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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

Bower, John Frank (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1943-December-02

Flying Officer John Frank Bower RCAF

Birth Date: 1915-September-03

Born:

Parents: Son of William Alfred and Ruby Maude Bower, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Spouse:

Home: Vancouver, British Columbia

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Mentioned in Dispatches (1)

Service

RCAF

Unit

619 Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Ad Altiora To higher things

Base

RAF Woodhall Spa

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

J/20584

Home

Google Map

Vancouver, British Columbia

Final Burial

Google Map

Berlin War Cemetery
Plot 7 Row B Grave 23

619 Squadron, Lancaster aircraft lost.

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

Lancaster JA847

Flying Officer John Frank Bower RCAF

Flying Officer Bower, John Frank (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1943-December-02
Berlin War Cemetery, Charlottenburg, Germany

Sergeant Andrew Christie Leitch RAF

Sergeant Leitch, Andrew Christie (RAF)
Navigator
Killed in Action
1943-December-02
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK

Flying Officer Reginald Willis McManaman RCAF

Flying Officer McManaman, Reginald Willis (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1943-December-02
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK