Most researchers of today have ancestors who served in the military at one time or another. The commonwealth war graves commission website at www.cwgc.org is a tool that can be very helpful in tracking down that elusive military ancestor.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is a joint governmental organization responsible for marking and maintaining the graves of members of the Commonwealth military forces who died in the two world wars and subsequent wars, to build memorial to those with no known grave and to keep records of the war dead. The commission maintains a debt of honour register with a listing of 1.7 million men and women of the commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars and the 23,000 cemeteries, memorials and other locations worldwide where they are commemorated. It can also be searched for details of the 67,000 commonwealth civilians who died as a result of enemy action in WW2.
The website is user friendly and a search is easily carried out. The information that is found will include the soldier’s rank, service number, age at death, date of birth, parent’s name (and possibly address) and the location of the memorial-if the cemetery is a large one, the location of the name on the memorial is also given. You can print a certificate of remembrance from the website which gives their personal details and a picture of the cemetery in which they are buried. Once you know the rank and service number of the military ancestor, it is possible to obtain their service record from the Canadian archives (but that’s another article).
Come to GENIE NIGHT at Grande Prairie Public Library where members of Alberta Genealogical Society are available every Wednesday evening 7- 9 PM to help you trace your own family history. Send any question you might have to gp6@abgensoc.ca or to Family Tree Talk, GPAGS, Box 1257, Grande Prairie AB T8V 4Z1. Website: http://www.gp.abgensoc.ca.
Monthly Meetings are held in the Rotary Club of Grande Prairie Community Room at the Grande Prairie Public Library, 101, 9839-103 Avenue, Grande Prairie, Alberta at 7:00 PM on the third Tuesday of each month (Jan - Jun, Sep - Nov). A program of genealogical interest is always presented.
