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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

Lankin, William Walford (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Action 1944-November-02

Pilot Officer William Walford Lankin RCAF

Birth Date: 1924-November-18

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home: Toronto, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

77 Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Esse Potius Quam Videri To be, rather than to seem

Base

Rank

Pilot Officer

Position

Air Gunner

Service Numbers

J/94171
Prev: R/214220

Home

Google Map

Toronto, Ontario

Target

Google Map

Dusseldorf Germany

Temporary Burial

Google Map

Henri-Chapelle Cemetery, Belgium

Remains were later exhumed from this location and reburied

Final Burial

Google Map

War Cemetery
III E 6

77 Squadron (Esse Potius Quam Videri). The crew of Halifax aircraft MZ 829 were engaged in night operations over Dusseldorf, Germany when their aircraft was shot up before it crashed and exploded twenty miles south- east of Liege, Belgium. F/O.s R.E. Pike, H.F. Le Noury, P/O.s J. Judges, W.H. Hanes, V.J. Lazier, and Sgt. E.J. Payne (RAF) were also killed.

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

Halifax MZ829

Pilot Officer William Herbert Hanes RCAF

Pilot Officer Hanes, William Herbert (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-November-02
War Cemetery, Hotton, Luxembourg, Belgium

Pilot Officer Joseph Judges RCAF

Pilot Officer Judges, Joseph (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-November-02
War Cemetery, Hotton, Luxembourg, Belgium

Pilot Officer William Walford Lankin RCAF

Pilot Officer Lankin, William Walford (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-November-02
War Cemetery, Hotton, Luxembourg, Belgium

Pilot Officer Vernon John Lazier RCAF

Pilot Officer Lazier, Vernon John (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1944-November-02
War Cemetery, Hotton, Luxembourg, Belgium

Flying Officer Harold Frederick Le Noury RCAF

Flying Officer Le Noury, Harold Frederick (RCAF)
Navigator
Killed in Action
1944-November-02
War Cemetery, Hotton, Luxembourg, Belgium

Flying Officer Robert Eric Bowman Pike RCAF

Flying Officer Pike, Robert Eric Bowman (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1944-November-02
War Cemetery, Hotton, Luxembourg, Belgium