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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

Watson, James Andrew (Flight Lieutenant)

Killed in Action 1944-April-28

Flight Lieutenant James Andrew Watson RCAF

Birth Date: 1923

Born:

Parents: Son of Robert Scott Watson, M.C., and Mary Kathleen Watson of Hamilton, Ontario.

Spouse:

Home: Hamilton, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Mentioned in Dispatches (1)

Service

RCAF

Unit

622 Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Bellamus Noctu We wage war by night

Base

Rank

Flight Lieutenant

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

J/20076

Home

Google Map

Hamilton, Ontario

Target

Google Map

Friedrichshafen Germany

Temporary Burial

Google Map

St Pilt, France

Remains were later exhumed from this location and reburied

Final Burial

Google Map

Choloy War Cemetery
1A B 23

622 Squadron (Bellamus Noctu). Lancaster aircraft ND 871 crashed at Bergheim during a raid against Frederikshavn, Germany. Three Canadians, Flying Officer Ransom, FSs McKee, McKinnon, and three RAF members of the crew taken Prisoner of War.

Flight Lieutenant Watson maintained control of the aircraft long enough for his crew to bail out. He went down with the Lancaster. Flight Lieutenant Pilot Watson was buried at St Pilt, France, exhumed, and reburied in the War Cemetery at Choloy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France. source:They Shall Grow Not Old, BCATP Museum, Brandon MB

Museum James Andrew Watson: WW II bomber pilot sacrifices life to save crew (Legion Magazine)

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

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

Crew or Other Personnel

Lancaster ND781

Flight Sergeant Murdock Daniel MacKinnon RCAF

Flight Sergeant MacKinnon, Murdock Daniel (RCAF)
Rear Gunner
Prisoner of War
1944-April-28
cemetery unknown

Flight Sergeant William Samuel James McKee RCAF

Flight Sergeant McKee, William Samuel James (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Prisoner of War
1944-April-28
cemetery unknown

Flying Officer William Vivian Ransom RCAF

Flying Officer Ransom, William Vivian (RCAF)

Prisoner of War
1944-April-28
cemetery unknown

Flying Officer W V Ranson RCAF

Flying Officer Ranson, W V (RCAF)

Prisoner of War
1944-April-28
cemetery unknown

Flight Lieutenant James Andrew Watson RCAF

Flight Lieutenant Watson, James Andrew (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1944-April-28
Choloy War Cemetery, Meurthe-Etmoselle, France