Comox Air Force Museum Resources

We have a number of resource documents for download. Please click on the appropriate link to the right to access.

For RCAF research related questions please email our Research team at: research@comoxairforcemuseum.ca

Researching your military ancestors

1. Start with what you know, such as a name, service number or military unit.

2. Have a specific target for your research — such as finding a service record or list of medals earned — this will keep your search focused.

3. If you know or suspect a military member was injured, check the hospital records available through Canada’s National Archives.

4. Find the military member’s hometown, and read the local newspapers from that time period — many of which are now in online archives such as the BC Historical Newspapers collection. A lot of small-town papers published announcements such as a death or injury.

5. If the military member fought in a unit that’s still around go to the militia armouries or museums and look at their records. Many have detailed archives and scrapbooks with newspaper clippings or other documents about the unit and its members.

6. Query Veteran’s Affairs if you think a relative had a military pension.

Useful websites:

Request Canadian military and service records here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/contact-us/military-records.html

Commonwealth War Graves:
https://www.cwgc.org/
Personal and service details and places of commemoration for the 1.7 million members of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First or Second World Wars.

Library and Archives Canada:
https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/Pages/military-heritage.aspx

Veterans Affairs Canada:
https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng

National Archives UK
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Fold3.com is a military database owned by Ancestry.com. It holds over 580 million documents

Canadian Virtual War Memorial: https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial
Holds an extensive database of the location of military graves, and an option to order a copy of a specific military member’s entry in the Book of Remembrance.

BC Historical Newspapers collection:
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers

You can also come by the Comox Air Force Museum and speak to our knowledgeable staff and volunteers for advice. We have an extensive research library and over 10,000 documents in our archives in relation to the RCAF and Royal Air Force/Royal Flying Corp.