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Military

Private Charles Goodman, 40th Regiment Valcartier Camp, Quebec - July 17, 1915

Are you looking for more information on family that served in the military? This reference section links to military references that assist in your family history research. If know of a valuable link, please let us know!

We recommend you check out Military History: Museums and Institutes. This is an index of museums, memorials, collections and associations around the world (far too many to list here). Also try Index of History Resources. While not strictly military reference, the index does list over 1700 connections of historical nature from ancient times to modern history including global conflicts.

(Alphabetical order by country)

Australia

Please note: For more information on Australian military records, please submit your request in writing to: Department of Defence, Defence PR, Canberra ACT 2600, Australia or call +61 6 2659111.

Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Army
Royal Australian Navy

Britain

Norman Ricker, 40th Battalion, B Co. Valcartier Quebec, Canada

Probably the greatest holder of military records is Britain; consequently they get too many requests to process and must charge a fee. All of their military sites listed below offer email access so we suggest you contact the particular branch and obtain instructions directly.

Royal Air Force
Royal Navy
United Kingdom Ministry of Defence WWW Information Service

Snail mail addresses you might want to try for Royal Air Force, Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service:

Close relatives seeking some genealogical data may obtain brief details of service from: Royal Air Force
Dept P Man 3d (2)
Personnel Management Centre
RAF Innsworth
Gloucestershire. GL3 1EZ.
To trace the current address of a former member of the Royal Air Force, you can try Airmail Magazine put out by the Royal Air Forces Association. They have a section in the magazine for this very purpose. Write to:
Royal Air Forces Association
Central Headquarters
43 Grove Park Road
London. W4 3RU
Buy it at AllPosters.com

If you want to know details of air crashes and casualties, you can try the following address. Keep in mind that during WWII the loss of aircraft and aircrews is more difficult to trace due to the state of emergency. However, entries can often be found in squadron operations record books or on the operational flights accident cards:
Ministry of Defence
Air Historical Branch
3-5 Great Scotland Yard
London. SW1A 2HN
Recommendations for awards during WWI may be found in AIR 1, particularly in papers relating to individual squadrons. There is no idex, and citations for awards made in peace time were published in the London Gazette. For WWII awards, the recommendations can be found in AIR 2 Code 30. There is no index to them either and some recommendations didn't survive. Copies of the recommendations that did survive are held by the Ministry of Defence and they branch is willing to supply details of individual awards to close relatives:
Ministry of Defence
Royal Air Force Honours and Awards Branch
Dept 10J (AIR)
Personnel Management Centre
Innsworth
Gloucester. GL3 1EZ

Canada

Please note: For access to old Canadian military records, contact the Canadian Forces in writing at: Director National Personnel Records Centre, Tunney Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario. K1A 0K2. State the member's name and as much information as possible such as rank, regiment/squadron, date of birth, date of service, trade, etc. Their response time varies.

Canadian Military Genealogical FAQs: This big gem is a must for anyone researching anyone who was ever in the Canadian military. This site contains addresses, phone numbers and if applicable, electronic connections to government/military departments, regiments, units, veterans' associations, legions, etc. Your first stop in you genealogical military quest!

Canadian Forces Air Command Headquarters: HUGE site containing everything you ever wanted to know about the Air Force past and present including aircraft, war involvement, archives, photos and much, much more.

Canadian Forces Army: Land force information, past and present including a photo archives.

Canadian Forces Navy

Canadian War Museum

Department of National Defense/Canadian Forces

Veterans Affairs Canada: preserves oral history of war and offers points of reference for those studying World War I, II or Korea.

United States

If you are researching American military personnel, the records are plenty! In fact, it can be confusing. You may wish to review the Military museum list (United States section) which might focus your search. Happy Hunting!

The American Red Cross offers Tracing and International Social Services for helping those reunite with family separated by war or natural disaster.

Military Order of the World Wars: This is a national patriotic organization concerned with those who served the U.S. in either of the two World Wars. Military officers and their descendants offer many different services and resources.

U.S. Air Force

P.O.W. Network includes software you can purchase containing a biography database of all POWs.

International

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