Researching Military Records
Researching Canadian Soldiers of the First World War:
- Introduction
- Part 1: Find your Man (or Woman)
- Part 2: The Service Record
- Part 3: Court Martial Records
- Part 4: War Diaries and Unit Histories
- Part 5: Casualties
- Part 6: Researching Honours and Awards
- Part 7: Deciphering Battlefield Location Information
- Part 8: More Mapping Information
- Part 9: Matching Battlefield Locations to the Modern Map
- Part 10: Service Numbers; More than meets the eye
- Part 11: Rank, no simple progression
- Part 12: Medals; Pip, Squeak, Wilfred and the whole gang
- Part 13: Evacuation to Hospital
- Part 14: The Wounded and Sick
- Part 15: Crime …
- Part 16: … and Punishment
- Part 17: Battalions and Brigades, Companies and Corps
- Part 18: Photo Forensics: Badges and Patches
- Part 19: Veterans Death Cards
- Part 20: The Vimy Pilgrims (1936)
Library and Archives Canada
- Military Heritage at LIbrary and Archives Canada. "Library and Archives Canada holds an extensive collection of records of the Canadian men and women who have served their country in the military and in the early years of the North West Mounted Police. There are records relating to Loyalists, the War of 1812, the Rebellions, the South African War, the First World War and the Second World War, many of which are featured in databases, research guides and virtual exhibitions. The records include muster rolls, military service files, unit war diaries, medal registers, photographic collections, documentary art and posters, as well as published sources."
- Military Medals, Honours and Awards, 1812–1969 "Library and Archives Canada (LAC) holds medal registers, citation cards and the records of various military awards. As there are no service files for the Canadian military in the 1800s, those records often provide the only proof of service for 19th century conflicts. Many of the medals were awarded to recognize active service rather than acts of bravery."
- South African War, 1899-1902 - Service Files, Medals and Land Applications "A total of 7,368 Canadians and 12 Nursing Sisters served in South Africa. This research tool brings together three groups of records pertaining to the South African War: the service files, medal registers and land grant applications."
- South African War, 1899-1902; South African Constabulary. Many Canadians served in South Africa with the South African Constabulary. Details of their service may be found in this Constabulary Records database published by Ancestors.ca.za.
- Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918)
- Courts-Martial of the First World War (1914-1918)
- For records of Canadian Forces personnel after 1918 (including the Second World War) "Access restrictions apply for military service files from 1919 to the present, including the Second World War. The only exception is the files for those who died during the war. The personal information contained in the restricted files is protected by the provisions of privacy legislation. For the same reason, the database and indexes that are used to identify the files cannot be made available on our Web site. Only staff may access them; therefore there is no online database available."
- Second World War Service Files: Canadian Armed Forces War Dead "During the Second World War, approximately 709,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in the Canadian Army, 200,000 in the Royal Canadian Navy and 250,000 in the Royal Canadian Air Force for a total of over 1,159,000 men and women. Some 55,000 were wounded. A further 44,090 lost their lives: 24,525 served in the Army, 17,397 in the Air Force and 2,168 in the Navy."
Veterans Affairs Canada
- The Books of Remembrance "The Books of Remembrance contain the names of Canadians who fought in wars and died either during or after them. All the books are kept in the Memorial Chamber located in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. The purpose of creating a site that displays these books on the Internet is to make them more accessible to the public. Quite aptly named are these testaments to Canada's past, for by their very title they remind us to never forget the foundations of courage on which Canada is built."
- The Canadian Virtual War Memorial "This site contains a registry of information about the graves and memorials of more than 116,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who served valiantly and gave their lives for their country. Included on this site are the memorials of more than 100 soldiers who died in service to Canada since the Korean War, including peacekeeping and other operations."
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The Mounting and Wearing of Decorations, Campaign Stars, and Medals "Provided in order that those awarded War Decorations, Campaign Stars and Medals, particularly those earned during the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War, may know how they should be mounted and worn either on civilian clothes or on uniform."
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission "We commemorate the 1,700,000 men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars. Our cemeteries, burial plots and memorials are a lasting tribute to those who died in some 154 countries across the world. Our Register records details of Commonwealth war dead so that graves or names on memorials can be located."
Legion's Magazine's Last Post "Since 1928, Legion Magazine has honoured those Canadians who have served their country by publishing in print short death notices for Royal Canadian Legion members with military backgrounds, Canadian war veterans and Legion members with police service. With the advent of the Internet, we have created as a historical archive for your free use a Last Post database that goes back to July/August 1993. It contains about 77,500 names, but this number will rise as further entries are published in print and added to the collection twice a year. We will gradually go back further in time as our resources permit."
The C.E.F. Paper Trail - "An Unofficial Guide to the Official Canadian Army Service Records from The Great War compiled by Brett Payne of Tauranga, New Zealand"
The London Gazette - Records of publication of honours and awards of the First and Second World Wars can be found by searching the London Gazette.
Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group; including this section on interpreting CEF personnel records
- The O'Leary Collection; Medals of The Royal Canadian Regiment.
- Researching Canadian Soldiers of the First World War
- Researching The Royal Canadian Regiment
- The RCR in the First World War
- Badges of The RCR
- The Senior Subaltern
- The Minute Book (blog)
- Rogue Papers
- Tactical Primers
- The Regimental Library
- Battle Honours
- Perpetuation of the CEF
- A Miscellany
- Quotes
- The Frontenac Times
- Site Map
QUICK LINKS
- Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- Vimy Memorial
- Dieppe Cemetery
- Perpetuation of CEF Units
- Researching Military Records
- Recommended Reading
- The Frontenac Times
- RCR Cap Badge (unique)
- Boer War Battles
- In Praise of Infantry
- Naval Toast of the Day
- Toasts in the Army (1956)
- Duties of the CSM and CQMS (1942)
- The "Man-in-the-Dark" Theory of Infantry Tactics and the "Expanding Torrent" System of Attack
- The Soldier's Pillar of Fire by Night; The Need for a Framework of Tactics (1921)
- Section Leading; A Guide for the Training of Non-Commissioned Officers as Commanders and Rifle Sections, 1928 (PDF)
- The Training of the Infantry Soldier (1929)
- Modern Infantry Discipline (1934)
- A Defence of Close-Order Drill (1934): A Reply To "Modern Infantry Discipline"
- Tactical Training in the British Army (1901)
- The Promotion and Examination of Army Officers (1903)
- Discipline and Personality (1925)
- The Necessity of Cultivating Brigade Spirit in Peace Time (1927)
- The Human Element In War (1927)
- The Human Element In Tanks (1927)
- Morale And Leadership (1929)
- The Sergeant-Major (1929)
- The Essence Of War (1930)
- Looks or Use? (1931)
- The Colours (1932)
- Personality in Leadership (1934)
- Origins of Some Military Terms (1935)
- Practical Examination; Promotion to Colonel N.P.A.M. (1936)
- Company Training (1937)
- Lament Of A Colonel's Lady (1938)
- Morale (1950)
- War Diaries—Good, Bad and Indifferent
- Catchwords – The Curse and the Cure (1953)
- Duelling in the Army
- Exercise DASH, A Jump Story (1954)
- The Man Who Wore Three Hats—DOUBLE ROLE
- Some Notes on Military Swords
- The Old Defence Quarterly (1960)
- Military History For All (1962)
- Notes for Visiting Generals (1963)
- Hints to General Staff Officers (1964)
- Notes for Young TEWTISTS (1966)
- THE P.B.I. (1970)
- Standing Orders for Army Brides (1973)
- The Time Safety Factor (1978)
- Raids (1933)
- Ludendorff on Clerking (1917)
- Pigeons in the Great War
- Canadian Officer Training Syllabus (1917)
- The Tragedy of the Last Bay (1927)
- The Trench Magazine (1928)
- Billets and Batman (1933)
- Some Notes on Shell Shock (1935)
- Wasted Time in Regimental Soldiering (1936)
- THE REGIMENT (1946)
- The Case for the Regimental System (1951)
- Regimental Tradition in the Infantry (1951)
- The Winter Clothing of British Troops in Canada, 1848-1849
- Notes On The Canadian Militia (1886)
- Re-Armament in the Dominions - Canada (1939)
- The Complete Kit of the Infantry Officer (1901)
- The Canadian Militia System (1901)
- The Infantry Militia Officer of To-day and His Problems (1926)
- Personality in Leadership (1934)
- British Regular Army in Canada
- Battle Honours (1957)
- Defence: The Great Canadian Fairy Tale (1972)
- The Pig (1986)