New and looking for help identifying a photo

**Mike_Oettle** · 13th July 10, 02:29 PM

Hi, Diane, and welcome to XMTS from the bottom end of Africa.
Afraid I’m not much help when it comes to identifying old uniforms, but I am confident you will get the help you need here.
Regards,
Mike

**Kiltman** · 14th July 10, 06:57 PM

Welcome from Eastern Washington State USA.

**McKenith** · 16th July 10, 02:13 PM

Hello everyone,

The more I learn, the more curious things get. Mom didn't know the history of the kilt, so I will ask my aunt and uncle if they remember anything Grandpa said about it.

So I went digging for more information online. I did find that 3 of my grandfather's brothers joined the military in Canada. One is buried in military cemetery in Belgium. Two were with the Canadian Expeditionary Force, the third is still a mystery for now.

I don't think I would have found that information if you didn't take an interest in my question and get me thinking about a military connection. Spurred me on to dig for information. I even found a photo of the gravestone in Belgium!!

I will post what I find out about the kilt when I get some answers.

Thank you all,
Diane

**BobsYourUncle** · 16th July 10, 06:19 PM

[/B][/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE]Diane, do you know where in Canada your grandparents resided in 1920?
This would go a long way in narrowing down which regiment your grandfather served in.[/B][/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE]

Bold Highlander is right on here--this is the best advice. In fact, the Rootsweb Canadian Military Heritage Project gives exactly the same advice. Here is an except from their website, found here: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canmil/ancestor.htm

Pre-First World War Canadian Military Records
Except for the South African War, detailed personnel records for the Canadian military were not kept prior to the First World War. Earlier records consist mainly of muster rolls and paylists, which contain little or no personal information. As most are not indexed, the regiment must be known before you can attempt a search. If you know your ancestor's place of residence, you might find references to his service in the militia rolls for that county. Most of these lists are found within the NAC Department of Militia and Defence series (RG 9), parts of which are available on microfilm.

It would appear that his regiment cannot be easily identified from what we can make out in the photo. Assuming that this photo is post WW1, a search on Ancestry.com and/or the Canadian Military Heritage Project site may locate your ancestor. However, as Bold Highlander advises, it is very important to learn where your ancestor resided throughout his life, especially in the years following his 1910 arrival. Where your ancestor lived is crucial in genealogical investigation--it tells you where you will find public records containing information about their life.

If this is in fact the uniform of a local militia unit taken prior to WW1 and not one of the "regional" or "national" regiments, you may not be able to find records of his military service without knowing where he lived, and thus what local unit he may have belonged to. You would then, perhaps, have to access the National Archives microfilm for the county in question.

Knowing where he lived is also the key to finding other public records that can tell you about his life--such as church records, census records, property records, city or town directories. It is critical that you find out from any other relatives of his generation or the next one, where he lived. You should interview relatives to find out if any family bibles, correspondence or other documents exist, held by family members, that could have information about where he lived. He may have lived in several places. Any information you are able to find can be used to identify him in online searches at www.familysearch.org and ancestry.com, which will hopefully get you more information, which you can then use to assist even more searches.

It could also be helpful to get books from your library about researching Canadian genealogy and especially researching Canadian military service--they may have even better informed advice than we are able to give. Such books can tell you in more detail what kind of records were kept at the time he served, and where those records are stored today. You can look for online discussion groups associated with Canadian genealogy and get help and advice from others who been successful doing such research.

Genealogy is not rocket science, but the way to get results is to be methodical in your investigation. Your ancestor lived, worked, served in the military, and records of all of that exist in many places in Canada. The records are out there, and with a little persistence you can find them. You will be amazed at what you find, and the discoveries you make along the way can be magical. There are also lots of people out there eager and willing to help--part of the fun is in making new friends and learning from them.

Good luck. Keep us posted on how it all goes. Cheers, BYU