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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

Cooke, J L (Flight Sergeant)

Prisoner of War 1945-March-05

Male Head

Birth Date: unkown date

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

103 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Noli Me Tangere Touch me not

Base

RAF Elsham Wolds

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Position

Service Numbers

Target

Google Map

Chemnitz Germany

Took off from Elsham Wolds at 16:51 in Lancaster Mk III (Sqn code PM-Y Bomber Command) on an operation to Chemnitz Germany

Two killed in the crash: Flying Officer Gordon Wynne Exel RCAF J/36627 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 279. Flying Officer Michael Francis Griffin RCAF J/38819 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 279.

POWs: Flight Sergeant J L Cooke RCAF R/# POW camp not listed. Flying Officer J H McKenna RCAF J/# POW camp not listed. Sergeant G H Wilson RAF POW camp not listed. Flight Sergeant F P Monaghan RAF POW camp not listed. WO D King RAF POW camp not listed.

POWs identified from CASPIR and from the 103 Squadron RAF website.

Crew or Other Personnel

Lancaster ME392

Flight Sergeant J L Cooke RCAF

Flight Sergeant Cooke, J L (RCAF)

Prisoner of War
1945-March-05
cemetery unknown

Flying Officer Gordon Wynne Exel RCAF

Flying Officer Exel, Gordon Wynne (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1945-March-05
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK

Flying Officer Michael Francis Griffin RCAF

Flying Officer Griffin, Michael Francis (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1945-March-05
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK

Flying Officer J H McKenna RCAF

Flying Officer McKenna, J H (RCAF)

Prisoner of War
1945-March-05
cemetery unknown