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

Bell, Harold Copeland (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Action 1944-March-16

Pilot Officer Harold Copeland Bell RCAF

Birth Date: 1922-October-07

Born: Islay Alberta

Parents: Norman and Mary Bell.

Spouse: Dorothy Rose (nee Bauman) Bell, of Fort William,

Home: Fort William, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

578 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Accuracy

Base

RAF Burn

Rank

Pilot Officer

Position

Air Gunner

Service Numbers

J/86232
Prev: R/155735

Home

Google Map

Fort William, Ontario

Target

Google Map

Stuttgart Germany

Final Burial

Google Map

Stonefall Cemetery
Sec F Row C Grave 19

578 Squadron (Accuracy). Halifax aircraft LW 495 was returning from a raid over Stuttgart, Germany when it crashed at Selby, Yorkshire. Pilot Officer F.W. Lerl and two RAF members of the crew were also killed. Three RAF members of the crew, survived.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

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

Crew or Other Personnel

Halifax LW495

Pilot Officer Harold Copeland Bell RCAF

Pilot Officer Bell, Harold Copeland (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-March-16
Stonefall Cemetery, Wetherby Road, Harrogate, Yorkshire, UK

Pilot Officer John Ronald Coleman RAF

Pilot Officer Coleman, John Ronald (RAF)

Survived
1944-March-16
cemetery unknown

Sergeant John Harry Davis RAF

Sergeant Davis, John Harry (RAF)

Killed in Action
1944-March-16
cemetery unknown

Sergeant Stanley Hugh Jenkins RAF

Sergeant Jenkins, Stanley Hugh (RAF)
Flt Engineer
Killed in Action
1944-March-16
cemetery unknown

Pilot Officer Frederick William Lerl RCAF

Pilot Officer Lerl, Frederick William (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1944-March-16
Stonefall Cemetery, Wetherby Road, Harrogate, Yorkshire, UK

Flt Sergeant Keith George Redford RAF

Flt Sergeant Redford, Keith George (RAF)

Killed in Action
1944-March-16
cemetery unknown

Sergeant Cecil Francis White RAF

Sergeant White, Cecil Francis (RAF)

Survived
1944-March-16
cemetery unknown