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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

La Franchise, Ray Arsene (Warrant Officer 2)

Prisoner of War 1942-May-20

Male Head

Birth Date: unkown date

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home: St Albert, Alberta

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

76 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Resolute

Base

RAF Middleton St. George

Rank

Warrant Officer 2

Position

Service Numbers

R/60719
PoW: 65

Home

Google Map

St Albert, Alberta

Target

Google Map

Mannheim Germany

Took off from Middleton St George at 22:35 in Halifax Mark II (Sqn code: MP-L Bomber Command) on an operation to Mannheim Germany.

Crashed near Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium, all crew members survived the crash to be POWs.

POWs includes La Franchise: Pilot:Flight Sergeant Frank Willis Anderson RAF pilot POW Stalag 3A Luckenwalde POW# 789. Sergeant Edward Kerr Southward POW RAF Stalag 357 Kopernikus POW# 359. Sergeant Cyril Ilian RAF POW Stalag Luft 3 Zagan & Belaria. POW# 60. Sergeant Rodney Haslam Baird RCAF R/60568 POW Stalag Luft 6 Heydekrug POW# 791. Sergeant Jerrard Bert Gowers RAF POW Stalag 357 Kopernikus POW# 51. Sergeant Antony Edward Redding RAF POW Stalag 357 Kopernikus POW# 84.

Crew or Other Personnel

Halifax W7660

Warrant Officer Frank Willis Anderson RAF

Warrant Officer Anderson, Frank Willis (RAF)

Prisoner of War
1942-May-20
cemetery unknown

Warrant Officer 2 Ray Arsene La Franchise RCAF

Warrant Officer 2 La Franchise, Ray Arsene (RCAF)

Prisoner of War
1942-May-20
cemetery unknown