New Online Database: Second World War Service Files: Canadian Armed Forces War Dead

The following announcement was written by Library and Archives Canada:

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the launch of a new online database, Second World War Service Files: Canadian Armed Forces War Dead.

Through this online database, researchers can access references to the service files in the Department of National Defence Fonds (RG 24) for the members of the Canadian Armed Forces who lost their lives during this conflict.  Over 1,159,000 men and women served in the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War (1939-1945) and 44,093 people lost their lives.

The database is available at: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/war-dead/index-e.html

Library and Archives Canada gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, without which this project would not have been possible.

The contributions of many LAC staff were instrumental in the success of this project, and their efforts are much appreciated.

Comments

[Bill Buchanan]

The information seems to be identical to those at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, but should make it easier to order military records.

[Anne Leyden]

There are 383 Canadian military graves from both world wars in the United States. The Maple Leaf Legacy Project (do a Google search to find the web site) is a worldwide effort to photograph Canadian military graves and place the pictures online. The project receives no government funding whatsoever and all the photographs are taken by volunteers. About two-thirds of the US graves have been photographed; the rest await a volunteer. The web site also has an excellent "Photography Guide" with good suggestions for photographing tombstones.