Presented by May P. ChanPrairie History Room, Regina Public Library

© 2015Presentation Talk for the Moose Jaw Genealogical Society

BranchApril 28, 2015

• 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

• In genealogy, military records refer to service or personnel files of the men and women who served their country in various military conflicts. • However, military records generally refer to all records that are generated managing a military– regimental/unit histories– muster rolls (paylists)– departmental correspondence– maps

• 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 for soldiers, but also for chaplains, nurses and engineers.

• 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

• 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/

• To help locate military records from other countries, use Cyndis’ List (www.cyndislist.com) and/or FamilySearch Wiki (https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Main_Page)

• Don’t forget to check out country’s specific genweb pages (e.g. USGenWeb http://usgenweb.org/) or military pages (e.g. Canadian Military Heritage http://tinyurl.com/p5fahxe) for additional links!

• Not all military records have survived intact (e.g. Only 40% of British army records from 1913-1920 have survived)

• Information contained in military records vary (e.g. regimental records)

• Indexing issues (e.g. names have been misspelled or changed)

• Access to files are not permissible under the privacy legislation, especially personnel/service files

• Service files from 1918 and earlier are considered open with no access restrictions

• Service files after 1918 are considered restricted – Exception are those individuals who were killed in

action (KIA) during WWII – those files are “open”– If they were released from service or died in service

starting January 1, 1998 onwards, you need to contact Department of Defence

– Otherwise, the contact agency is Library and Archives Canada

– Refer to above link for contact info and documentation required when submitting request

1. Get as much information as you can about the individual you are researching:– Full name of the individual– Basic vitals (birthdate, birth year and birth place)– Branch of Service—eg. Army, Air Force, Navy, etc.

1. Don’t forget to look beyond the individual’s military/personnel files! For example, look at regimental histories to find out where the regiment was assigned and what battles they fought in.

2. Always record and evaluate your sources!

READ and STRATEGIZE!!!

Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/lay5nm4

• Tracing an individual who fought and died in WWI, also known as the First World War or the Great War

• Began July 28, 1914/August 4, 1914 and ended on November 11, 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)

Helpful Tip #3: When researching soldiers from Saskatchewan who died in the conflict, use the Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial

www.svwm.ca website!

Source: Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial www.svwm.ca

• Charles MacVicar BAYNE’s military file• Attestation (enlistment) papers• Service File

• War diaries and Unit Histories • Cemeteries and Battlefields• Other Military Records – this will depend

largely on the individual’s service file• Other Genealogical Records

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

• Service file only provides you with where and when the individual served and what happened

• To understand why a unit was sent to a particular battlefield, you need to track down the regimental histories

http://tinyurl.com/k453eko

• War diaries can only be searched by unit name, date or by the year only

• 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)

• CEF authorized 260 numbered infantry battalions but only 52 battalions were sent to the battlefields – it helps to know what unit your ancestor fought 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 or hire a researcher

• Amount and level of detail of content in the war diaries vary greatly

• 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 check your local public

library for published books!!!

Don’t forget to look for books, exhibits and maps pertaining to specific battles and battlefields!

http://tinyurl.com/mutrkjnhttp://tinyurl.com/kaanyz4

• Was there a death notice published for him? Check the local newspaper.

• What happened to his family after his death? Check the 1921 Canadian census and Henderson’s Directories for Moose Jaw and Regina

• Did he have any siblings? Check the previous censuses (1916, 1911, 1906, and 1901)

• Where did Charles go to high school? Are there any yearbooks with a photo of him?

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

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

Cox, Kenneth G. Call to Colours: Tracing Your Canadian Military Ancestors. Toronto, [ON]: Ontario Genealogical Society, Dundurn Press, c2011.

Storey, Neil R. Military Photographs & How to Date Them. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. 2009.

Tait, Janice and David Fletcher. Tracing Your Tank Ancestors. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Family History, 2011.

Tomaselli, Phil. Tracing Your Air Force Ancestors. 2nd ed. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Family History, 2014.

Wills, Simon. Tracing Your Merchant Navy Ancestors. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Family History, 2012.

Wright, Glen. Canadians at War, 1914-1919: a Research guide to World War I Service Records. Milton, ON: Global Heritage Press, 2010.

• When searching a library catalog, here are useful keywords to use:- Name of the conflict (e.g. WWII, Boer War,

etc.)- Name of the regiment (e.g. Princess Patricia)- Name of the battle (e.g. Dieppe)- Military medal(s) or decoration(s)- Military uniform(s)- Military tank(s), aircraft(s), ship(s), etc.

• Broaden your research – try to understand the context by looking at the regimental histories or the specific battles

• Don’t forget that every soldier left family members behind – what happened to them?

• Consider and contribute what you have found out about your military ancestor(s) to museums, archives, and libraries • Saskatchewan Military Museum –

www.saskatchewanmilitarymuseum.com• Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial – www.svwm.ca

Email: maychan@reginalibrary.caPresentation:

www.slideshare.net/maychan