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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

Ritchie, James Leigh (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1944-May-04

Flying Officer James Leigh Ritchie RCAF

Birth Date: 1912-August-23

Born:

Parents: Son of Ralph L. and Lottie Ritchie, of Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Brother of Charlotte.

Spouse:

Home: Chatham, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

582 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Pre Volamus Designantes We fly before marking

Base

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Navigator

Service Numbers

J/23721

Home

Google Map

Chatham, Ontario

Target

Google Map

Montdidier France

Final Burial

Google Map

French National Cemetery
Grave 5826

582 Squadron (Pre Volumas Designantes), Pathfinder Force. Addendum: . Lancaster aircraft JA 968 was shot down over the target during a night operation, a raid against Montdidier, France. F/L, F.C. Bertelsen, WO. G.A. Schwerderger, FS, G.A. Clyne (RAAF), Sgt.s R.G. Lovegrove (RAF), R. Mansbridge (RAF), and E.K. Slattery (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

Lancaster JA968

Flight Lieutenant Frederick Castell Bertelsen RCAF

Flight Lieutenant Bertelsen, Frederick Castell (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1944-May-04
French National Cemetery, Montdidier, Somme, France

Flying Officer James Leigh Ritchie RCAF

Flying Officer Ritchie, James Leigh (RCAF)
Navigator
Killed in Action
1944-May-04
French National Cemetery, Montdidier, Somme, France

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Glen Wood Allan Schwerdfeger RCAF

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Schwerdfeger, Glen Wood Allan (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1944-May-04
French National Cemetery, Montdidier, Somme, France