Category Archives: Military Heritage

New Finding Aids Online: Department of Militia and Defence (RG9) circa 1914–1919

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Did you know that several finding aids from the RG9 fonds–the Department of Militia and Defence–refer to documents created during the First World War? These finding aids allow users to find historical documents pertinent to Canada’s participation in the first global conflict.

The following is a list of new online finding aids, which were previously only available in a paper format. These new additions make reference to over 6,000 sublevels.

  1. General Staff, London – 501 descriptions (Finding aid 9-31-36)
  2. Headquarters, Canadian Troops, Seaford-106 descriptions (Finding aid 9-31-41)
  3. No. 5 Canadian General Hospital, Kirkdale-239 descriptions (Finding aid 9-31-39)
  4. Military Hospital No. 12, Bramshott-363 descriptions (Finding aid 9-31-38)
  5. Director of Supply and Transport, London-1159 descriptions (Finding aid 9-31-42)
  6. Quartermaster General, London-1367 descriptions (Finding aid 9-31-43)
  7. Canadian Army Service Corps, London-684 descriptions (Finding aid 9-31-44)
  8. War Graves (Adjutant General Branch)-188 descriptions (Finding aid 9-31-51)
  9. Canadian Air Force-89 descriptions (Finding aid 9-31-49)
  10. Assistant Director Medical Services, Shorncliffe-236 descriptions (Finding aid 9-31-47)
  11. Canadian Forestry Corps, 51st District (Scotland)-198 descriptions (Finding aid 9-31-46)
  12. Canadian Army Veterinary Corps-1077 descriptions (Finding aid 9-31-45)

If you are not certain how to use finding aids, read over Discover Finding Aids Part One and Part Two (The second part is particularly relevant for searching the RG9 finding aids).

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To search the finding aids below, you will need to select the hyperlinked number located beside “Series consists of” text as in the example below:

A sample record description in the Archives Search database displaying the Series consists of row.

Once on the results page, scroll to the list and explore the sublevels that might be of interest to your search. Note that finding aids generally point to elements of the collection that are not available online, so read How to Consult Material that Is Not Yet Available Online to determine the best method for you.

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!

Faces of 1812

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The Canadian War Museum is proud to present Faces of 1812, an exhibition created by Library and Archives Canada in conjunction with the opening of its major exhibition 1812.

Faces of 1812 presents some of the men and women, both combatants and civilians, who experienced the War of 1812. It likewise highlights the conflict as a rich and continuing source of artistic inspiration, commemoration, and reflection.

The War of 1812 united French- and English-speaking Canadians, First Peoples, and the British against a common foe. The confidence gained through their successful joint defence helped lay the foundations for modern Canada.

Faces of 1812, a complementary exhibition to the Canadian War Museum’s 1812 will be on display at the War Museum in Ottawa from June 13, 2012 until January 6, 2013.

You can also discover thousands of portraits on LAC‘s new Portrait Portal.

For more information, visit the Canadian War Museum website.

For more information on recent announcements at LAC, visit “News“.

How to find out if a war diary from the Second World War is on microfilm

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The article War Diaries: Discover what individuals or military units did during the war explores war diaries, their usefulness and how you can access them. Now, you may wonder: In what formats are they available?

Most First World War Army diaries have been digitized. As for Second World War diaries, some were microfilmed, but many are available in their original paper format only.

To find out if a war diary from the Second World War is available on microfilm, you must perform a search in the Archives Search database. After you have selected the relevant diary title, just refer to the Conditions of access section of the archival description.

For example, the war diaries of the 1st Armoured Car Regiment (Royal Canadian Dragoons) for September and October 1945 are accessible on microfilm reel T-12563.

Although some microfilm reel numbers are not entered in the Archives Search database, we have created a list of reel numbers that you can consult on-site at 395 Wellington Street, in Ottawa, or by contacting Reference Services.

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!

New Digitized Reels: War of 1812 Records

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We are pleased to announce that you can now access 73,000 new images of War of 1812 records on its website.

Discover these valuable resources and other miscellaneous records for the War of 1812 with the Microform Digitization research tool. This tool allows you to browse these records page by page.

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) holds a unique and vast collection of records about the Canadian men and women who were involved in the War of 1812. Muster rolls, paylists, claims, certificates of service, medal registers, maps, paintings, and published sources are featured in LAC holdings that document this key event.

With these images now online, you have easy access to records for:

  • Board of Claims for War of 1812 losses, 1813–1848, Series RG19 E5A
  • Lower Canada militia nominal rolls and paylists, Series RG9 1A7
  • Upper Canada militia returns, nominal rolls, and paylists, Series RG9 1B7

For more information on recent announcements at LAC, visit “News“.

Victory in Europe Day Images Now on Flickr

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Guide to Sources Relating to Units of the CEF is Now Available Online

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We are pleased to announce the launch of the Guide to Sources Relating to Units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The guide is an indispensable starting point for researching the records that document Canada’s participation in the First World War. It is a unique finding aid that brings together references to records and files scattered throughout several different archival fonds, which relate to almost every unit in the CEF.

The Guide was originally developed over many years by Barbara Wilson, an archivist with the former National Archives of Canada, now Library and Archives Canada. The guide has subsequently been updated with more recent acquisitions from official records, private papers and diaries, and by many other contributors from Library and Archives Canada. The guide was reviewed and updated with references to the Ministry of Militia and Defence records and daily orders, which are described by Library and Archives Canada as Record Group 9 or RG9.

For more information on recent announcements at LAC, visit “News”.

Frequently Asked Questions for the Personnel Records Unit

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Are you looking for the service number of a former service person?

If so, you must contact Library and Archives Canada by telephone to speak with an analyst from the Personnel Records Unit. The toll-free numbers are 1-866-578-7777 or Service Canada at 1-800-O-Canada (1-800-622-6232).

The Personnel Records Analyst will ask you to provide the full name and date of birth of the former service person. Most military service numbers can be released over the telephone. However, service numbers issued after February 1, 1968, remain protected and are not provided or confirmed over the telephone.

To learn more about ordering this type of record, read the Library and Archives Canada Blog post – How to Order Military Records from the Personnel Records Unit.

Which documents are needed to receive benefits?

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is the department that administers services and benefits to former military service personnel and their families.  Since numerous services and benefits are available, VAC may require a variety of documents to determine eligibility requirements.

With respect to benefit applications, Library and Archives Canada can assist in providing copies of the required documents from the military personnel records of former service personnel.

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!

Understand the Abbreviations Commonly Found in Military Service Files

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In previous posts, we’ve explained how to order Military Service files and we’ve even outlined what type of documents you are likely to find in them; but what happens once you begin reading a Military Service file and see abbreviations? You may recognize some abbreviations, such as “YMCA” (Young Men’s Christian Association), but others, such as “11thIFofC” or “YISMHRCAMC”, may prove to be somewhat puzzling.

Help Is at Hand

Understanding these abbreviations can be difficult, especially if you are unfamiliar with Canadian military history. For this reason, the Genealogy Services have transcribed over 6,000 abbreviations commonly found in these records and have added them to a list of abbreviations used in military service files. Using this list, you can search for the abbreviations in alphabetical order.

Understanding that “11thIFofC” stands for “11th Regiment (Irish Fusiliers of Canada)” or that “YISMHRCAMC” means “York Island Station Military Hospital Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps” will help you decipher the soldier’s life and provide you with a much better understanding of ranks, jobs, regiments and much more.

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!

What You Will Find in a Canadian Military Service File

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As you may already know, military service files contain a wealth of information about soldiers, nursing sisters and chaplains. The files for the First World War have been reviewed and contain an average of 50 to 70 pages.  Later files however, such as the files for those who were killed-in-action during the Second World War, have not been reviewed by the Personnel Records Unit and might contain multiple copies of the same documents.  This is why these files are larger, and may contain up to 400 pages.

Do you really want to view all 400 pages, including duplicate copies?

Probably not. That is why Library and Archives Canada (LAC) created the “Genealogy Package”, which offers a selection of the most relevant documents in a file to help you discover the story of an individual during their service time.

You can read how to order the Genealogy Package in our online article “How to Order Military Records from the Personnel Records Unit”. However, in case you are wondering what kinds of documents are included in a Genealogy Package, we have included the following list outlining the most common documents for the army, the air force and the navy.

The Army

Attestation paper, dental record, discharge certificate, DVA counselling, interview report, medal card, medical record, occupational history form, part II orders, particulars of family, pay-related documents, personnel selection record, soldier qualification card, war bonds correspondence.

The Air Force

Dental record, discharge certificate, DVA counselling interview report, enlistment form, medal card, medical record, occupational history form, particulars of family, pay-related documents, personnel selection record, RCAF card/service card, war bonds correspondence.

The Navy

Dental record, DVA counselling interview report, enlistment form, medal card, medical record, occupational history form, particulars of family, pay-related documents, personnel selection record, record of service card, true certificate of service, verification form (medals), war bonds correspondence.

Are you interested in ordering a military service file? Did you know that you can help make a broader range of LAC holdings available to others? You can do this by choosing the PDF option (either the URL link by email or the CD) when you order a complete file—for example, a soldier’s file from the First World War. The images you request can then be repurposed for use on LAC’s website, whenever permissible. Help us build LAC’s digital collection; the URL link will save you money on shipping fees too.

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!