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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

Shellshear, Thomas Douglas (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Flying Accident 1941-October-25

Pilot Officer Thomas Douglas Shellshear RCAF

Birth Date: 1921-November-04

Born:

Parents: Son of Thomas and Alice Shellshear, of Vancouver.

Spouse:

Home: Vancouver, British Columbia

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

31 OTU- Operational Training Unit (RAF)

Base

Debert, Nova Scotia, Canada

Rank

Pilot Officer

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

J/5500

Home

Google Map

Vancouver, British Columbia

Final Burial

Google Map

Mountain View Cemetery
Block 26 Plot 41 Lot 14

31 Operational Training Unit, Debert, Nova Scotia. Hudson aircraft crashed.

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 AM886

Sergeant Douglas Roy Gill RCAF

Sergeant Gill, Douglas Roy (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Flying Accident
1941-October-25
General Cemetery, Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada

Pilot Officer August Nowosad RCAF

Pilot Officer Nowosad, August (RCAF)
Observer
Killed in Flying Accident
1941-October-25
Woodlawn Cemetery Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Pilot Officer Thomas Douglas Shellshear RCAF

Pilot Officer Shellshear, Thomas Douglas (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1941-October-25
Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Accident Card - Lockheed Hudson Mk. V serial:AM886

This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1941-October-25. Hudson V s/n AM886.

This accident involved 3 people. Gill DR, Nowosad A, Shellshear TD

This accident had 3 fatalities. Pilot Officer August Nowosad RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/7649 Hudson AM886, Sergeant Douglas Roy Gill RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/87580 Hudson AM886, Pilot Officer Thomas Douglas Shellshear RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/5500 Hudson AM886

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