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

France, Albert (Warrant Officer 2)

Killed in Flying Accident 1943-September-19

Warrant Officer 2 Albert France RCAF

Birth Date: 1913-December-09

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home: Nordegg, Alberta

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

32 OTU- Operational Training Unit (RAF)

Base

RCAF Stn. Patricia Bay, BC

Rank

Warrant Officer 2

Position

Wireless Air Gunner

Service Numbers

R/113446

Home

Google Map

Nordegg, Alberta

Memorial Location

Google Map

Ottawa War Memorial
Panel 2 Column 4

32 Operational Training Unit, Patricia Bay, British Columbia. Canadian built Hampden I AJ993 dove into the sea on a navigation exercise near Cape Flattery, BC, Canada. Warrant Officer Class 2 A France (RCAF) missing and has no known grave. Please see Bateman, JH-T for complete casualty list.

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

Hampden AJ993

Warrant Officer 2 John Haythorn-Thwaite Bateman RCAF

Warrant Officer 2 Bateman, John Haythorn-Thwaite (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-September-19
Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Sergeant Albert Sidney David Dobie RAFVR

Sergeant Dobie, Albert Sidney David (RAFVR)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-September-19
Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Warrant Officer 2 Albert France RCAF

Warrant Officer 2 France, Albert (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-September-19
Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Pilot Officer Harry Haig Frost RCAF

Pilot Officer Frost, Harry Haig (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-September-19
Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Accident Card - Handley Page Hampden Mk. I serial:AJ993

This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1943-September-19. Hampden s/n AJ993.

This accident involved 4 people. France A, Frost HH, Bateman JH, Dobie AS

This accident had 4 fatalities. Warrant Officer 2 Albert France RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/113446 Hampden AJ993, Warrant Officer 2 John Haythorn-Thwaite Bateman RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/103889 Hampden AJ993, Pilot Officer Harry Haig Frost RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/24373 Hampden AJ993, Sergeant Albert Sidney David Dobie RAFVR Killed in Flying Accident service no:1324459 Hampden AJ993

Unit Desciption

32 OTU (32 Operational Training Unit)

The Operational Training Unit (OTU) was the last stop for aircrew trainees. They spent 8 to 14 weeks learning to fly operational aircraft (Hawker Hurricane or Fairey Swordfish, e.g.). The instructors had experience in actual operations, and often were posted to OTUs after their operational tour.

Avro Anson

More information on the RCAF Station at Patricia Bay, British Columbia can be found at:

Royal Air Force RCAF.info - Patricia Bay, British Columbia

Museum BC Aviation Museum Video On History Of Pat Bay

Project 44 BCATP

Unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy