By Donna Cofell
[“Pay per view or subscription websites have not been included”"]
Don’t just Google it. - try a clustering search engine
AltaVista
Clusty
Try narrowing your search by doing a Boolean search (use of AND, OR, NOT)
If you have a significant date search by the date but be sure to put it in the format used in military documents
(the war diaries seem to use e.g. 24 Feb 1944)
How to Research Information on Canadian Participation in WW2
Information re access to post 1918 military records
Listings of Canadian military history links
telusplanet.net
islandnet.com
Canadian War Museum : Canadian Newspapers and the Second World war
During the Second World War, the staff of the century-old Hamilton Spectator newspaper kept its own monumental record
of the war. This collection of more than 144,000 newspaper articles, manually clipped,
Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army 1945
[***if above does not function, try this]
Examples of the best official and unofficial Regimental Websites
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment of Canada)
Request personnel records on website
(War Diary July 1944-May 1945)
(Casualty database 1939- 1945)
Royal Rifles of Canada
North Nova Scotia Highlanders
(includes a Digitalized Scrapbook of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders (photographs, names)
Saskatoon Light Infantry MI World War II Diaries (name index)
Perth Regiment 2658 names of those who served
West Nova Scotia Regiment
Digital copies of the war diary &letters of the Chaplain of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Canadian Division, WNSR
Royal Canadian Regiment (London, Ont.)
Includes honours and awards with citations, Honour Roll, Regimental Roll of Honour (i.e. last post)
South Saskatchewan Regiment (a great website!)
British Columbia Archives holds the Records of the Canadian Scottish Regiment 1914 - 1956
www.canadiansoldiers.com leads to a bibliography of unit histories
Lake Superior Regiment fonds (Includes both World War One and World War Two nominal rolls, casualty lists. Etc.
Royal Canadian Navy and related websites
The Ships of the Canadian Navy
readyayeready.com
hazegray.org
uboat.net
Awards to the Royal Canadian Navy (names, biographical info)
Ships in Atlantic Convoys
Ships of the Royal Canadian Navy Lost in World War II (photos and casualty rolls)
Canadian Merchant Navy Veterans (includes message board)
Naval Museum of Manitoba (Who would guess - a naval museum in Manitoba - has great info!)
The Canadian Merchant Navy War Dead Database
The Canadian Merchant Navy War Dead Database is an index that can be used to search for the names of Canadian Merchant
seamen who were killed while serving in Canada's Merchant Marine. It can also be used to search for the names of Canadian
Merchant Navy vessels. You can enter the name of the Canadian Merchant Navy war dead, the vessel they served on, or both.
[***If that link doesn't work, try either of the following:}
Collections Canada
vac-ucc
Royal Canadian Air Force
When searching for information on someone in the RCAF it is important to search RAF records as well.
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan resulted in Canada being a Commonwealth wide focus to train air crew
for Canada, UK, Australia & New Zealand. A number of Polish pilots were also trained here. Almost half the total
aircrew employed on British and Commonwealth flying operations were products of the BCATP.
wikipedia.org
abheritage.ca
Most RCAF personnel overseas served with the RAF until distinctly Canadian Squadrons were established
but that was a slow process.
List of Royal Canadian Air Force Stations with some links links experts.about.com
RCAF.com : the History and heritage of Canada’s Air Force (Includes history of World War II squadrons)
RCAF.com
Canadian 6 Bomber Group under RAF Bomber Command (Yorkshire)
Includes Daily Operations, Combat Reports, Crew Photos, message board, etc.
Researching planes & Crew of WWII
W.W.II Squadrons & locations of the Air bases (RCAF)
RCAF Personnel - Honours & Awards - 1939-1949 (Includes: Canadians Serving in RAF during WWII)
[***seems non-functional 20070218]
World War 2 Ex-Raf
Largest dedicated website for those seeking to be reunited with old friends or for those looking for
information about someone who served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
Fighter Aces Victory List (includes Canadians)
Royal Navy Air Stations
Canada and the Fleet Air Arm 1939-1945 information on Canada's contribution to the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm Air Crew Canadian Memorial Roll of Honour
A Catalogue of UK Airfields (1750 airfields listed)
The Control Tower - World War Two Aviation Links
Company/Organizational Rolls of Honour
The Masonic War Dead from the Twentieth Century
[***seems non-functional 20070218]
Royal Bank of Canada World War Two Honour Roll (Includes all enlistments)
McMaster Huniversity Honour Roll 1939-1945
Other Websites That May Be Useful
Royal Canadian Legion - Legion Magazine (a historical archive for your free use - Last Post database
goes back to February 1990. It contains over 109,000 names so far)
The Legion Magazine also has a section called “Lost Trails” where you can submit a query.
United Kingdoms links to regiments, airfields, bomber groups, war memorials, etc.
Corp Of Canadian Firefighters In England During WW II (list of 442 names)
The London Gazette Archives
(Many war related notices were in this official government paper- Canadians listed)
Australia World War Two Nominal Roll
ANAVETS: Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada
Korea Veterans Association of Canada Inc. (Includes Casualty List, Honour Roll and guest book)
Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association (Roll of Honour 1949 - Present (Not Afghanistan)
Canadians In Afghanistan : Remembrance
