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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

Wilcox, Oliver James (Leading Aircraftman)

Killed in Flying Accident 1944-May-06

Leading Aircraftman Oliver James Wilcox RCAF

Birth Date: 1917-September-29

Born:

Parents: Son of John and Beatrice Wilcox, of Woodslee; husband of Mary H. Wilcox, of Cottam.

Spouse: Husband of Mary H. Wilcox, of Cottam.

Home: Woodslee, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

2 EFTS- Elementary Flying Training School

Base

Fort William, Ontario, Canada

Rank

Leading Aircraftman

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

R/263815

Home

Google Map

Woodslee, Ontario

Final Burial

Google Map

Jarriett Or Woodslee United Church Cemetery
N/A

LAC Wilcox was flying Tiger Moth aircraft 5991 and was engaged in solo practice of circuits and landings and bounced on landing. He appeared to correct with half throttle only and an incipient spin resulted. Leading Aircraftman Wilcox was severely injured when the aircraft crashed and burned. He died later that day in hospital.

Canada Primary Source School Daily Diary Entry - 1944-05-06

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)

Accident Card - de Havilland Moth, Tiger I serial:5991

This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1944-May-06. Tiger Moth s/n 5991.

This accident involved 1 person. Wilcox OJ

This accident had 1 fatality. Leading Aircraftman Oliver James Wilcox RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/263815 Moth, Tiger 5991

Unit Desciption

2 EFTS (2 Elementary Flying Training School)

An Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) gave a trainee 50 hours of basic flying instruction on a simple trainer like the De Havilland Tiger Moth, Fleet Finch, or Fairchild Cornell over 8 weeks.Elementary schools were operated by civilian flying clubs under contract to the RCAF and most of the instructors were civilians. For example, No. 12 EFTS Goderich was run by the Kitchener-Waterloo Flying Club and the County of Huron Flying Club.The next step for a pilot was the Service Flying Training School.

NO2 EFTS August 1941

The School was established at Fort William, Ontario. The former school is now the Thunder Bay, Ontario Airport.

More information on the RCAF Station at Fort William can be found at

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - RCAF Station Fort William ON

Unvetted Source NW Ontario Heritage Center - 2 EFTS

Project 44 BCATP

Unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy