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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

Swihura, Andrew Anthony (Flight Sergeant)

Killed in Action 1945-February-21

Flight Sergeant Andrew Anthony Swihura RCAF

Birth Date: 1923

Born:

Parents: Mary A Swihura & the late Anthony F Swihursa; stepson of Joseph A. Kiernan, of Babylon, Long Island, New York.

Spouse:

Home: Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

207 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Semper Paratus Always prepared

Base

RAF Spilsby

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Position

Bomb Aimer

Service Numbers

R/135291

Home

Google Map

Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA

Target

Google Map

Gravenhorst Germany

Temporary Burial

Google Map

Bocholt Cemetery

Remains were later exhumed from this location and reburied

Final Burial

Google Map

Reichswald Forest War Cemetery
Plot 21 Row B Grave 18

207 Squadron (Semper Paratus). Lancaster aircraft PB 295 went down near Bocholt, Germany during a night raid against Gravenhorst, Germany. FS R.C. MacNicoll, WOs J. Gardiner, M.E. Granbois, and one of the crew, not Canadian were also killed. Two Canadians, Warrant Officer Huntley and FS Spence, were either Evaders or were taken Prisoners of War.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

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

Crew or Other Personnel

Lancaster PB295

Warrant Officer 2 John Gardiner RCAF

Warrant Officer 2 Gardiner, John (RCAF)
Navigator
Killed in Action
1945-February-21
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Germany

Warrant Officer 2 Maurice Emerson Granbois RCAF

Warrant Officer 2 Granbois, Maurice Emerson (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1945-February-21
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Germany

Warrant Officer 1 C O Huntley RCAF

Warrant Officer 1 Huntley, C O (RCAF)

Evader
1945-February-21
cemetery unknown

Flight Sergeant Robert Campbell MacNicoll RCAF

Flight Sergeant MacNicoll, Robert Campbell (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1945-February-21
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Germany

Flight Sergeant Andrew Anthony Swihura RCAF

Flight Sergeant Swihura, Andrew Anthony (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1945-February-21
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Germany