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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

Raphael, Gordon Learmouth (Group Captain)

Killed in Action 1945-April-10

Group Captain Gordon Learmouth Raphael RAF

Birth Date: 1917

Born:

Parents: Son of Dr. Howard Raphael and Pearl Raphael; husband of Dorothy Pamela Raphael, of Bournemouth, Hampshire.

Spouse: Husband of Dorothy Pamela Raphael, of Bournemouth, Hampshire.

Home: Brantford, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Distinguished Service Order

Distinguished Flying Cross & 2 Bars

Mentioned in Dispatches (1)

Service

RAF

Unit

605 Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Nunquam Dormio I never sleep

Base

Rank

Group Captain

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

37508

Home

Google Map

Brantford, Ontario

Final Burial

Google Map

Cudham Churchyard
Sec O Grave 20

605 County of Warwick Squadron (Nunquam Dormio). G/C. Raphael had been the Commanding Officer at Manston, England, had been posted to 77 squadron during 1939/40, 10 squadron in 1940, and 85 squadron in 1941. He was an ace credited with destroying seven enemy aircraft all as a night fighter. He was killed when his Spitfire HFIX aircraft NL 232 collided with USAAF Curtis Commando aircraft 44-77605 from the 313 Troop Carrier Group over France.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial