First World War

Our records include personnel files of many men and women who served in the war.

Personnel Records of the First World War

This database allow you to search for files in the following Record Groups (RG):

• Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF): soldiers, nurses and chaplains (RG150)
• CEF volunteers who were rejected at Valcartier (RG 9-II-B-13)
• Non-Permanent Active Militia (RG9 II-B-7)
• Royal Newfoundland Regiment and Newfoundland Forestry Corps (RG38-A-2-e)
• Imperial War Service Gratuity Files (RG9 II-F-10) These files relate to Canadians who served with the British forces

Royal Canadian Navy Service Ledger Sheets, 1910 to 1941

This database relates to naval personnel (RG150, Accession 1992-93/170). Only the ledger sheets are included in the database. The database help page explains how to search for other navy service files.

Courts Martial of the First World War

This database relates to CEF service members. It only includes references for the courts martial files that have survived (RG150-8).

Other records relating to service

Our First World War: Personnel records page includes other records with information about individual service members, such as:

• records relating to Indigenous veterans
• Air services
• prisoner of war records
• hospital records

We hold the following series of records:

• Circumstances of Death Registers, First World War
  • These records provide details of CEF members who died during the war.
• Commonwealth War Graves Registers, First World War
  • These records relate to the graves of CEF members who died during the First World War.
• Veterans Death Cards: First World War
  • When Veterans Affairs was notified of the death of a First World War veteran, a death card was created. The cards date mainly from 1919 to the early 1960s. They include mostly CEF veterans, but also some naval veterans and Canadians who had served with the British Forces.

These are the day-to-day descriptions of CEF units in active service. They contain information about the location of a unit and its military operations. The diaries rarely mention individuals by name, with the exception of some references to officers. The records are digitized.

War Diaries of the First World War explains more about the records and how to access them.

Our collection of sailing lists (RG9-II-B-3), are arranged by battalion or unit. They usually indicate the ship, date and port when the unit left Canada. The lists include details about each individual on board, such as name, rank, country of birth and former corps.

To see the digitized lists:

• Go to Collection Search
• Select Collections and Fonds database.
• In All these words enter the word nominal plus the battalion number or the unit name (examples 34th, Ammunition Column, Lord Strathacona’s Horse)
• In Specific terms, select Finding aid and enter 9-24

Ship logs are the official records of Canadian naval vessels, including minesweepers, trawlers and submarines. They contain information about:

• routine activities at sea and in harbour
• weather and sea conditions
• ship movements
• details of operational exercises and special events such as visits by senior military personnel

There is little or no personal information about individuals in these logs.

Search for ship logs in Collection Search:

• Click on Advanced search
• Select Collections and Fonds database
• In All these words, enter the keyword RG24, the word log and the name of a vessel
  • Examples of keywords:
    • Niobe, Donnacona, TR 17, CD 24

These records are not on microfilm and not digitized.

This collection includes First World War cards, relating mainly to CEF members. Most of the cards contains a typed citation concerning the reason for the honour or award. Many of the citations are the same as what was published in the Canada Gazette or the London Gazette. However, some cards contain unique information.

Not all of the cards explain the reason why the honour or award was granted. For example, after March 1918 commanding officers did not provide specific details relating to the men they recommended for the Military Medal.

Note that these cards include only honours and awards, not service and campaign medals.

The cards can be searched in our Military medals, honours and awards, 1812–1969 database.

We have some personal correspondence, papers, journals and diaries of some war veterans. You can use Collection Search to look for these items.

• In Database, select Collections and fonds
• In All these words, enter a person’s name
• In Any of these words, enter keywords such as diary, journal, letters, papers

We hold several collections, including:

• Canadian War Records Office photographic collection
• First World War map collection

You can search for other photographs and maps, including trench maps, using relevant keywords in Collection Search. From the results page, click on “Maps” or “Photographs” in Type of material to limit the search results.

We hold a number of posters and documentary art related to the war. You can find them using Collection Search. Try keywords such as war, poster, postcard, sketchbook, painting, portrait or broadside. From the results page, click on “Art” in Type of material to limit the search results.

We have a large number of published sources about all aspects of Canadian involvement in the war. You can search Aurora to find these publications. Try keywords like:

• Canada First World War
• World War, 1914-1918
• veterans Canada
• a specific battle or place

The most comprehensive publication is the Official History of the Canadian Army in the First World War: Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1919, by G. W. L. Nicholson. It includes detailed maps and accounts of battles. It is digitized by the Directorate of History and Heritage.

There are also regimental histories for many of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) units. We have prepared these lists of examples from our Aurora catalogue. Copies of these books are also available in other libraries.

• General titles
• Battles
• CEF: Infantry - numbered battalions
• CEF: Infantry - regiments
• CEF: Infantry - other units
• CEF: Corps
• CEF: Artillery
• CEF: Cavalry
• Newfoundland
• Navy
• Air
• Honour rolls
• Nurses

There are many other records relating to the war in these government record groups:

• Department of Militia and Defence (RG9)
• Department of National Defence (RG24)
• Department of Veterans Affairs (RG38)
• Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada (RG150)

You can look for records using Collection Search. Try keywords relevant to your search such as the name of a military branch or unit or the type of record:

Here are just a few examples of the types of records we hold:

• Casualty lists
• Part II daily orders
• Infantry historical records
• Canadian Expeditionary Force in Siberia
• War service badge number ledgers
• Navy orders and regulations