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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

McElroy, Gilbert Francis Joseph (Flight Sergeant)

Prisoner of War 1944-May-22

Male Head

Birth Date: 1924-March-05

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home: Ottawa, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: 1940-November-06

Service

RCAF

Unit

625 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
We Avenge

Base

Kelstern

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Position

Rear Gunner

Service Numbers

R/169230
PoW: 87

Home

Ottawa, Ontario

Target

Duisburg Germany

Took off from Kelstern at 21:58 in Lancaster Mk III (Sqn code: CF-Y Bomber Command) for a bombing operation against Duisburg Germany.

Homeward-bound, the aircraft was intercepted by a night fighter and crashed at Antwerpen

Killed: 1Lt Max Eugene Dowden American O-886262 USSAF pilot KIA Schoonselhof Cemetery Ref: IVa. E. 27 (Sp. Mem.) Pilot Officer Francis Harold Rowlands Moody RAF KIA Schoonselhof Cemetery Ref : IVa. E. 10.

POWs: Sergeant Arthur William Brickenden RCAF R/160205 POW Stalag Luft L7 Bankau near Kreuzburg, Upper Silesia. Sergeant Russell Margerison RAF POW Stalag 3A Luckenwalde. Flight Sergeant Gilbert Francis Joseph McElroy RCAF R/169230 POW Stalag Luft L7 Bankau near Kreuzburg, Upper Silesia. Sergeant Richard Ernest Reeves RAF POW Stalag Luft L7 Bankau near Kreuzburg, Upper Silesia. Flying Officer David James Weepers RCAF J/28845 POW Stalag Luft L1 Barth Vogelsang