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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

Start Here Glossary Canada and World War II Combatants & First Airmen Casualties Air Force Operations Battle of Britain Women in War War Artists

"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

Thurston, Charles Rae

Killed in Action 1945-04-13

Birth Date: 1923-October-22

Born:

Son of Jason Everard Thurston and Ida Maude Thurston, of Toronto, Ontario.

Home: Toronto, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RN FAA

Unit

1845 Sqn- Squadron (FAA)

Base

HMS Indomitable

Rank

Lieutenant

Position

Lieutenant

Service Numbers

073280

Home

Google Map

Toronto, Ontario

First Burial

Google Map

Halifax Memorial Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, Nova Scotia

1840 Squadron - Fleet Air Arm. Lt Thurston was flying a Hellcat aircraft off H.M.S. Indomitable when he was shot down by our own flak.

He was appointed as a Probationary Sub-Lieutenant (Temp.) RCNVR (With seniority dated 01/01/1943). He served in HMCS Kings (Officer Training establishment) 1943. He was appointed as a Sub-Lieutenant (Temp.) RCNVR (With seniority dated 15/02/1943). He served in RCAF Goderich for 12 Elementary Flying Training School 1943. He served in RCAF Aylmer ON for 14 Service Flying Training School 1944. He was appointed as an A/Lieutenant (Temp.) RCNVR 1944. He served in H.M.S. Speaker for 1840 Squadron 1944. He served in H.M.S. Indomitable for 1839 RN Squadron 1945. (He was killed in action during Operation Iceberg, accidentally shot down by "friendly fire" on 13/04/1945 when his plane was shot down by gunfire from Fleet chasing Japanese aircraft during pre-dawn attack.)

Wikipedia Nauticcpedia

From Joe Baugher Database:70480 (JW862) shot down by own fleet's flak while returning to HMS Indomitable after combat Apr 12, 1945. Pilot killed.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

www.findagrave.com

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Hellcat JW862

Lieutenant Thurston, Charles Rae (RN FAA)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1945-April-13
Halifax Memorial, Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Grumman Hellcat