my genealogy life

Family stories are my buried treasure

Tracing ancestors in Canada, England, Scotland & Ireland

Sharing my love of digging through old documents, uncovering family stories, and sharing the real papers that bring our ancestors back to life.

Category: WWI

  • Military Photographs WWI

    Military Photographs WWI

    Yesterday I received a message from a cousin who said he had scanned a few more pictures from his dad’s collection. I had the time to look at the pictures last night and was surprised to see some military photos. One picture was from a Musketry School in Montreal taken in 1917. I quickly suspected…

  • IT’S ALL THERE IN BLACK & WHITE Sorry, still doesn’t mean it’s true

    IT’S ALL THERE IN BLACK & WHITE Sorry, still doesn’t mean it’s true

    Digging into the family tree often leads to more questions than answers. This time I found the answer. Long before Library and Archives Canada started adding their WWI soldier files online I was systematically ordering the records of family members. (On a side note these records are a treasure and the fact that they are…

  • Day 11 of the Military Challenge from Ottawa

    Day 11 of the Military Challenge from Ottawa

    Today I am concluding the 11-day Military Challenge with photographs of the Memorial in the centre of Ottawa. It was a surprise trip and I can’t think of a more fitting place to be than our Nation’s capital this Remembrance Day. I am grateful for the service that my family has given in causes in Canada and further…

  • John M Dever – WWI

    John M Dever – WWI

    Day 10 of the 11-day Military Challenge Today I am remembering my grandfather who was a signaller during WWI. Here is a faded picture of him with fellow soldiers Clary Cohen and ___McCoy at Camp Petawa before heading to Europe. #mymilitaryancestor

  • Not Coming Home – Leslie George Jordan WWII

    Not Coming Home – Leslie George Jordan WWII

    Day 7 of the 11-day Military Challenge Leslie George Jordan was born in England to Rose Davis and Canadian John Brown Jordan. His Father John had served in WWI and it is likely during this time that he met Rose, who was a WWI widow of John Peters. Before marrying Rose, John would first have…

  • Tracing Your Canadian Military Ancestors

    Tracing Your Canadian Military Ancestors

    If you have any military ancestors in Canada it is likely that you are aware of the indexing of the WWI Soldier’s service records by Library and Archives Canada. They are over 1/2 done and the last update took us to the surname Russell. Here a few other resources that can be investigated to help…