Although this guidance is not specific to researching Regimental soldiers, it will be equally applicable to those who are researching CEF soldiers of The RCR.
One of the effects of maintaining my
website is the periodic appearance in my e-mail in-box of questions which inquire about how to learn more about the First World War activities of the senders' family members. The opening questions often make it clear that it is their first inquiry and they have identified no logical starting point to learn more about their father, grandfather, great-uncle, etc. in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF).
I have quite often typed out, or edited from previous versions, responses introducing them to the various Library and Archives Canada databases, the Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group, the Great War Forum and other resources. Over time I came to realize that many of the sites I have come to draw upon are not easily found, and take some guidance to navigate.
In the interests of establishing better guidance to the introductory stages of researching CEF soldiers, I have been working on a basic set of instructions, a sort of
"Researching CEF Soldiers 101" to share with others.
Researching Canadian Soldiers of the First World WarPart 1: Find your Man (or Woman)Part 2: The Service RecordPart 3: Court Martial RecordsPart 4: War Diaries and Unit HistoriesPart 5: CasualtiesPart 6: Researching Honours and AwardsPart 7: Deciphering Battlefield Location InformationPart 8: More Mapping InformationPart 9: Matching Battlefield Locations to the Modern Map(Comments, suggestions, and the pointing out of the inevitable typos welcome.)Pro Patria
