A Call to the Colours. Kenneth Cox
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structure” icon, list of HMCS ships and related archival resources appears. Click on the small + icon beside the name of the ship to display the information that the archives holds related to that vessel. The specific RG that holds the information is listed beside each archival resource. This should help you narrow your search considerably. However, LAC is currently revising its search tools. Be aware that you may be directed to another area of LAC or to ArchiviaNet to continue your research.
Through both its archival and library records and books, and the Canadian Genealogy Centre portal, LAC should be your first stop. LAC is constantly posting new sources of data. For instance, early in December 2010 it launched a new online database, “Medals, Honours and Awards.” “Through this online database, researchers can access more than 113,000 references to medal registers, citation cards and records of various military awards. In addition to archival references, this research tool includes digitized images of some medal registers. The database is available at: www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/medals/index-e.html.”1
You should also become familiar with Amicus and ArchiviaNet through the Collections Canada site. These research tools can help you access the archival collections throughout Canada. LAC also offers an interlibrary loan service.
When you visit LAC in person, the following record groups contain military records:
• RG 8 — British Military and Naval Records
• RG 9 — Militia and Defence
• RG 15 — Department of the Interior (western land grants related to Red River, North-West Rebellions, and Boer War)
• RG 24 — National Defence Records
• RG 28 — Munitions and Supply
• RG 38 — Veterans’ Affairs
• RG 44 — National War Service records
• RG 49 — Defence Production during the war
• RG 57 — Emergency Measures Organization
• RG 61 — Allied War Supplies Corporation
• RG 83 — Defence Construction Limited
• RG 117 — Office of the Custodian of Enemy Property
• RG 150 — Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada (First World War records)
Library and Archives Canada has prepared finding aids for most of their RGs and anyone doing research should automatically consult these when requesting information. Should you experience any difficulty identifying the appropriate RG, consult one of the on-site archivists. They should refer you to two resource guides:
• A Guide to Sources Relating to the Canadian Militia — finding aid RG 9-58 lists resources for infantry, cavalry, and armoured units.
• A Guide to Sources Relating to the Canadian Militia — finding aid RG 9-59 deals with the artillery.
OTHER RESOURCES
At Veterans’ Affairs, www.vac-acc.gc.ca, you can learn about service medals and use a search engine that will allow you to visit the Book of Remembrance.
If you suspect an ancestor died in the war, visit the Commonwealth War Graves site at www.cwg.org. This site will provide you with date of death, service regiment, location of interment, and, perhaps, the address of next of kin.
Your provincial archives will have copies of many of the records available at the Canadian archives as well as records unique to your province.
Your local library and provincial genealogy society will also have their own records as well as some of the more popular LAC ones. For example, the Ontario Genealogical Society website is www.ogs.on.ca and the Toronto Reference Library web page is www.torontopubliclibrary.ca. Similar services are available throughout the country.
Canadian university libraries also hold material related to your military ancestors. Many of them contain valuable collections of scarce manuscripts or copies of LAC material. For instance, Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, has a complete set of the Upper Canada Land Books with an index, www.brockloyalisthistorycollection.ca/collection.html.
Before making a personal visit to any of the repositories, be sure to phone or email for hours and restrictions. When visiting an archives, expect that you will not be allowed to take in any writing implements beyond a pencil.
Portals, such as Cyndi’s List, www.cyndislist.com, or pay-per-view sites like Ancestry.com and Findmypast.com allow access to a wide variety of resources. Don’t forget to access the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons, LDS) site at www.familysearch.com or visit one of their Family History Centres. Both Ancestry.com and Findmypast.com are free to view at the LDS Family History sites. Ancestry.com is also free to use at most public libraries.2
When you find yourself seeking reference material specifically related to the regiment or battle in which your ancestors served and fought, there are several book sites to search:
Grenadier Militaria, www.grenadiermilitaria.com.
Naval and Military Press, www.naval-military-press.com.
Pen and Sword Books, www.pen-and-sword.co.uk.
WHAT CAN MEDALS AND OTHER ARTIFACTS TEACH YOU?
Military medals issued before the Second World War were engraved around the rim with the name of the soldier, his or her rank, regimental number, and battalion or regiment. They were also issued with a ribbon that was unique to that medal. Sometimes in an old black-and-white photograph that patterned ribbon is enough to allow you to identify the military event in which an ancestor may have served.
Similarly, the “crown” you will find on cap badges will help you identify relevant time periods. During Queen Victoria’s reign, cap badge design included what is commonly referred to as a “Queen’s Crown” over the regimental number. This design changed when Edward VII and later George the V & VI assumed the throne, replaced by a “King’s Crown,” and then changed back to a “Queen’s Crown” for Elizabeth II. British medals were issued with clasps or bars denoting the military event in which the participant saw service.
As you continue researching an ancestor’s military history, expect to develop an awareness of the changes to the uniforms worn by your ancestor over the decades as well as the development of various patterns of “webbing” (military harness designed to support necessary equipment) and the type of weapons you might discover a family member carrying in some old photograph. This knowledge also helps you place an ancestor into context.
The infantry webbing worn by your ancestor will certainly help identify a time period in an old photograph. Often you will see a photograph of a soldier wearing Slade-Wallace harness, Oliver Pattern harness, 1908 or 1936 Pattern webbing, or, if your ancestor was an officer, wearing what was referred to as Sam Browne harness. Each piece of equipment carried by a military ancestor during certain time periods represents a change in the military culture. Refer to the glossary for an explanation of khaki, webbing, collar dogs, flashes, service and battle dress, puttees, and other uniquely military terms that will help you complete your search for your ancestor’s military history.
Always make sure your sources are trustworthy (especially online). And remember, just because you cannot find a record does not mean that it does not exist; it could be that an ancestor’s name was not recorded on the muster rolls or that the name was spelled differently than you expect it to be. You will quickly learn to distinguish between primary and secondary sources and some of the inherent weaknesses in the documents you may have to use as references. For example, when I searched the published rolls for the North West Canada Medal, they simply showed that a family member qualified for the medal and clasp (M. & C.) with nothing else of significance in the transcription. However, when I checked the original rolls I discovered that the transcriber had omitted a small, handwritten note. The note, which stated simply “12/05/85 wounded,” added a significant footnote to my family narrative. It meant this individual had fought in the Battle of Batoche (8–12 May 1885) and consequently would have been entitled to the Batoche clasp