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

Cotter, Donald Joseph (Flight Sergeant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1943-October-23

Flight Sergeant Donald Joseph Cotter RCAF

Birth Date: 1923-August-22

Born: Pembroke, Ontario

Parents: John J. Cotter & Marie Cotter

Spouse:

Home: Pembroke, Ontario (parents)

Enlistment: Ottawa, Ontario

Enlistment Date: 1941-September-08

Service

RCAF

Unit

48 (MP) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Forte Et Fidele By strength and faithfulness

Base

RAF Gibraltar

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Position

Wireless Air Gunner

Service Numbers

R/125780

Home

Google Map

Pembroke, Ontario (parents)

Memorial Location

Google Map

Gibraltar War Memorial

Took off from Gibraltar to practice rocket firing at targets in the sea.

Aircraft crashed into the sea 15 miles east of Gibraltar during the practice.

Killed includes Cotter: Flight Sergeant Stanley Maynard Craig RCAF R/125457 KIFA Malta Memorial Panel 11, Column 1. Flight Sergeant Gordon John McFadyean RAF KIFA Malta Memorial Panel 7, Column 2. Flight Sergeant Paul Newns RAF KIFA Malta Memorial Panel 7, Column 2.

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

Hudson FK398

Flight Sergeant Donald Joseph Cotter RCAF

Flight Sergeant Cotter, Donald Joseph (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-October-23
Gibraltar War Memorial, Gibraltar

Flight Sergeant Stanley Maynard Craig RCAF

Flight Sergeant Craig, Stanley Maynard (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1943-October-23
Malta War Memorial, Malta