How to research Canadian Soldiers from the First World War
We are sometimes asked about how to undertake research for servicemen who were killed in the Great War. Whilst there are lots of resources available (and these of course include the Pension Records saved by The Western Front Association) there are many ‘nooks and crannies’ that may be overlooked or unknown.
In this brief article we aim to direct readers to a couple of very useful websites that may assist members with research into Canadian soldiers who served in the Great War. This is not remotely intended to be comprehensive, but a starting point for further research.
If it is considered helpful, we may expand this piece and/or create similar articles to help ‘kick-start’ research for members.
Canadian Service Records
Service records for Canadian soldiers can be found online via the Library and Archives Canada website. This is a Canadian Government resource. To access it click this link Service Records
This database combines references to various First World War personnel records. Digitization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force personnel files is complete. The database also includes digitized files for many individuals who served in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and Newfoundland Forestry Corps.
As well as providing a copy of the attestation form, there are also entire service records available to download if you click on the link adjacent to the words 'Digitized service file - PDF format'.
Canadian War Diaries
Again, these are available at the 'Library and Archives Canada website' however the functionality of this can be frustrating, so an alternative which is far more user friendly may be helpful for members to use. This has been created by the Canadian Great War Project and the access to war diaries can be located by clicking this link Canadian Great War Project War Diaries (click on the 'diaries' tab on this page).
More Guidance
A further very helpful page is here that of the 'Regimental Rogue' which members may find of use.
Further Reading
A second article is now available 'How to research Australian and New Zealand Soldiers from the First World War'
Becoming a member of The Western Front Association (WFA) offers a wealth of resources and opportunities for those passionate about the history of the First World War. Here's just three of the benefits we offer:
The WFA regularly makes available webinars which can be viewed 'live' from home. These feature expert speakers talking about a particular aspect of the Great War.
Featured on The WFA's YouTube channel are modern day re-interpretations of the inter-war magazine 'I Was There!' which recount the memories of soldiers who 'were there'.
Explore over 8 million digitized pension records, Medal Index Cards and Ministry of Pension Documents, preserved by the WFA.
