor)
Killed in Flying Accident
1944-August-01
Grove Cemetery, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Leading Aircraftman Sidney Cleveland Turner RAAF

Leading Aircraftman Turner, Sidney Cleveland (RAAF)

Killed in Flying Accident
1944-August-01
South Park Cemetery, St Thomas, Ontario, Canada

Accident Card - Avro Anson Mk. I serial:6711

This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1944-August-01. Anson I s/n 6711.

This accident involved 4 people. Joyce KM, Mclay DF, Rees IH, Turner SC

This accident had 4 fatalities. Leading Aircraftman Sidney Cleveland Turner RAAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:429023 Anson 6711, Pilot Officer Keith Mayhew Joyce RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/42808 Anson 6711, Leading Aircraftman Donald Francis McLay RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/149817 Anson 6711, Pilot Officer Ivan Henry Rees RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/44121 Anson 6711

Unit Desciption

4 BGS (4 Bomb and Gunnery School)

The Bombing and Gunnery School (B&GS) offered instruction in the techniques of bomb aiming and aerial machine gunnery to Air Observers, Bomb Aimers, and Wireless Air Gunners. These schools required large areas to accommodate their bombing and gunnery ranges, and were often located near water. The Avro Anson, Fairey Battle, Bristol Bolingbroke, and Westland Lysander were the standard aircraft used at B&GS schools.

NO4 BGS Fingal Ontario

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - RCAF Station Fingal Ontario

Museum Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum - 4 BGS History

Unvetted Source RCAF Fingal Blog

Project 44 BCATP

Unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy