Expanded online access to records on Canadian Forces members who died during or soon after the Second World War
November 8, 2022, Gatineau, QC—In this week of remembrance, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) announces more than 43,000 newly available digitized records from the Second World War. It is now easier than ever for Canadians to find and access the records of family members who died while serving their country.
The digitized records are the service files from Canadian Forces members who died during the Second World War (1939–45) or soon after. These include Canadian Forces members who were killed in action, those who died while in service, and those who died from service-related injuries in 1946–47.
These service files can be found through Collection Search. LAC has improved access by:
- Increasing the number of digitized files from 1,629 to more than 43,000
- Creating a new embedded search form to focus your search on these records
- Making it possible to search first and last names separately
- Improving search wildcards to make it easier to check various spelling options
- Adding tips to the page so you can access help without visiting another page
- Allowing users to download a service file in a single bundle rather than page by page
This initiative is part of LAC’s efforts to improve your online experience. Feedback on this tool is welcome and will serve as a guide in this process of continuous improvement.
Users are encouraged to bookmark the new search page because the outdated Second World War Dead 1939–47 database will be closed in the coming weeks.