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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

Macleod, Allan Allister (Warrant Officer 1st Class)

Killed in Flying Accident 1943-July-26

Warrant Officer 1st Class Allan Allister Macleod RCAF

Birth Date: 1920-January-14

Born: Russell Township, Ontario

Parents: Son of late John Archibald and Levina (nee Wylie) MacLeod, of Ottawa, Ontario; husband of Irene Dorothy (nee Skinner) MacLeod, of Ottawa, Ontario.

Spouse: Husband of Irene Dorothy (nee Skinner) MacLeod, of Ottawa, Ontario.

Home: Ottawa, Ontario

Enlistment: Ottawa, Ontario

Enlistment Date: 1940-June-21

Service

RCAF

Unit

31 OTU- Operational Training Unit (RAF)

Base

Debert, Nova Scotia, Canada

Rank

Warrant Officer 1st Class

Position

Wireless Air Gunner

Service Numbers

R/54058

Home

Google Map

Ottawa, Ontario

Final Burial

Google Map

Pinecrest Cemetery
Plot 13 Sec D Grave 3

31 Operational Training Unit, Debert, Nova Scotia. The crew of Hudson aircraft FK 539 were engaged in a cross-country exercise when their aircraft crashed and burned atop a 1,000 foot mountain peak in Mavou Mountain, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Sergeants C.O. Legroulx, J.M. L'Heureux, P/Os R.J. Parr (RAF), and E. Smith (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

Hudson FK539

Sergeant Joseph Maurice Claude L'Heureux RCAF

Sergeant L'Heureux, Joseph Maurice Claude (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-July-26
Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Sergeant Claude Oscar Legroulx RCAF

Sergeant Legroulx, Claude Oscar (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-July-26
Sacred Heart Cemetery, Alexandria, Ontario, Canada

Warrant Officer 1st Class Allan Allister Macleod RCAF

Warrant Officer 1st Class Macleod, Allan Allister (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-July-26
Pinecrest Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Pilot Officer R J Parr RAF

Pilot Officer Parr, R J (RAF)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-July-26
cemetery unknown

Pilot Officer Earl George Smith RAF

Pilot Officer Smith, Earl George (RAF)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-July-26
cemetery unknown

Accident Card - Lockheed Hudson Mk. VI serial:FK539

This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1943-July-26. Hudson VI s/n FK539.

This accident involved 5 people. L'heureux JMC, Smith E, Parr RJ, McLeod AA, Legroulx CO

This accident had 5 fatalities. Sergeant Joseph Maurice Claude L'Heureux RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/171487 Hudson FK539, Sergeant Claude Oscar Legroulx RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/169406 Hudson FK539, Pilot Officer R J Parr RAF Killed in Flying Accident service no: Hudson FK539, Pilot Officer Earl George Smith RAF Killed in Flying Accident service no: Hudson FK539, Warrant Officer 1st Class Allan Allister Macleod RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/54058 Hudson FK539

Unit Desciption

31 OTU (31 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.

Lockheed Hudson

More information on the RCAF Station at Debert, Nova Scotia can be found at

Royal Air Force RCAF.info - Debert, Nova Scotia

Unvetted Source History 31 OTU by Maj (Ret) G.D. Madigan

Unvetted Source Wall Of Honour NO31 OTU

Project 44 BCATP

Unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy