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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

Merchant, John Frank (Flight Sergeant)

Evader 1943-July-16

Male Head

Birth Date: unkown date

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

9 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Per Noctem Volamus Through out the night we fly

Base

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Position

Service Numbers

R/107847

Target

Google Map

Regio Emilia Italy

Took off from Bardney at 22:20 in Lancaster Mk III (Sqn code: WS-P Bomber Command) to attack a transformer station at Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy.

Last heard on W/T at 04:05 transmitting 'Hit by another aircraft - trying to make base'. They crashed at Mirandola Italy.

Killed: Sergeant Edward William Edwards RAF KIA Ravenna War Cemetery Grave I. G. 14.

POWs: Sergeant Francis Sidney Finlay RCAF R/66618 POW Stalag 11A Altengrabow. Flying Officer Robert Stanley Shaw RAF POW Stalag Luft L3 Sagan and Belaria. Sergeant Donald Richard Walter RAF POW Stalag 11A Altengrabow. Flight Sergeant Wilbur Jordan McCoombs RCAF R/88234 POW Stalag Luft L7 Bankau near Kreuzburg, Upper Silesia.

Evader: Flight Sergeant John Frank Merchant DFM RCAF R/104847 Evader

Crew or Other Personnel

Lancaster JA679

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Francis Sidney Finlay RCAF

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Finlay, Francis Sidney (RCAF)
Mid Upper Gunner
Prisoner of War
1943-July-16
cemetery unknown

Warrant Officer 1st Class Wilbur Jordan McCoombes RCAF

Warrant Officer 1st Class McCoombes, Wilbur Jordan (RCAF)

Prisoner of War
1943-July-16
cemetery unknown

Flight Sergeant John Frank Merchant RCAF

Flight Sergeant Merchant, John Frank (RCAF)

Evader
1943-July-16
cemetery unknown