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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

Pickens, William Goode (Flying Officer)

Prisoner of War 1943-May-13

Male Head

Birth Date: unkown date

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home: San Antonio, Texas, USA

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

50 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Sic Fidem Servamus Thus we keep faith

Base

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

J/17387
PoW: 1196

Home

Google Map

San Antonio, Texas, USA

Target

Google Map

Pilsen Czechoslovakia

Took off from Skellingthorpe at 21:59 in Lancaster Mk III (Sqn code: VN- Bomber Command) on an operation to Plzen (Pilsen) Czeckslovakia.

Shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Messingen, 7 km ESE of Lingen, Ems, Germany.

Killed: Warrant Officer Class 2 William Bruce Nichol RCAF R/114904 KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 15. F. 12. Sergeant William Augustus Roberts RAF KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 15. F. 11.

POWs: Flying Officer Thomas Royds RAF POW Stalag Luft L3 Sagan and Belaria. Pilot Officer Michael Hall RAF POW Stalag Luft L3 Sagan and Belaria. Sergeant William Goode Pickens RCAF R/number - J/17387 POW Stalag Luft L3 Sagan and Belaria. Sergeant John Gordon Hanby RAF POW Stalag 357 Kopernikus. Sergeant C Taylor RAF POW camp not listed.

Crew or Other Personnel

Lancaster ED693

Warrant Officer 2nd Class William Bruce Nichol RCAF

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Nichol, William Bruce (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1943-May-13
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Germany

Flying Officer William Goode Pickens RCAF

Flying Officer Pickens, William Goode (RCAF)
Pilot
Prisoner of War
1943-May-13
cemetery unknown