Simon_Fielding Posted 14 June , 2003 Share Posted 14 June , 2003 Is everyone aware that the National Archive in Canada has put most of its War Diaries online? I found details of the 5th and 1st Canadian Infantry Battalions in which two Bewdley men served instantly. What an amazing resource! If the PRO can do the Census, they could do the War Diaries! Cue Flying Pigs... Canadian War Diaries at: http://www.archives.ca/02/02015202_e.html Cheers, Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hill 60 Posted 14 June , 2003 Share Posted 14 June , 2003 Simon - I wasn't aware of this, thanks for the 'heads-up'! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hill 60 Posted 14 June , 2003 Share Posted 14 June , 2003 Simon - I've just had a look at that site and it is great! I found the day when my great grandfather was buried 4 times by shell-fire whilst in the 21st Bn and enteries for the other Canadian casualties I have medals for. Yesterday I 'Google' searched for any war diaries on-line but I drew a blank , but this is just brilliant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 14 June , 2003 Share Posted 14 June , 2003 it'll be even better when they add the Horse Artillery and finish off the attestation papers. I've managed to get the war diary page for the day of my man Walsh's death but can't persuade Ottawa to also send the page for the day he won his MM. Frustrating from an otherwise wonderful service. Why can't we do this in the UK ?? John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 14 June , 2003 Share Posted 14 June , 2003 Brilliant - many thanks for sharing that with us. Just shows what can be done; would be great to see this even with just Divisional HQ diaries in WO95 - but when??!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 15 June , 2003 Share Posted 15 June , 2003 Simon - just to add to the thanks for that alert. I've got a particular interest in the 50th Bn, 10th Brigade, 4th Div, and the diaries are there!. Excellent! Oh, if only the PRO......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 15 June , 2003 Share Posted 15 June , 2003 Am I doing something wrong here? I did a search on Machine Gun units, and found most of the references were simply catalogue entires, not the actual diaries. Any idea what percentage have been scanned on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hill 60 Posted 15 June , 2003 Share Posted 15 June , 2003 Staffs - I also looked for 'other units', such as the Canadian Railway Troops and the Canadian Forestry Corps but their diaries aren't on-line. I thought that maybe it was only infantry battalions that had been done but I found that the Canadian Cyclist's diaries are on-line! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broznitsky Posted 16 June , 2003 Share Posted 16 June , 2003 My Canadian tax dollars finally put to good use!!! A few months ago I don't believe anything was available online. As of today, I calculate 36% of war diaries are "digital". I saw Corps, Division, Brigade, and Battalion diaries. Looks like most of the Infantry is done including RCR and PPCLI (with some tantalizing date gaps for some btns). I also saw some Cavalry, Engineer, Artillery, MG, and yes even Cyclists. And marked-up trench maps! Looks like an amazing work in progress, something to keep checking back on to see what else is online. Remember to select the "digital" checkbox. Ah, the fortune I will save in photocopying micro film!!!! Maybe I can afford a Trio now!!! Hyper-ventilating Peter in Vancouver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 16 June , 2003 Share Posted 16 June , 2003 Typical! I found the diaries for one of the units I've been researching (1st Pioneers) only to find out that the actual month that I wanted hasn't been digitised, whereas all the rest have!!! It's an exstremely useful link, however, and I managed to get 100% of the others that I was after, so Thanks for the tip-off, Simon! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broznitsky Posted 16 June , 2003 Share Posted 16 June , 2003 Dave, by happy "Pal" coincidence, my library received the microfilm that has 3rd Pioneers last week; the film also has ALL Pioneer and Entrenching Battalion war diaries. My OIC has given me leave to go researching again on Wednesday, so I will photocopy week up to June 23 1916 for you. Will keep you posted. Actually, while I'm there, are you interested in any other dates? Peter P.S. Very big cheers to Simon for pointing all the lovely digital material out to us!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 17 June , 2003 Share Posted 17 June , 2003 Thanks Peter. I really appreciate that. No, it's just that week for the pioneer units that I'm looking for.I managed to find everything else I was after. Thanks again, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhill Posted 9 December , 2003 Share Posted 9 December , 2003 As an update to this thread, I dare point out that this project has been progressing well. Most of the War Diaries seem now to be online. In addition, I notice that more of the Attestation Papers seem to be available. Papers not available a few months ago are now there. I consider this to be exceptionally good work on the National Archives' part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 22 January , 2004 Share Posted 22 January , 2004 Does this resource have all, or just selected diaries. I must say I find the search page difficul to use. I am currently trying to find 19th Bn CEF for September 1916, but they don't appear to be there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Burns Posted 22 January , 2004 Share Posted 22 January , 2004 19th CEF Hi Paul, Click on the above link and scroll down. take care, Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 22 January , 2004 Share Posted 22 January , 2004 Many, many thanks Neil - just what I wanted. You have helped me help the family of a soldier of the 19th who was killed on 15th September 1916, and are about to visit his grave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Burns Posted 22 January , 2004 Share Posted 22 January , 2004 That's what it's all about, Paul. take care, Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borden Battery Posted 10 February , 2004 Share Posted 10 February , 2004 I have almost completed the transcribing of the Borden Motor Machine Gun Battery war diary, of the 1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade. The Borden Battery was a 56-man unit which later was named "C" Battery of the Brigade. In addition, most of the 1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade [CMMG Bde] war diary from 1917 to 1919 is also complete. Those familar with the Canadian Independent Force/Brutinel's Brigade would know the Borden Battery was one of the elements of this motorized Canadian unit. Material being filed in four MS-Word97 documents and is going through a final edit over the next 6 months. Are they any researchers undertaking similar work on the Canadian Corps? Anyone interested in sharing and/or exchanging data and data sources on the Canadian Machine Gunners? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Nixon Posted 26 February , 2004 Share Posted 26 February , 2004 Wow! What a find. Just shows you what you miss when you don't visit ALL of the forum's pages for a while. I echo the sentiments above regarding War Diaries at the PRO. Although the stewards who patrol the reading rooms are rightly ruthless in their insistence on readers treating documents with care, I shudder at some of the unintentionally rough handling that takes place when the same documents are handed over for photocopying. Good on the National Archives of Canada anyway and thanks, very belatedly, for the link. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest grandchild Posted 7 March , 2004 Share Posted 7 March , 2004 Staffs - I also looked for 'other units', such as the Canadian Railway Troops and the Canadian Forestry Corps but their diaries aren't on-line. I thought that maybe it was only infantry battalions that had been done but I found that the Canadian Cyclist's diaries are on-line! Hi, I am new here to this forum... If you are doing a search in the Archives this site with KeyWords might helpKeywords I have the 42nd Battalion, from January 1917 to end, the 8th Canadian Railway Troops and the 7th Canadian Railway troops on my PC. Claudia Park Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhill Posted 10 March , 2004 Share Posted 10 March , 2004 I notice that our friend Jean-Luc Dron has posted an announcement of the Canadian National Archives On Line War Diaries on the Histoforums site. http://www.histoforums.org/histoforums/pgm...php?nummsg=6304 There are some follow ups saying very nice things about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughton Posted 7 July , 2004 Share Posted 7 July , 2004 Is everyone aware that the National Archive in Canada has put most of its War Diaries online? I found details of the 5th and 1st Canadian Infantry Battalions in which two Bewdley men served instantly. What an amazing resource! If the PRO can do the Census, they could do the War Diaries! Cue Flying Pigs... Canadian War Diaries at: http://www.archives.ca/02/02015202_e.html Cheers, Simon Some may also want to back up a page on the National Archives site to the title for the Canadian War Diaries, as there is a link at the bottom that takes you to the "War Diaries Exhibition" which is very good. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/02/020152_e.html Richard of Canada Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mordac Posted 7 July , 2004 Share Posted 7 July , 2004 What an amazing resource! If the PRO can do the Census, they could do the War Diaries! Cue Flying Pigs... Speaking of the census, the NAC provides the 1901 Canadian census online here. The only problem is it is not searchable by surname; only by city or district. When I've used this resource in the past, it's taken a bit of effort finding the information I was looking for. Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mordac Posted 7 July , 2004 Share Posted 7 July , 2004 The National Archives of Canada also has the British war diaries available to view online: Lahore Divisional Artillery Lahore Divisional Ammunition West Lancs Divisional Artillery West Lancs Brigade Royal Artillery Reserve Divisional Ammunition Column Reserve Divisional Trench Mortar Group Trench Howitzer Battery Royal Engineers Royal Army Service Corps Royal Army Medical Corps 1st Army 2nd Army 4th Army Reserve and Fifth Army Cavalry Corps 1st Corps 2nd Corps 3rd Corps 4th Corps 5th Corps Lahore Division 3rd Division 4th Division 5th Division 11th Division 20th Division 24th Division 28th Division 27th Division 50th Division 55th Division 80th Infantry Brigade 9th Infantry Brigade Royal Welsh Fusiliers XVII Corps XIV Corps 1st Cavalry Division 3rd Cavalry Division Artillery Festubert Infantry Givenchy Second Army St. Eloi Guards Division Royal Flying Corps Sketches and Locations Index to Edmonds Files Colonel Duguid Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhill Posted 7 July , 2004 Share Posted 7 July , 2004 Speaking of the census, the NAC provides the 1901 Canadian census online here. The only problem is it is not searchable by surname; only by city or district. When I've used this resource in the past, it's taken a bit of effort finding the information I was looking for. Garth The unindexed scanned images of the Canadian 1901 Census are indeed frustrating in some respects, but all is not lost! Since these were made public some years ago there have been genealogy freaks working like beavers all over the place. Some of them are putting the results of their labours on the internet. An example is here: http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/index.html These volunteers have not yet completed the whole Census, but it is already quite useful. For my particular part of the universe, I find the similar service of the Alberta Genealogical Society to be useful. You can find it here: http://www.agsedm.edmonton.ab.ca/1901_census_202_online.html Permit me to editorialize a wee bit. The policy of the National Archives in making scanned documents freely available on the net is superior to the UK policy of making indexed bits of collections available at a significant cost. The costs to the Archives of putting up scanned images is not great compared to the indexing costs. Once the images are available, hordes of volunteers can do the indexing work at their own pace. The result is more stuff available faster, and the results are available to anyone for free. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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