Wednesday, July 15, 2015

LAC Update: Digitization of First World War Service Files



Library and Archives Canada has busy digitizing the service files of the First World War veterans.

They have sent out this press release -

 As of today, 171,771 of 640,000 files are available online via our Soldiers of the First World War: 1914-1918 database at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/search.aspx.

Library and Archives Canada is digitizing the service files systematically, from box 1 to box 10686, which roughly corresponds to alphabetical order. Please note that over the years, the content of some boxes has had to be moved and, you might find that the file you want, with a surname that is supposed to have been digitized, is now located in another box that has not yet been digitized. So far, we have digitized the following files:

A to Dagenais (boxes 1 to 2257)

Free to Gorman (boxes 3298 to 3658)

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, the following boxes were skipped in the digitization process, but will be done in the next few months.

Dagenais to Fredlund (boxes 2258 to 3297)

Please check the database regularly for new additions and if you still have questions after checking the database, you may contact us directly at 1-866-578-7777 for more assistance

2 comments:

Yvonne Demoskoff said...

I've been looking forward to seeing the files of some of my Desgroseilliers grandfather's uncles, so I'm disappointed to hear that I'll have to wait some more before LAC gets around to them.

Unknown said...

Oh no! I think what probably has happened is that it was filed in the wrong place, and they discovered it after the fact. I am going to the LAC to photo some service files for the people who cannot wait. There is one woman who is putting a book together for her family and needs the files now.

Elizabeth