Presentation for the Moose Jaw Genealogical Society on April 28, 2015. The presentation looks at what are military records, where to look for them, and how to look for additional records to provide context for the military service/personnel files.

1. Presented by May P. Chan
Prairie History Room, Regina Public Library
© 2015
Presentation Talkforthe Moose Jaw Genealogical Society
Branch
April 28, 2015

2. • Overview
– What are military records? Why use
them? Where are they located? What
are the challenges?
• Research Tips
• Case Study - WWI
• Additional Resources
• Question Period

3. • In genealogy, military records referto service
orpersonnel files of the men and women who
served theircountry in various military
conflicts.
• However, military records generally referto
all records that are generated managing a
military
– regimental/unit histories
– musterrolls (paylists)
– departmental correspondence
– maps

4. • Military service records can yield valuable genealogical
information
– birth information
– residence at time of military service
– evidence of family relationships (e.g. names of
spouses)
– physical attributes
– medical conditions
– awards received
• Note: service records were not only kept forsoldiers,
but also forchaplains, nurses and engineers.

5. • Military records are held by each
country that participated in a specific
conflict
• Military records are typically held in
that country’s national archives or
library
• Note: access to military records vary
between different countries

9. • Australia: National Archives of Australia
http://www.naa.gov.au/
• France: Service historique de la Défense
http://tinyurl.com/pvdljx9
• Germany: Department Military Archives
http://tinyurl.com/mrmmf73
• New Zealand: Archives New Zealand
http://archives.govt.nz/

10. • To help locate military records from other
countries, use Cyndis’ List (www.cyndislist.com)
and/orFamilySearch Wiki
(https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Main_Page
)
• Don’t forget to checkout country’s specific
genweb pages (e.g. USGenWeb
http://usgenweb.org/) ormilitary pages (e.g.
Canadian Military Heritage
http://tinyurl.com/p5fahxe) foradditional links!

11. • Not all military records have survived
intact (e.g. Only 40% of British army
records from1913-1920 have survived)
• Information contained in military records
vary (e.g. regimental records)
• Indexing issues (e.g. names have been
misspelled orchanged)
• Access to files are not permissible under
the privacy legislation, especially
personnel/service files

12. • Service files from 1918 and earlierare considered open
with no access restrictions
• Service files after1918 are considered restricted
– Exception are those individuals who were killed in
action (KIA) during WWII – those files are “open”
– If they were released fromservice ordied in service
starting January 1, 1998 onwards, you need to
contact Department of Defence
– Otherwise, the contact agency is Library and Archives
Canada
– Referto above linkforcontact info and
documentation required when submitting request

13. 1. Get as much information as you can about the
individual you are researching:
– Full name of the individual
– Basic vitals (birthdate, birth yearand birth place)
– Branch of Service—eg. Army, AirForce, Navy, etc.
1. Don’t forget to lookbeyond the individual’s
military/personnel files! Forexample, lookat
regimental histories to find out where the regiment
was assigned and what battles they fought in.
2. Always record and evaluate yoursources!

14. READand STRATEGIZE!!!
Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/lay5nm4

15. • Tracing an individual who fought and died in WWI,
also known as the First World Warorthe Great War
• Began July 28, 1914/August 4, 1914 and ended on
November11, 1918
– Because of WWI’s centenary, many of these
records are being digitized and made more
available on websites
• Approximately 66, 655 Canadians were killed and
172, 950 were wounded (Cox, 131) in the conflict
• About 19, 666 Canadian soldiers have no known
grave (Cox, 131)

16. Helpful Tip #3: When researching soldiers fromSaskatchewan who
died in the conflict, use the Saskatchewan Virtual WarMemorial
www.svwm.ca website!

17. Source: Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial www.svwm.ca

18. • Charles MacVicarBAYNE’s military file
• Attestation (enlistment) papers
• Service File
• Wardiaries and Unit Histories
• Cemeteries and Battlefields
• OtherMilitary Records – this will depend
largely on the individual’s service file
• OtherGenealogical Records

19. This database will
enable you to locate
eventually both the
attestation papers
and service files of
those who served in
the CEF.

20. • Service file only
provides you with
where and when the
individual served and
what happened
• To understand why a
unit was sent to a
particularbattlefield,
you need to track
down the regimental
histories
http://tinyurl.com/k453eko

21. • Wardiaries can only
be searched by unit
name, date orby the
yearonly
• No full text search of
the images
• If you don’t know the
specific unit’s name
(e.g. Regina Rifles),
start with the generic
name of the unit (e.g.
5th
Battalion)

22. • CEF authorized 260 numbered infantry battalions but
only 52 battalions were sent to the battlefields – it helps
to know what unit yourancestorfought in
• handy online guide courtesy of Wikipedia
http://tinyurl.com/qeuj3uw
• Cox, 144-147: brief description about the
organizational structure of the CEF with a 2 page
chart with divisions included which battalions
• Not all of the regimental diaries have been digitized!!!
Depending on the regiment, you may need to plan a trip
to Ottawa to view the microfilm orhire a researcher
• Amount and level of detail of content in the wardiaries
vary greatly

23. • Internet Archives
(https://www.archives.org/details/texts) –
some published regimental histories
• Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org) – info
on specific regiments
• Websites on specific regiments
• Don’t forget to checkyourlocal public
library forpublished books!!!

25. Don’t forget to lookforbooks, exhibits and maps
pertaining to specific battles and battlefields!
http://tinyurl.com/mutrkjnhttp://tinyurl.com/kaanyz4

26. • Was there a death notice published forhim?
Checkthe local newspaper.
• What happened to his family afterhis death?
Checkthe 1921 Canadian census and
Henderson’s Directories forMoose Jaw and
Regina
• Did he have any siblings? Checkthe previous
censuses (1916, 1911, 1906, and 1901)
• Where did Charles go to high school? Are there
any yearbooks with a photo of him?

27. Categories include:
•Draft, enlistment, service
•Casualties
•Soldier, veteran and prisoner
lists
•Pension records
•Histories
•Awards
•News
•Disciplinary Actions
•Photos

28. The resource is available
through yourpublic
library and offers:
•Revolutionary War
Records
•History Books
•PERSI (Periodical
Source Index) – tracking
down journal or
magazine articles

29. Cox, Kenneth G. CalltoColours: TracingYour
CanadianMilitaryAncestors. Toronto, [ON]: Ontario
Genealogical Society, Dundurn Press, c2011.
Storey, Neil R. MilitaryPhotographs & How toDate
Them. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. 2009.
Tait, Janice and David Fletcher. TracingYourTank
Ancestors. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Family History,
2011.

30. Tomaselli, Phil. TracingYourAirForceAncestors. 2nd
ed. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Family History, 2014.
Wills, Simon. TracingYourMerchant NavyAncestors.
Barnsley: Pen & Sword Family History, 2012.
Wright, Glen. Canadians at War, 1914-1919: a
ResearchguidetoWorldWarIServiceRecords.
Milton, ON: Global Heritage Press, 2010.

31. • When searching a library catalog, here are
useful keywords to use:
- Name of the conflict (e.g. WWII, BoerWar,
etc.)
- Name of the regiment (e.g. Princess Patricia)
- Name of the battle (e.g. Dieppe)
- Military medal(s) ordecoration(s)
- Military uniform(s)
- Military tank(s), aircraft(s), ship(s), etc.

32. • Broaden yourresearch – try to understand the
context by looking at the regimental histories or
the specific battles
• Don’t forget that every soldierleft family
members behind – what happened to them?
• Considerand contribute what you have found
out about yourmilitary ancestor(s) to museums,
archives, and libraries
• Saskatchewan Military Museum –
www.saskatchewanmilitarymuseum.com
• Saskatchewan Virtual WarMemorial – www.svwm.ca

33. Email: maychan@reginalibrary.ca
Presentation:
www.slideshare.net/maychan