Army
Canadian Expeditionary Force
Library and Archives Canada holds the personnel files of the soldiers, nurses and chaplains who served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) (Record Group 150).
The digitization of the CEF service files is now completed. The original paper documents can no longer be consulted. A total of 622,290 digitized files can be found in the Personnel Records of the First World War database or in
Collection Search. Switch to Advanced search, and select “First World War Personnel Records” from the Database menu.
Feel free to
contact us, if you still have questions after having checked the database.
Having these records available in digital format ensures:
- Clients can easily and quickly download high-quality digital copies of these service files, free of charge.
- The long-term preservation of these unique and fragile paper documents.
When ordering a copy of a file, the following information pages will help you interpret the documents:
See also
Other Records.
Early in the war, some volunteers were rejected at the Val Cartier training camp, mostly for medical reasons. Those files usually contain only an attestation paper (RG9-II-B-13, volumes 6087 to 6104). These records are indexed in our Personnel Records of the First World War database or in Collection Search. Switch to Advanced search, and select “First World War Personnel Records” from the Database menu. Enter “Rejected CEF volunteers” and a surname in the “All these words” search bar. Each record will have “Rejected CEF volunteers” under the Record Group field.
Indigenous Soldiers
Other references to Indigenous soldiers can be found in the records of the Department of Indian Affairs (Record Group 10). Files can be identified using
Collection Search and entering keywords such as the surname of a person and "soldier" and RG10.
For the files listed below, microfilm reels C-8510 to C-8515 have been digitized on our partner website
Héritage. You can browse through the page images; the contents are not searchable. The files on microfilm C-11335 are linked below to the digitized images on our website.
Indigenous Soldiers
File title | Archival reference |
---|
Lists of Indians killed and wounded overseas | RG10, volume 6765, file 452-9, microfilm
C-8510 |
Reports and correspondence regarding recruits and enlisted Indians | RG10, volume 6766, file 452-13, microfilm
C-8511 |
Applications made by Indians for discharges from the Armed Forces | RG10, volume 6767, file 452-15, microfilm
C-8512 |
Correspondence regarding lists of returned Indian soldiers | RG10, volume 6771, file 452-30, microfilm
C-8515 |
Enlistments and war activities of Indians (includes some photographs) | RG10, volume 6771, file 452-29, microfilm
C-8514 and continued on
C-8515 |
Lists of Indian volunteers in the War of 1914 (includes some photographs) | RG10, volume 3182, file 452,124-6, microfilm C-11335
MIKAN 2075807 |
Correspondence and
Canada Gazette regarding the involvement of Native Peoples in the War of 1914 | RG10, volume 3180, file 452,124-1, microfilm C-11335
MIKAN 2075805 (includes newspaper clippings) |
Royal Newfoundland Regiment and Newfoundland Forestry Corps
Library and Archives Canada holds original and microfilm copies of the military personnel files of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and Newfoundland Forestry Corps (Record Group 38). These records are indexed in our Personnel Records of the First World War database, or in
Collection Search. Switch to Advanced search, and select “First World War Personnel Records” from the Database menu. Enter the name of the corps and a surname in the “All these words” search bar. Each record will have “The Royal Newfoundland Regiment and Newfoundland Forestry Corps” under the “Record Group” field.
Microfilms are also available for consultation at The Rooms in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Their archives have also digitized some of the files on their website in the Newfoundland Regiment and the Great War database.
The
Family History Library also has a copy of these microfilms.
Imperial War Service Gratuity Files
Some Canadian residents who served with the British Imperial Forces during the First World War received a gratuity from the Canadian government. Those Imperial War Service Gratuity files are found in our Department of Militia and Defence fonds (RG9 II F10). These records are indexed in our Personnel Records of the First World War database, or in
Collection Search. Switch to Advanced search, and select “First World War Personnel Records” from the Database menu. Enter “Imperial Gratuities” and a surname in the “All these words” search bar. Each record will have “Imperial Gratuities” under the “Record Group” field.
Those files are digitized on
www.ancestry.ca. That subscription website is available free at many public libraries.
Non-Permanent Active Militia
There are no service files for the militia in Canada during the war, with the exception of this group of service files for some members of the NPAM (RG9-II-B-7). Those units performed a variety of military tasks in Canada, mainly guarding strategic sites such as armouries, bridges and canals. This series also contains a few files for some members of other units that served in Canada during the war. These records are indexed in our Personnel Records of the First World War database, or in
Collection Search. Switch to Advanced search, and select “First World War Personnel Records” from the Database menu. Enter “Non-Permanent Active Militia” and a surname in the “All these words” search bar. Each record will have “Non-Permanent Active Militia” under the “Record Group” field.
Air
The Royal Canadian Air Force did not exist at that time, and those wishing to enlist in the air service would have joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), the Royal Air Force (RAF) or the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Personnel files for those British units are in the custody of the
National Archives in England. Library and Archives Canada does not hold copies of those records.
Library and Archives Canada does hold some nominal rolls of Canadians who served with the RFC, RAF and RNAS in the following series. These lists must be consulted
on site.
Nominal Roll of Canadian aviators serving in the RFC and RAF
- RG24, vol. 23195: E to H and I to M
- RG24, vol. 23196: A to D and N to W
Ledgers of Canadian Expeditionary Force officers attesting to the RFC
- RG24, acc. 1995-96/670, box 1: Acland to Luxton
- RG24, acc. 1995-96/670, box 2: Macaskill to Zieman
Those two boxes of ledgers have been digitized and indexed on
www.ancestry.ca, which is available free at many public libraries.
Log of the Toronto Curtiss Flying School
See also:
Royal Flying Corps
Navy
Library and Archives Canada holds the following records:
- Service Ledger Sheets for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Naval Reserve (RG150, 1992-93/170)
The ledger sheets consist of single over-size pages that summarize each individual's service, including the names of ships and shore bases. These records have been indexed in
Collection Search. Switch to Advanced search, and select “Royal Canadian Navy Service Files, 1910-1941” from the Database menu. For more information on how to interpret the records, consult
Service Files of the Royal Canadian Navy, 1910-1941 – Ledger Sheets. - Service Files (RG24, 1992-93/169)
These files are more administrative and financial in nature than the service ledger sheets. Most files contain a variety of documents, which may include enrollment applications, discharge or demobilization forms, and separation allowances. They usually average from 25 to 50 pages. Some files relate to enrollment in the Royal Naval Air Service. The files are indexed in Finding Aid 24-167. They can be identified using Collection Search. In the search box, enter 24-167 and the name. You can order a copy of a file or view it on site.
If the individual continued his naval service after the war, his First World War records may be in his post-1918 file. See
How to Obtain Copies of Military Service Files.
The
National Archives in England holds records for those who served in the Royal Navy, Royal Navy Reserve, Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Naval Reserve, which included volunteers from Newfoundland.
Some records of the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve are held at the Provincial Archives in Newfoundland and Labrador (The Rooms). Some of those are available on microfilm through the Family History Library.
Nurses
The files of nurses who served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) can be searched in our Personnel Records of the First World War database or in
Collection Search. Switch to Advanced search, and select “First World War Personnel Records” from the Database menu.
For information about other sources held by Library and Archives Canada and links for sources relating to nurses who did not serve with the CEF, see The Call to Duty: Canada's Nursing Sisters.
Other Records
Library and Archives Canada holds the following records:
-
Canadian Expeditionary Force: Sailing Lists (RG9-II-B-3, volumes 79 and 80, Finding Aid 9-24)
These nominal lists are arranged by battalion or unit. They are digitized in Collection Search. In the Search bar, enter
RG9 9-24 nominal and RG9-II-B-3. When you get the search results, scroll through them to find the item that covers the relevant battalion or unit. Click on the file title or the preview images to access the PDF links.
Tip: Do not enter the battalion/unit name or number in your keyword search because the file titles include a range of numbers, not an entry for every battalion, e.g. 164th to 198th.
The following records are not available online on our website. Consult
How to Access our records.
-
Hospital admission and discharge books of the Canadian Army Medical Corps Overseas (RG150, Finding Aid 150-7)
See MIKAN 212455 for a description of these records. To search for a particular file, use Collection Search. In the Search bar, enter the finding aid number and unit or place, e.g. 150-7 General Hospital Bramshott.
-
Queen's Canadian Military Hospital RG25-B-1-i (MIKAN 136581)
These records are indexed and digitized on
www.ancestry.ca, which is available free at many public libraries.
A variety of other records can be found in the collections of the Department of Militia and Defence (RG9), National Defence (RG24), Veterans Affairs (RG38) and the Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada (RG150). In Collection Search, try keywords such as a surname or regiment and a record group, e.g. RG24 144th Battalion. For photographs from the National Defence collection, use Finding Aid 1964-114 as a keyword, e.g. 1964-114 Vimy.
Published
Sources
-
Official Histories are available on the website of Directorate of History and Heritage. Those digitized publications include:
-
Official History of the Canadian Army in the First World War: Candian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1919, by G. W. L. Nicholson (includes maps of battles).
-
Official History of the Canadian Forces in the Great War, 1914-1919, by A.F. Duguid.
-
The Naval Service of Canada: Its Official History. Vol 1, Origins and Early Years, by Gilbert Tucker.
-
The C.A.M.C. with the Canadian Corps during the Last Hundred Days of the Great War, by A.E. Snell.
-
Official History of the Canadian Forces in the Great War: The Medical Services, by Sir Andrew Macphail.
-
Report of the Ministry Overseas Military Forces of Canada, 1918, by the Ministry of Overseas Military Forces of Canada.
-
A Call to Arms: The Organization and Administration of Canada's Military in World War One, by David W. Love. (OCLC 40813734)
-
Allied Intervention in Russia, 1918-19, and the Part Canada Played by Canada, by John Swettenham. (OCLC 352250)
-
Amid the Guns Below: The Story of the Canadian Corps, 1914-1919, by Larry Worthington. (OCLC 4066637)
-
Beyond Courage: The Canadians at the Second Battle of Ypres, by George Cassar. (OCLC 13222332)
-
Briser les ailes de l'ange : Les infirmières militaires canadiennes (1914-1918) by Mélanie Morin-Pelletier. (OCLC 152030947) [French only]
-
Canada and the Battle of Vimy Ridge 9-12 April 1917, by Brereton Greenhous and Stephen J. Harris. (OCLC 427674112)
-
Canada's Hundred Days: With the Canadian Corps from Amiens to Mons. Aug 8-Nov 11, 1918, by John Frederick Bligh Livesay. (OCLC 1033751091)
-
Canada's Nursing Sisters, by G. W. L. Nicholson. (OCLC 15769012)
-
Canadians at War, 1914-1919: A Research Guide to World War I Service Records, by Glenn Wright. (OCLC 663714241)
-
Canadians in Russia, 1918-1919, by Roy MacLaren. (OCLC 299342243)
-
The C.E.F. Roll of Honour: Members and Former Members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Who Died as a Result of Service in the Great War, 1914-1919, by Edward H. Wigney. (OCLC 37326207)
-
CSEF: Canada's Soldiers in Siberia, 1918-1919, by John Ernest Skuce. (OCLC 26264388)
-
Fight or Pay: Soldiers' Families in the Great War, by Desmond Morton. (OCLC 56319238)
-
Gas!: The Battle for Ypres, 1915, by James L. McWilliams and R. James Steel. (OCLC 21038615)
-
Khaki: Uniforms of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, by Clive M. Law. (OCLC 40538771 )
-
Legacy of Valour: The Canadians at Passchendaele, by Daniel G. Dancocks. (OCLC 17879706)
-
Marching to Armageddon: Canadians and the Great War, by Desmond Morton and J. L. Granatstein. (OCLC 21449019)
-
Overseas: The Lineages and Insignia of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1919, by Charles H. Stewart. (OCLC 1006724191)
-
Padres in No Man's Land: Canadian Chaplains and the Great War, by Duff Crerar. (OCLC 33163882)
-
Silent Battle: Canadian Prisoners of War in Germany, 1914-1919, by Desmond Morton. (OCLC 29565680)
-
Sister Soldiers of the Great War: The Nurses of the Canadian Army Medical Corps, by Cynthia Toman. (OCLC 933273617)
-
Spearhead to Victory: Canada and the Great War, by Daniel G. Dancocks. (OCLC 422947108)
-
The Distinguished Conduct Medal to the Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1920, by David K. Riddle and Donald G. Mitchell. (OCLC 28222273)
-
The Distinguished Service Order to the Canadian Expeditionary Force and Canadians in the Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, 1915-1920, by David K. Riddle and Donald G. Mitchell. (OCLC 24911499)
-
The Military Cross Awarded to the Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1915-1921, by David K. Riddle and Donald G. Mitchell. (OCLC 23220185)
-
The Military Medal; Canadian Recipients, 1916-1922, by Harry and Cindy Abbink. (OCLC 26801597)
-
The Road Past Vimy: The Canadian Corps 1914-1918, by D.J. Goodspeed. (OCLC 69647)
-
The Somme, by Anthony H. Farrar-Hockley. (OCLC 1619006)
-
They Called It Passchendale: The Story of the Third Battle of Ypres and of the Men Who Fought in it, by Lyn Macdonald. (OCLC 5091423)
-
To Seize the Victory: The Canadian Corps in World War I, by John Swettenham. (OCLC 10166283)
-
Vimy, by Pierre Berton. (OCLC 15063735)
-
Welcome to Flanders Fields: The First Canadian Battle of the Great War: Ypres, 1915, by Daniel G. Dancocks. (OCLC 23941235)
-
When Your Number's Up: The Canadian Soldier in the First World War, by Desmond Morton. (OCLC 28218393)
You can use the
Aurora Advanced Search to find other publications. Select Title Keyword or Subject Keyword, and search by regiment, place, battle, etc.
External links to other institutions
Databases
Digitized Microforms
Open Data
Research Aids
Thematic Guides
Virtual Exhibitions