This month is a good time to focus on the military personnel in our family histories. There are several ways you may discover a military ancestor and many interesting stories to be found about them. Even if you don’t have that individual link to the past through an ancestor, there are many resources that can help bring military history to life.

I have been tracing several men who volunteered for the First World War. I stumbled upon this portion of their lives in a variety of ways. Often I find out about their participation through an Honour Roll recorded in a local history book. Sometimes a company will have an Honour Roll of their employees; this is more likely for big businesses with numerous staff. An example of this is the Calgary Transit System, whose staff was large and almost completely male. I found photos of the actual Roll and of the returned veterans at the end of the war.

Obituaries also frequently identify an individual as a veteran and may indicate the unit with which he served. These key clues can be traced in order to learn more. For instance, one of the men I was studying served with the CADC. I had no idea what those initials stood for so I looked it up online and found it was the Canadian Army Dental Corps. This was the first separate dental corps in the world, created in May 1915. Beginning with 30 officers, 34 non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and 40 privates, the numbers rose to 233 officers, 221 NCOs and 238 privates by the end of the war. This group conducted dental inspections upon arrival and departure of Canadian soldiers in England. The staff provided normal dental care and specialized care such as treating wounds and disease (trench mouth) and performing reconstructive surgery. Every Canadian soldier would have come into contact with these men and some would have received critical care.

Several of the men I have been studying joined the 8th Field Ambulance Corps. There are wonderful records of this group available online, including a book describing their history and experiences overseas. I have found other books about specific military groups available at archive.org, so if you are searching for more detailed information on your ancestor, I would recommend looking here.

Another amazing resource for the 8th Field Ambulance is a photograph album. If the words found in the Corps’ history book don’t bring tears to your eyes, these photos will. The stark images have been mounted on sombre black pages inscribed with elaborate white lettering and illustrations. The men of the Field Ambulance Corps were responsible for saving the lives of the wounded in their area, whether soldiers or civilians had been injured. The doctors provided critical services, but the more numerous medics and stretcher-bearers, with their first aid training were crucial on the front lines. Even the ambulance drivers risked their lives to bring care to the wounded and the wounded to care.

So, this month especially, be alert to clues of a military past in your ancestors’ lives and if you do have a veteran ancestor, take the time to track down details of their service. Facts, historical recollections and photographic images combine to reveal the horrors of war from which we here today are so far removed. The selfless bravery exhibited by the medical men I have studied should be appreciated and honoured, as should the courage of all who are called to arms in defense of freedom.

This article was originally printed in the Bergen News and is being reprinted with permission.