Military service
Burial/memorial information
Digital gallery of Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
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Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
Pilot Officer Ronald A. Gaskin SJ37339
Former student of LPCI
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
School registration card for F/O Gaskin. He entered North Toronto Collegiate in 1935 and transferred to Lawrence Park Collegiate in 1936. He left Toronot in 1937 for Windsor, Ontario.
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
Crash Report on MN851 (Hawker Typhoon) pg 1
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
Crash Report on MN851 (Hawker Typhoon) pg 2
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
Base Identification Card for Pilot Officer Ronald A. Gaskin. Note the location of his training at RCAF Station Sea Island BC. Ron married a British Columbian, Marie Anita McConnell.
Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
P/O Gaskin shortly after being awarded his Wings.
Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
Leading Aircraftsman Ronald Gasking in his Identification photo taken after joining the RCAF.
Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
F/O Gaskin before his death in France. He was flying Typhoons at the time.
Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
The RAF looked for Ron's body for two years. The location given here is incorrect. The squadron was actually near Neukirkan, Germany. That is eventually where he was found.<P>
Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
This letter informs the Casualty Officer that Gaskin's body was located in the military plot of a German cemetery near Neukirken.<P>
Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
Gaskin's CO filed this report the day after he was killed. There was no ground fire and he was not killed by flying debris from the train. According to the Germans, he was shot down by his wingman when he wandered into the fire from the other, higher, aircraft.
Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
The CO of the squadron sent this letter to Ron's wife in Canada. No one knew how he was killed until investigators talked to Germans from the area of Nekirkan who remembered the attack.
Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
The Missing Enquiry and Search Units found this information if the German records. It is how they found Gaskin's body.
Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
This MREU document gives the details of the incident as best they could. There was no ground fire from the German train or surrounding area. Thus, Gaskin's aircraft had to have been shot down by his own side.
Perhaps it was best that the family never got this report from his file. Friendly fire deaths area the most troubling for next-of-kin.
Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
This checkbook was recovered from the grave in Neukirken. It was confirmation for the RAF that the body was that of F/O R.A. Gaskin. The search had taken almost three years.
Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
This is the first page of Ron Gaskin's enlistment documents. He enlisted in 1941. He is a former student of Lawrence Park Collegiate in Toronto.
He was one of the sons of the manager and VP of Studebaker Corporation. That accounts for his many changes of address and schools.<P>
Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
Image source from the Windsor Daily Star
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
From the Windsor Daily Star. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
From the Toronto Star August 1942. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
Digital gallery of
Flying Officer Ronald Alastair Gaskin
From the Toronto Star August 1942. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
Image gallery
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Pilot Officer Ronald A. Gaskin SJ37339 Former student of LPCI
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School registration card for F/O Gaskin. He entered North Toronto Collegiate in 1935 and transferred to Lawrence Park Collegiate in 1936. He left Toronot in 1937 for Windsor, Ontario.
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Crash Report on MN851 (Hawker Typhoon) pg 1
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Crash Report on MN851 (Hawker Typhoon) pg 2
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Base Identification Card for Pilot Officer Ronald A. Gaskin. Note the location of his training at RCAF Station Sea Island BC. Ron married a British Columbian, Marie Anita McConnell. Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
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P/O Gaskin shortly after being awarded his Wings. Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
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Leading Aircraftsman Ronald Gasking in his Identification photo taken after joining the RCAF. Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
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F/O Gaskin before his death in France. He was flying Typhoons at the time. Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
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The RAF looked for Ron's body for two years. The location given here is incorrect. The squadron was actually near Neukirkan, Germany. That is eventually where he was found.<P> Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
-
This letter informs the Casualty Officer that Gaskin's body was located in the military plot of a German cemetery near Neukirken.<P> Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
-
Gaskin's CO filed this report the day after he was killed. There was no ground fire and he was not killed by flying debris from the train. According to the Germans, he was shot down by his wingman when he wandered into the fire from the other, higher, aircraft. Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
-
The CO of the squadron sent this letter to Ron's wife in Canada. No one knew how he was killed until investigators talked to Germans from the area of Nekirkan who remembered the attack. Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
-
The Missing Enquiry and Search Units found this information if the German records. It is how they found Gaskin's body. Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
-
This MREU document gives the details of the incident as best they could. There was no ground fire from the German train or surrounding area. Thus, Gaskin's aircraft had to have been shot down by his own side. Perhaps it was best that the family never got this report from his file. Friendly fire deaths area the most troubling for next-of-kin. Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
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This checkbook was recovered from the grave in Neukirken. It was confirmation for the RAF that the body was that of F/O R.A. Gaskin. The search had taken almost three years. Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
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This is the first page of Ron Gaskin's enlistment documents. He enlisted in 1941. He is a former student of Lawrence Park Collegiate in Toronto. He was one of the sons of the manager and VP of Studebaker Corporation. That accounts for his many changes of address and schools.<P> Source: Whitehouse via Archives Canada
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Image source from the Windsor Daily Star
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From the Windsor Daily Star. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me
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From the Toronto Star August 1942. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
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From the Toronto Star August 1942. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
In the Books of Remembrance
Commemorated on:
Page 313 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance.
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REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY Germany
The REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY is located 5 km south west of Kleve. From Kleve the cemetery is located, using the Hoffmannallee from the Town Centre, which becomes the Materbornerallee. This road enters Reichswald Forest and becomes the Grunewaldstrasse. Follow direction Gennep, entering Reichswald Forest the cemetery is situated 500 metres on the left.
Alternatively from the motorway 57, take exit Kleve/Goch, which leads onto the 9 N road in the direction towards Kleve. After 3 km turn left on to the 504 direction Kranenburg. Reichswald cemetery is clearly signposted on the 504 at cross roads Grunewald. REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY is situated on the Grunewald Strasse direction Kleve on the right, 3 km from cross roads Grunewald.
For more information, visit Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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