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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

Willett, John Henry Reginald (Leading Aircraftman)

Killed in Flying Accident 1942-January-19

Leading Aircraftman John Henry Reginald Willett RCAF

Birth Date: 1918-January-29

Born:

Parents: Son of Reginald Henry and Maud Willett, of Vancouver; husband of Norma Helen Willett, of Vancouver.

Spouse: Husband of Norma Helen Willett, of Vancouver.

Home: Vancouver, British Columbia

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

18 EFTS- Elementary Flying Training School

Base

Boundary Bay, British Columbia, Canada

Rank

Leading Aircraftman

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

R/122014

Home

Google Map

Vancouver, British Columbia

Final Burial

Google Map

Mountain View Cemetery
Block 4 Plot 1 Lot 3

18 Elementary Flying Training School, Boundary Bay, British Columbia. Tiger Moth aircraft 4372 crashed. Addendum: FS. Muckle was the lone occupant of Tiger Moth 4322. LAC.s Willett and Waltham were killed in Tiger Moth 4372. Detail provided by F. McFee, Regina, SK.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave Finadagrave.com

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

Accident Card - de Havilland Moth, Tiger I serial:4372

This accident involved 2 aircraft on 1942-January-19. They are: Tiger Moth s/n 4372, Tiger Moth s/n 4327.

This accident involved 3 people. Muckle SJ, Wartham GD, Willett JHR

This accident had 3 fatalities. Leading Aircraftman John Henry Reginald Willett RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/122014 Moth, Tiger 4372,Flight Sergeant Stuart James Muckle RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/85568 Moth, Tiger 4327, Leading Aircraftman Gordon Duncan Waltham RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/109139 Moth, Tiger 4327

Unit Desciption

18 EFTS (18 Elementary Flying Training School)

An Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) gave a trainee 50 hours of basic flying instruction on a simple trainer like the De Havilland Tiger Moth, Fleet Finch, or Fairchild Cornell over 8 weeks.Elementary schools were operated by civilian flying clubs under contract to the RCAF and most of the instructors were civilians. For example, No. 12 EFTS Goderich was run by the Kitchener-Waterloo Flying Club and the County of Huron Flying Club.The next step for a pilot was the Service Flying Training School.

Boundary Bay 1943

More information on RCAF Station Boundary bay can be found here

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - RCAF Station Boundary Bay (Ladner) BC

Project 44 BCATP

Unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy