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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

Thain, Jack Alexander (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1943-June-01

Flying Officer Jack Alexander Thain RCAF

Birth Date: 1920

Born:

Parents: Son of John and Isobel Thain; husband of R. Fiona Thain, of Wyoming, Ontario, Canada.

Spouse: Husband of R. Fiona Thain, of Wyoming, Ontario, Canada.

Home: Wyoming, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

58 (C) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Alis Nocturnis On the wings of the night

Base

RAF Holmsley South

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Navigator Bomb Aimer

Service Numbers

J/8431

Home

Google Map

Wyoming, Ontario

Target

Google Map

Anti-U-Boat Patrol

Memorial Location

Google Map

Runnymede Memorial Surrey
Panel 175

58 Squadron (Alis Noctumis). Halifax aircraft BB 257 failed to return from operations. Pilot Officer J.R. Bickerton and Warrant Officer L.E. Daw were also killed. Four of the crew, not Canadians, 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

Halifax BB257

Pilot Officer Joseph Roy Bickerton RCAF

Pilot Officer Bickerton, Joseph Roy (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1943-June-01
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK

Warrant Officer 2 Lawrence Edward Daw RCAF

Warrant Officer 2 Daw, Lawrence Edward (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1943-June-01
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK

Flying Officer Jack Alexander Thain RCAF

Flying Officer Thain, Jack Alexander (RCAF)
Navigator Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1943-June-01
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK