I initially wrote this application in 2006, mainly because I found the Libraries and Archives Canada search engine a bit cumbersome to use. LAC has since updated their search engine, but I’ve kept this program alive (although very much on life support for the past several years). It’s grown past its initial objective, and while it still provides a very flexible front end for the data in the LAC database, it also provides indications to show:

· If there is an entry in the Canadian Great War Project for the individual

· If the soldier has had awards granted (currently limited to the VC, DCM and MM)

· If the soldier has their digitized service files available in the LAC site

· If the soldier has had any courts-martial’s

· If the soldier died in the war

· If the soldier was a POW

Many thanks to Chris Wight for providing the entries for the DCM and MM awards, based on the London Gazette entries. I’ll have a separate post on this, but this is the first time that the Canadian awards have been linked back to the soldiers in the LAC database. This was a tremendous job, reconciling the names and regimental numbers so that there is a definitive, cross referenced list.

Many thanks also to Chris, Richard, Al, Dan, Michael, Sarge, Henrik, Ed and Les for beta testing the application.

The application currently runs only on a Microsoft platform. It has been tested against Windows XP and Windows 7, but there is no reason why it will not run on Windows Vista; I just don’t have a test machine with Vista installed.

You can find the application here.

There is a new database search available that will augment the existing ones available. "Search Entire Database" will search through the soldier entries, the war diaries, letters and newspaper articles. I'd like some feedback from people on how useful this will be. On one hand, it is all encompasing, so it makes finding information easier. On the other hand, there are going to be a lot of results returned.

So let me know what you think. And, as always, other suggestions for improvements are appreciated.

I have just released the latest version of the CEF Soldiers from the Great War program. Version 4 is a complete rewrite, based on changes that were made in the Libraries and Archives Canada (LAC) database. It also includes links to Courts-Martial information.You can find the download here.

This program provides a flexible way of searching through the index to records in the "Soldiers of the First World War" database provided by Libraries and Archives Canada (LAC). It does not add any new information, and any errors that exist in the LAC site will also be in this database.

Wile the personnel at LAC are to be commended for the superb job they did rewriting the search engine for the database, it isn't flexible for doing advanced queries like "Give me all the names of people born in 1891 that have a name starting with McW and have a 6 digit regimental number starting with 13".

This program allows queries like the above, and can be done off line. There are links to the LAC site, so you can easily navigate to the right attestation paper record in the LAC database.

Ther eis still quite a bit of work to be done to improve the database, specifically with mapping the soldiers in the Courts-Martial area to soldiers in the general area. This is a manual exercise, and takes quite a bit of time. Anyone that would like to volunteer to help, please let me know. I will release an update once this work is complete.