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.