Researching Canadian Soldiers of the First World War

By Michael O'Leary; The Regimental Rogue

Introduction

A new, or renewed, interest in family genealogy, the finding of heretofore unknown family medals or photos, an interest in confirming family stories … there are many individual reasons that generate a desire to search out the story of and research a soldier of the First World War. We all have mental images of that war, provided to us from print and video media our entire lives. The mud of Passchendaele, the images of brutal frontal assaults, the pervasive images of death and misery in trench warfare, but also the persistent songs of the era; Tipperary, Mademoiselle from Armentieres, that set a very different mood. But how close is this imagery, relentless as it is in First World War documentaries and other media, to the stories of individual soldiers? The answer to that question, for each soldier, can only be found through dedicated research into their personal experiences and the activities of the unit(s) with which they served.

The following pages provide a very brief introduction to researching Canadian soldiers of the First World War. It is intended to merely introduce the topic, as a comprehensive treatment would cover many pages and be overwhelming for any new researcher in this subject area. When appropriate, links to further resources will be offered to supplement the treatment given in these pages.

I would like to acknowledge the outstanding assistance I have received from members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group, the Great War Forum and the British Medal Forum for the many topics they have posted on their forums which provided general and individual guidance that I found useful, and sometimes essential, in exploring this area of research. Thanks are also due to the many personal and official web projects that facilitate starting one's research on Canadian soldiers of the Great War on the internet these days.

Part 1: Find Your Man (or Woman)

Canadian soldiers' service records for the First World War are held by the Library and Archives Canada (LAC). For researching soldiers of the First World War, the place to start is the Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918) database.

The introduction page at the Library and Archives Canada Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918) database.

Using the search form, look for your soldier by name. Unique or rare combinations of surname and given names will be rather easy to find in the database, for example, there's only one man named "Gladiator." For more common names a little more effort may be required, in contrast to the lone Gladiator there are 6955 entries for the surname "Smith" and 676 of those have the given name "John." Use full given names to search when known, or use initials with an asterisk "J*" if the initial is known but it is not certain what the given name is, or how it might have been entered on the soldier's Attestation Papers (ex. "J*" for John, Jean, Jack).

The search form at the Library and Archives Canada Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918) database.

As you can see in the results table below, your search can be much assisted if you know the soldier's service number and given names. The service number can be found on any surviving documents you might have, such as a discharge certificate, or it can be found on the back or bottom edge of his medals if you have them.

An example of results returned when searching on a surname (Silcox).

If your name search still leaves you will multiple possibilities, and you don't have a service number, all is not lost. When you have a "short list" of possibilities, such as men all with the same given names, try to narrow your choices by the birthdate. Note that those without a service number listed were officers, although officers who also served as soldiers before their commissioning will often be shown with a service number in the LAC database record. One further method to distinguish between similarly named individuals is to go to each record and look at the linked Attestation Paper. the front of the paper will include next of kin, place of birth, and home town at the time of enrolment. It should be possible to match any or all of these details to previously known family history and confirm the appropriate record.

If your attempts to narrow the field are still frustrated, consider the following possibilities:

Try alternative surname spellings. Not all men were literate and the forms were often filled out by officers or clerks who did their best, but may not have gotten it right. This can be as simple as mixing up "Mc" and "Mac" or as complex as a semi-phonetic spelling of an Eastern European surname.
Your soldier may have enlisted and served under an assumed name. There are many reasons for this, but it may require some extra family research before returning to the LAC database wth new possibilities.
A typographical error with a service number reference. Are you using an old hand-written note? There is even the (very slim) possibility that medals have the service number incorrectly impressed, it has been known to happen. Search separately for name and number to see other possible results.
Lastly, you may have to consider that perhaps the family stories of war service aren't true. Or maybe they are, but his service was not with a Canadian unit. In either case, there would be no entry in the LAC database.
For further guidance, try the LAC Search Help.

Hopefully with few problems, you will quickly be led to the correct LAC database record for you ancestor.

An example of an individual rerecord in the Library and Archives Canada Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918) database.

The record will provide links to scans of the soldier's Attestation Paper. About 90% of the soldiers of the Canadian Expeditionary Force have their attestation papers on line. The remainder simply weren't among the mass files of Attestation Papers that were scanned when the database was built, but copies will be in the individual service record files.

The Attestation Paper will probably provide you first lok at new information on your ancestor. There are two different documents linked with records. Most will have the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force Attestation Paper (example). Others, conscripts, will have a single-sided form showing that they were Drafted Under [the] Military Service Act, 1917 - Particulars of Recruit (example).

The individual record page on the LAC database will also provide a link to instructions for ordering the soldier's service record. These instructions are reproduced below:

Library and Archives Canada
Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918) database

How to order a copy of a complete service file

Most of the attestation papers have been digitized and appear online in the database.

The service files are paper originals. Beginning in May 2010, Library and Archives Canada has started to add digitized copies of the files to the database to make them more accessible, to help preserve the originals and to avoid copying the same file more than once.

For files not yet digitized, you can order photocopies or scanned images. The cost is the same. When a photocopy or digital copy is requested, the complete file will be scanned and the digital images will be added to the database the next time it is reloaded. In this way, all Canadians can help contribute to the preservation of our country's military heritage.

Due to the large volume of inquiries we receive, we are unable to provide a service for selecting and copying specific documents from within a file; we only provide copies of complete file. As well, the documents are not paginated and we cannot undertake page counts of files prior to ordering. However, most Canadian Expeditionary Force service files contain an average of 25 to 75 pages, with those for personnel who were drafted or enlisted later in the war typically having smaller files. They are open to the public without access restrictions.

How to order copies

See: Price List and Service Standards - Photocopy

• To obtain the students or seniors citizens (65 years of age and over) reduced rates, you must send a photocopy of your ID card with your written request or present your ID card to the staff when placing your request in-person.

Orders can be placed using our secure online Order Form for Photocopies and Reproductions, or by mail or fax. Please include your credit card number and the expiry date.

Reproduction Services
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N4
Fax: 613-995-6274

• We do not accept orders for copies by email as we cannot guarantee security for your credit card information. However, our online Order Form for Photocopies and Reproductions is secure.

Cite the full archival reference as it appears in the database.

Example:

COOPER, ADAM PORTER
Regimental number: 328870 (or rank if the individual was an officer)
Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 1965-1

If you are having problems identifying the correct file, please consult this section.

In brief, files will cost 40 cents per page plus postage and each file may be between 25 and 75 (on average). Once the LAC has your order, either by letter, facsimile or through their on-line ordering system, it can take four to six weeks to receive the records. (This time can increase if they are backlogged, as they can be around Remembrance Day or other times when people's interest in researching their soldiers ancestors is piqued. Ordering a digital copy may reduce your wait time.

One final point for your consideration. It may be recommended that you request "only" a genealogical package which will focus on record of service documents. Having handled a number of service records I would caution against this choice. Although many of the documents omitted in the genealogical package will be of little value, others may (and I stress may) hold clues for further research. Details on medical documents or a next-of-kin's address on a pay ledger may be a valuable clue for further family research.

The next step, exploring the service record, will have to wait until you have the service record in hand, but please, read on.

Part 2 - The Service Record.