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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

Smith, Howard Wallace (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1944-May-22

Flying Officer Howard Wallace Smith RCAF

Birth Date: 1922

Born:

Parents: Ross W and Eva M Smith

Spouse:

Home: Abbotsford, British Columbia (parents)

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

630 Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Nocturna Mors Death by night

Base

RAF East Kirkby

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

J/24995

Home

Google Map

Abbotsford, British Columbia (parents)

Target

Google Map

Duisburg Germany

Final Burial

Google Map

Roman Catholic Churchyard
Grave 7

630 Squadron (Nocturna Mors). Aircraft was shot down at Kilder, fourteen miles south-east of Arnhem, Holland during a night trip to Duisburg, Germany. P/Os W. Baxter, L. Spensley, V.A. Goodwin, FS R. Coates (RAF), and Sergeant K. Dickinson (RAF) were also killed. One of the crew, not Canadian, missing believed killed.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Lancaster JB672

Pilot Officer William Baxter RCAF

Pilot Officer Baxter, William (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1944-May-22
Roman Catholic Churchyard, Kilder, Bergh, Gelderland, Netherlands

Pilot Officer Vernon Alfred Goodwin RCAF

Pilot Officer Goodwin, Vernon Alfred (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-May-22
Roman Catholic Churchyard, Kilder, Bergh, Gelderland, Netherlands

Flying Officer Howard Wallace Smith RCAF

Flying Officer Smith, Howard Wallace (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1944-May-22
Roman Catholic Churchyard, Kilder, Bergh, Gelderland, Netherlands

Pilot Officer Leonard Spensley RCAF

Pilot Officer Spensley, Leonard (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-May-22
Roman Catholic Churchyard, Kilder, Bergh, Gelderland, Netherlands