VETERAN RESEARCH

GUIDE & WORKBOOK FOR STUDENTS

PROJECT OBJECTIVE:

The goal of this project is to conduct primary research on individuals from Dufferin County who served in the First or Second World Wars. Using the information collected from your research, you will write a biography to tell the story of a Veteran’s life and war service.

Veteran biographies will be published and/or presented to share in commemorating the service and sacrifice of military service personnel during the First and Second World Wars.

Postcard, Sergeants of the Original 164th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force, Dufferin County, 1914-1918, MoD Collection P-1262

Included in this guide:

Step-by-step guide and checklist

A research template

Project rubric

Sample biography

VETERAN RESEARCH GUIDE & WORKBOOK FOR STUDENTS

Step 1:

Identify a Veteran for research. Check out Dufferin Genealogy OR choose names from a local cenotaph, or family member.

Note: In some cases biographies have already been written on a Veteran (attached as .pdf). Avoid choosing these names.

It is recommended to have a backup name in the event there is not enough information available on the chosen Veteran.

Review the template to become familiar with the details you will be seeking.

Review the sample biography and project rubric.

Step 2:

Access the Veteran’s Service Record through a Library and Archives Canada database.

First World War - https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/search.aspx

Secord World War (War Dead Only) - https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/second-world-war/second-world-war-dead-1939-1947/Pages/search.aspx

Read and record details AND important dates from the Veteran’s service record.

A list of military abbreviations is available at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/Pages/military-abbreviations.aspx

Step 3:

Using the Veteran’s service record and other research tools/databases (i.e. Ancestry.ca ($), FamilySearch.org (free)) to fill out as much information as possible.

Some fields may not be relevant to the Veteran you are researching. In some cases, you might encounter gaps in information. It’s okay – this happens. If information is not available record as “unknown at this time”.

In some cases a field might not be relevant to the Veteran (i.e. they never married). Indicate their status regarding this field (i.e. single or un-married) rather than leaving it blank.

See Research Tips on the Next Page…

Research Tips:

Tip #1: Consider starting at the end of the person’s life. Look for things like an obituary that often contain details of their life, including the names of relatives and places they lived.

Tip #2: In some cases, names are not transcribed correctly. If you are having trouble finding a record (i.e. 1911 census), try different spellings of the name.

Tip #3: View original documents. Do not trust transcriptions. Do not trust everything you see on someone’s family tree.

Tip #4: Try to cross-reference material (i.e. birth registry with marriage certificate or service record) to check for things like correct birth date.

Tip #5: Conduct searches of relatives to possibly find more information (i.e. parents or spouse). Don’t be afraid to go back and add to search fields (i.e. in Ancestry.ca, edit the search to include new information such as a location or important date).

Tip #6: Pay attention to locations (i.e. the 1911 census usually gives you an exact address or location). Use maps to identify places the person lived.

Tip #7: Save documents as images (.jpg) for use in your biography. Saving the document with a name that identifies it will save you a lot of trouble later on.

Tip #8: If using Dufferin Genealogy, also conduct a “resource” search with the person’s name because sometimes information pops up that has not been linked to them. It is worth a try.

Step 4:

Identify the battalion and regiment that the Veteran served with during the war.

Identify and research battles that the battalion/regiment participated in during the war.

Search for a battalion war diary and resources like a trench journal or photographs. Focus on dates relevant to the Veteran’s service.

Resources for WWI are available at https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/Pages/units-canadian-expeditionary-force.aspx

Other helpful resources and supporting documents: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/lest-we-forget/Pages/templates-supporting-documents.aspx

Consult reputable online resources, books and maps to learn more about battles the Veteran would have taken part in during the war.

Research their home-town or the community they grew up in, or lived in after the war. What was it like during the time they lived there? This might help you understand the person’s childhood/upbringing and/or life after the war.

Consider reaching out to, or visiting an archives that might have information connected to the Veteran’s life. I.e. If your Veteran was born and raised in Dufferin County, contact the Museum of Dufferin Archives. An archivist might be able to provide you with documents and information to support your research.

If possible, speak to relatives of the person you are researching. They might have information or memories to share.

It is NOT recommended you leave messages through services like Ancestry.ca as they tend not to be checked regularly.

Step 5:

Review the information you were able to collect.

Answer the thinking and inquiry questions. Remember to base your answers on evidence you have collected, not speculation. If required, conduct some additional research (i.e. learn more about a battle they participated in) to craft your interpretation.

Use your research and interpretation to write your biographical account of your Veteran’s life and service. Examples are available, but each story is unique.

Make sure that you use your own words and create a bibliography as you go.

Step 6:

Proofread your writing for grammatical and spelling errors.

Check for any gaps in the information. Does it tell a story with a beginning, middle and end? Is there enough or too much detail?

Make your edits and publish.

Completed research templates and/or biographies of Dufferin County Veterans (must have been born in or lived in Dufferin County) can be sent to the Museum of Dufferin Archives in hardcopy or .pdf format. If deemed factually accurate, the file will be attached to the Veteran’s profile in Dufferin Genealogy (the Museum’s online research database).

VETERAN RESEARCH TEMPLATE

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Fields	Information	Notes
Veteran First Name:
Middle Name(s):
Veteran Last Name:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Residences/known addresses:
Mother (Name, Birth/Death dates):
Father (Name, Birth/Death dates):
Siblings (Names, Birth/Death dates):
Marriage(s): Name of Spouse, Birth/Death dates)
Children (Names, Birth/Death dates):
Other details or stories about their life (i.e. schooling, occupations, interests/hobbies)

Documents to collect: (check off documents you consulted) Make sure you save copies of the records as pictures (.jpg) ☐ Service record – you may wish to screen print select pages and save as images (.jpg) for use in your biography (LAC) ☐ Birth or Baptismal Record (Ancestry.ca) ☐ 1901 Census (Ancestry.ca) ☐ 1911 Census (Ancestry.ca) ☐ 1921 Census (Ancestry.ca) ☐ Marriage certificate record (Ancestry.ca) ☐ Death registry record (Ancestry.ca) ☐ Obituary, Burial Information (Cemetery Index, Find a Grave, Google search) ☐ Passenger list (if not born in Canada) (Ancestry.ca) ☐ Documents, Map(s), photograph(s) showing location of homes/properties ☐ Any available pictures of the Veteran ☐ Other: ______________________________________	Thinking and inquiry questions to assist you in crafting your Veteran’s story: What information can you find about the place(s) they lived? What would their life have been like leading up to enlistment? What would their life have been like after the war (if they survived)? What aspect of their personal history might be a good focus for your biography?

Military Service Information
Fields	Information	Notes
Service Number:
Killed in Action? (Yes or No):
Force:
Rank:	Promotions/Demotions, Highest Rank, Special Training:
Unit/Battalion/Company/ Regiment/Brigade:
Age at Enlistment:
Date and Place of Enlistment:
Previous Military Training/Experience prior to enlistment (Include date(s), location(s), force, battalion/regiment, etc.):
Military Honours or Court Martials:
Medical Information (Wounds, injuries, etc.):
Next of Kin:
Other Information about military service:

Documents to collect: (check the boxes as you collect the document. You might not be able to find all – that’s okay! Make sure you save copies of the records to your research folder as pictures (.jpg) ☐ Service record (LAC) ☐ War diaries (battalion or regiment) (LAC, web) ☐ Military Abbreviations list http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/Pages/military-abbreviations.aspx ☐ Other: ______________________________ ☐ Other: ______________________________________	Thinking and inquiry questions to assist you in crafting your Veteran’s story: How would this soldier’s area/type of service have affected their chances of being wounded or killed? What battles would this soldier have participated in? How might their experience compare to that of other soldiers? What aspect of their military service might be a good focus for your biography?

DEATH AND BURIAL INFORMATION
Fields	Information	Notes
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
Cause of Death:
Location of Death:
Cemetery Information (location, plot and row):
Headstone Inscription:

Documents to collect: (check the boxes as you collect the document. You might not be able to find all – that’s okay! Make sure you save copies of the records to your research folder as pictures (.jpg) ☐ Death registry record (Ancestry.ca) ☐ Obituary, Burial Information (Find a Grave, CWGC, Newspapers) ☐ Military Grave Registry (If killed in conflict, Commonwealth Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/) ☐ Other: ________________________________	Thinking and inquiry questions to assist you in crafting your Veteran’s story: If your Veteran was still alive today, what do you think they might want your generation to know about their life? How should this person be remembered? What is their legacy? How significant or influential might military service have been to this Veteran’s life? What aspect of their death or end of life might be a good focus for your biography?