researching military records
TRANSCRIPT
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Presented by May P. ChanPrairie History Room, Regina Public Library
© 2015Presentation Talk for the Moose Jaw Genealogical Society
BranchApril 28, 2015
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• 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
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• 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
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• 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.
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• 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
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• 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/
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• 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!
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• 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
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• 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
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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!
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READ and STRATEGIZE!!!
Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/lay5nm4
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• 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)
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Helpful Tip #3: When researching soldiers from Saskatchewan who died in the conflict, use the Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial
www.svwm.ca website!
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• 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
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This database will enable you to locate eventually both the attestation papers and service files of those who served in the CEF.
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• 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
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• 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)
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• 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
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• 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!!!
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Don’t forget to look for books, exhibits and maps pertaining to specific battles and battlefields!
http://tinyurl.com/mutrkjnhttp://tinyurl.com/kaanyz4
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• 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?
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Categories include:•Draft, enlistment, service•Casualties•Soldier, veteran and prisoner lists•Pension records•Histories•Awards•News•Disciplinary Actions•Photos
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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
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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.
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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.
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• 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.
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• 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