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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

Bligh, Orlay Whitney (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Action 1940-February-10

Pilot Officer Orlay Whitney Bligh RAF

Birth Date: 1916

Born:

Parents: Son of William Oakley Bligh and Mary Kathleen Bligh of Berwick, King's Co., Nova Scotia.

Spouse:

Home: Berwick, Kings County, Nova Scotia

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RAF

Unit

97 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Achieve Your Aim

Base

RAF Abingdon

Rank

Pilot Officer

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

42186

Home

Google Map

Berwick, Kings County, Nova Scotia

Final Burial

Google Map

Abingdon Cemetery
Sec 9 Row X Grave 18

97 Sqn (Achieve Your Aim) RAF Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Whitley II aircraft K 7255 crashed while making a night approach during a training flight at Stockwell Field, Boars Hill, near Abingdon, Berkshire, England. Pilot Officer OW Bligh (RCAF) and Sergeant RFC Dupe (RAF) killed, AC2 RT Casson (RAF) injured. Pilot Officer Bligh had played professional hockey for the Berwick Bruins of the Valley Hockey League in Canada before enlisting in the RAF in 1939 (Allison & Hayward).

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial