• pay-per-view websites
BOOLEAN SEARCH
Remember, once you identify the regiment/squadron/ship in which your ancestor served, you can do a boolean search to discover more specific details. Many search engines, such as Google or Yahoo, automatically implement a boolean search. When searching a site with an “advanced” function, use this excellent tool.
• Use AND to find both words. This will only open pages that have both words: “Italy” AND “star.”
• Use OR to find all instances of either one word or another. This will find all pages that mention either word or both.
• Use NEAR to find words close to each other. This will provide pages that have both words and return pages ranked in order of proximity. So the first pages will have the words closer together than items lower on the list.
• Use AND NOT to exclude certain text from the search.
• Use * to look for words that start the same. Thus capture * will find capturing, captured, etc.
• Use ** to search for all forms of a word.
• Put quotation marks (“Canadians in Italy”) around phrases you want the search engine to take literally.
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA
When you discover an RG (record group) that might contain important information about your topic, open this page. Then select “Show Arrangement Structure.” In RG 24-D-1, for instance, when you check the “show arrangement 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
