ccamfield wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:24 pm
I understand why wartime records are restricted for family/privacy reasons...
Does anyone have any advice on how to proceed if you aren't sure if a particular soldier is deceased or not?
Also, to find out if someone served at all and has a service record? In this latter case, in the War Museum library, they have a copy of the Valentine SP (Archer) Workshop Manual on the inside of which are an old owner's sticker (with name and address) and a sticker thanking that person for their donation to the library. I wonder if this person was in the Canadian Army - it's a French-Canadian name - but it's a little odd in that the manual is from 1947, and we Canadians didn't use the vehicle past 1945.
Right, lets start with the first part.......if you aren’t sure if a particular soldier is deceased or not?
In order to get the records of a WW2 Service person who DID NOT die in the war, the person has to have been decease for 20 years (exactly, not 19 and 8 months, 20 years)......and you have to “prove it”.....BUT LAC is very lenient on the proof, a death certificate, or a picture of the headstone, or an obit but you do have to proof the person has passed away. Suggestion, if you give us the persons name, rank or any information you have, we can search to see if we can find ANY info to help you one this
UPDATE: I forgot, even if you could confirm the death......it can take up to a YEAR to get the records. I JUST RECEIVED in Jan my father in laws records, and we ordered them OVER a year ago......so it takes time......and then we didn’t get his FULL records, just a 20 page or so “snap shot’ of pages, EVEN THOUGH I asked for his FULL RECORDS.....so that means going back to them and asking again, and possible the LONG WAIT AGAIN
Second question......how to find out if some served AT ALL and has a service record
Again, you need to contact LAC and “request his record”.....on the request form, you fill in as MUCH INFO as you know, name, age, birth date, where he/she was born, possible place where they joined the service..........as MUCH info that you can give them. LAC will then confirm if a RECORD for that person exists........NOW, let say the answer is NO (well end of story)...........if they say YES, they will give you a little info to confirm that they found the right person, if YES, then they will ask for proof of his death........AND your may NOT HAVE THAT, but at least you know a RECORD DOES EXIST
BUT........sorry, lots of “buts”.......if the person tried to join the Armed Forces, and then was “rejected” their will be NO FILE......the did have files, but the government YEARS ago approved the destruction of these files.....so you won’t find a file
The LAST info or question on the Manual........maybe again you could post a photo of the info or sticker, and we may be able to help research the name, but without seeing more detail of what you found, I’m not sure how to advise you on this.
So, we can help with some of the “legwork” research if we have more information on WHO you are looking for, and as much detail as you can give us.......Can’t promise we will find anything, but having a “website and more people” helping can’t hurt.
Cheers, and good luck