- Discover military service: Use Canadian military records to find information about your ancestors’ military service, including enlistment dates, ranks, units, and deployments. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – Military Heritage]
- Trace regimental history: Explore the history of specific Canadian military regiments to understand the experiences of your ancestors who served in those units. [Link: The Royal Canadian Regiment]
- Find war diaries: War diaries provide detailed accounts of military operations and can offer insights into your ancestor’s service. Locate war diaries related to your ancestor’s unit. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – War Diaries]
- Research casualty lists: Consult casualty lists to determine if your ancestor was injured, killed, or reported missing during military service. [Link: The Canadian Virtual War Memorial]
- Access service records: Request your ancestor’s individual service records from Library and Archives Canada to obtain detailed information about their military career. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – Personnel Records of the First World War]
- Examine attestation papers: Attestation papers document a person’s enlistment into the military and often contain personal details such as birthdate, occupation, and physical appearance. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – Attestation Papers]
- Analyze discharge papers: Discharge papers provide information about the end of a soldier’s service, including the reason for discharge and any medals or honors received. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – Discharge Certificates]
- Study military medals: Investigate the significance and meaning of military medals awarded to your ancestors, and understand the criteria for each medal. [Link: Veterans Affairs Canada – Canadian Honours and Awards]
- Explore military photographs: Search for photographs of military units or individuals to visually connect with your ancestors’ military experiences. [Link: The Memory Project – Military Photographs]
- Investigate military cemeteries: Explore military cemeteries and burial records to locate the final resting places of your ancestors who died in service. [Link: Research military Commonwealth War Graves Commission]
- Hospitals: If your ancestor was wounded or fell ill during service, search for records related to military hospitals and medical treatment. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – Hospitals and Convalescent Centres]
- Examine military court martial records: If your ancestor faced military disciplinary action, court martial records may provide insight into their misconduct and the subsequent consequences. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – Court Martial Case Files]
- Explore military pensions: Investigate pension records to learn about the financial support provided to veterans or their dependents after military service. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – Pension Files]
- Trace military land grants: Discover if your ancestor received land grants as compensation for their military service. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – Land Grants of Western Canada]
- Find military correspondence: Explore military correspondence and letters to gain a deeper understanding of your ancestor’s experiences, emotions, and relationships during their service. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – Private Records]
- Research military maps: Consult military maps to understand the locations and movements of military units in which your ancestors served. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – Military Maps]
- Investigate military unit histories: Study published unit histories to learn about the actions and engagements of your ancestor’s military unit during specific campaigns or wars. [Link: Canadian Forces Publication – Unit Histories]
- Access military nominal rolls: Nominal rolls list the individuals serving in a particular unit, providing valuable information about fellow soldiers who served alongside your ancestor. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – Nominal Rolls]
- Explore military training records: Discover information about your ancestor’s military training, including dates, locations, and specialized skills acquired. [Link: Library and Archives Canada – Training Establishments]
- Connect with military museums and archives: Visit or contact military museums and archives that specialize in Canadian military history for additional resources and guidance in your genealogical research. [Link: Canadian War Museum]
Please note that some external links provided may change over time, but they should serve as a starting point for your research. We are still working on updating some of the item links. These should be completed shortly. The links are now in place for all 20 items.