Routes to Roots
– Searching for Surnames in Southern Alberta -
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Copyright
All cemetery images and marker information are proprietary to the Alberta Family Histories Society (AFHS) and may be used for personal studies. The family studies information is the property of the website administrator, but publicly viewable information may be used for personal research. The newspaper notices are an index only, and may be used. It is requested that the AFHS be acknowledged as the source on any paper, digital or website publication.
Cemeteries
All information and photographs have been collected since 1980 by the Alberta Family Histories Society (AFHS) cemetery volunteers. All photos were taken by volunteers. The person information was sourced from the City of Calgary Cemeteries department, located at Queen’s Park Cemetery, with their permission. All cemeteries, currently almost 300 strong as of Fall 2024, can be found on our companion website: Alberta Ancestors. The website images have a watermark added for security. Watermark-free digital copies of the images are available for purchase to non members. Members may obtain images free of charge. Visit the Research Assistance webpage for details and pricing.
Family Studies
The AFHS offers to its members another website for preserving, archiving and hosting family tree studies. Members can import family tree data from their home computer studies into the Family Genes website. Members are responsible for information accuracy and completeness. All such information is available to the public, save for private or living individuals. Check out the additional features, such as the Surname Cloud and Migration Map.
Newspaper Notices
The Birth/Marriage/Death notices are indexes to southern Alberta newspaper articles covering many decades of publications. Our AFHS volunteers work to ensure accuracy and completeness. Any omissions or oversights are unintentional. The lists are indexes only and do not contain images of the original publication, but will point to the newspaper and date. Users can find the full newspaper notices at Newspapers.com and the Calgary Public Library.
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Acknowledgement
The AFHS is grateful to the volunteer team that is currently busy scanning book images and transcribing book index information for upload to this page.
Background
The Settlers project seeks to digitize selected information from about 250 physical books at the Alberta Family Histories Society’s Resource Centre, located at 712 16 Ave NW, Calgary, AB T2M 0J8. The books in question concern themselves with the history of early settlers to selected Southern Alberta communities.
Book are scanned to capture the call number, book cover, inside cover, a few selected images, and the index of settler names. Settler names and the communities they are associated with are uploaded to this page, and web users can search settler names by using the search dialog at the top of the page. As of late summer 2024, about 40 of the 250 books have been scanned. Our volunteers hope to continue to scan more books into the fall and winter months.
Source
Digital content is sourced from about 250 physical books at the Alberta Family Histories Society’s Resource Centre, located at 712 16 Ave NW, Calgary, AB T2M 0J8.
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Newspaper Notices
Birth Notices
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Marriage Notices
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Death Notices
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Events
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Military
Nominal Rolls – WW1
LoadingSources
50th Battalion 1914-1915
3rd, 12th and 13th Regiments Canadian Mounted Rifles 1915-1916
Canadian Expeditionary Force
These Canadian Expeditionary Force data were compiled by AFHS member Lt. Col. W. van der Schee and were published by the AFHS in two volumes in 1994. These and other publications are available for purchase from the AFHS. For details, see our Publications webpage. AFHS does not have further information on the individuals listed in the Nominal Rolls, unless a name appears in one of our on-line resources such as the cemetery indexes. For additional information, you may view the online resources of the National Archives of Canada
Wynand (Wyn) van der Schee; Lt. Col. (retired)
March 13, 1942 to January 2, 2019
Born in South Holland in the Netherlands during the Second World War, Wyn’s parents (Arie and Neetje) immigrated with him to Southwestern Ontario in 1947. Wyn joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1959 as a Cadet at Collège Militaire Royale (St Jean, QC), and completed a BA (Military History) at the Royal Military College (Kingston, ON). He went on to serve with The Fort Garry Horse and then Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians). After retiring, he went on to command The King’s Own Calgary Regiment.
Update to 2023
The original web pages for the Nominal Rolls – WW1 were composed in html format for the original AFHS website. In 2021, this website was updated to the WordPress format. The Nominal Rolls, Returning Soldiers and other data table pages were moved into project development.
In January 2023, the Nominal Rolls and Returning Soldiers information was extracted from the archived website and converted into contemporary web pages, including the ability to sort and search the data, plus correlate the results with other data, such as the cemetery and the family studies data files.
Background
50th Battalion 1914-1915
3rd, 12th and 13th Regiments Canadian Mounted Rifles 1915-1916
Canadian Expeditionary Force
At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Minister of Militia, Sam Hughes, organized an overseas army, the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) completely separated from Canada’s existing military structure. The infantry Militia of the day was organized into 110 regiments, each with roots in its community, and with a structure suited for expansion upon mobilization. Instead of making use of this structure, Hughes called for drafts of volunteers to report to Valcartier Camp, near Québec City. These drafts were ultimately organized into numbered battalions with only minimal connection to their Militia and regional origins.
Thus Calgary’s first battalion, the 10th, was formed at Valcartier in September 1914 from the 846 men furnished by the 103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles), the city’s Militia infantry regiment. They were joined by another 665 from the 106th Regiment (Winnipeg Light Infantry). A second battalion, the 31st, began recruiting in Calgary in November 1914, and then extended its efforts throughout the province of Alberta.
The 50th Infantry Battalion (Calgary Regiment) CEF, was organized hard on the heels of the 31st. It was authorized on December 15, 1914, and began recruiting in earnest in January 1915. Its organization would have been complete much earlier had it not been required to send two drafts of 255 men each to England in June and September of 1915 as reinforcements for the 10th Battalion. That Battalion had been in action since February of 1915, and had suffered losses of nearly 600 killed and wounded in only one battle, Second Ypres in mid-April 1915. The reinforcements would see no further service with the 50th.
The 50th Battalion sailed from Halifax on 27 October 1915, arriving in England on November 4th. It was allocated to the 10th Brigade, 4th Canadian Division, and served in the trenches of France and Flanders from August 11, 1916 until the Armistice on November 11, 1918.
What follows is the nominal roll or “sailing list” of the 50th Battalion, including the rolls of the two reinforcement drafts. A sailing list was published for each unit proceeding overseas, and included information about every member, including regimental number, rank, and name as well as details about his next of kin, country of birth and date and place of enlistment. They contain a wealth of information for the genealogist. However, a certain measure of caution is advised, for the information was supplied by the individual, usually from memory, and recorded by a clerk who was writing what he heard, sometimes in chaotic conditions, and who may not have been familiar with the spelling of the name of every locality in Great Britain and Canada.
The errors that were obvious were corrected, but there are doubtless many others that remain undetected. It is left to the researcher to find them. One error that found but was unable to be corrected was a duplication of regimental numbers; either a clerk’s or a printer’s errors have resulted in five pairs of duplicates. The rolls were copied from the originals by means of a computerized optical character reader program, which did not read the documents with complete accuracy. Errors had to be detected by the time-honoured method of proof reading. It is hoped that most errors were found and corrected. The cover pages of the documents have been reproduced, rather than copied, with some minor alterations.
This is by no means a complete roll of all those who served in the 50th Battalion from the time it left Calgary until it returned in 1919. During its more than two years in battle, the Battalion incurred casualties continuously, and received replacements for them. It is estimated that another 3,000 men served in the Battalion in addition to the 1,076 and two reinforcing drafts listed here. The replacements were supplied by the infantry battalions subsequently raised in Calgary, and the rest of Alberta. There were 17 of them, and all were broken up in England to provide reinforcements for the four Alberta battalions in France and Flanders: the 10th, 31st, 49th (from Edmonton) and 50th. A complete roll of the 50th Battalion is planned, but it awaits the availability of Part II Orders, or personnel transactions, from the National Archives.
3rd, 12th and 13th Regiments, Canadian Mounted Rifles, Canadian Expeditionary Force
In October 1914, when the 1st Canadian Division had barely left Canada for service in the First World War, the Canadian offer to raise a second contingent of 20,000 men was accepted by the British War Office. Included in the second mobilization, whose numbers ultimately far exceeded the original offer, were 13 regiments of mounted rifles, the first four of which were accepted by the War Office for service in Egypt. But the Australian Light Horse were more readily available, and neither these four regiments, nor the other nine, ever served in the Middle East. The first six were converted and amalgamated to form four infantry battalions, while the others were broken up as reinforcements. It was an infantryman’s war, and there was little use for horsemen in the mud, craters and barbed wire of the Western Front.
3rd Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles (3 CMR) was authorized on 5 November 1914 to mobilize at Medicine Hat and to draw its recruits from Calgary, Edmonton and Medicine Hat. The Regiment actually began recruiting in mid-December 1914 and had obtained the majority of its men by the end of January 1915, although the last two recruits were attested on 7 and 8 June respectively at Sewell Camp, Manitoba enroute to the embarkation port of Montreal. The Regiment sailed for England on 12 June 1915 and arrived in England seven days later as part of 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles Brigade, along with 1 CMR recruited in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and 2 CMR from Vernon and Victoria, British Columbia. The Brigade went to France as infantry on 22 September 22 1915 but mounted rifles regiments had an establishment that amounted to about 60% of the strength of infantry battalions, and were therefore a poor fit in the tactical situation. Consequently, on 1 January 1916, 3 CMR was disbanded and its men apportioned to 1 and 2 CMR to increase the strengths of those regiments to that of infantry battalions.
12th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles (12 CMR) was authorized on December 1, 1914 to mobilize at Calgary and to recruit in that city and in Red Deer and district. By the end of January 1915, the Regiment had recruited 337 men, and it continued enlistments almost until sailing for England on 12 October 1915. The Regiment had already dispatched a reinforcing draft that sailed from Montreal on August 23, 1915 to replace casualties incurred by 1st Canadian Division since it first went into battle in April. All of 12 CMR’s soldiers were dispersed as reinforcements for other units by early February 1916.
13th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles (13 CMR) was authorized on December 1, 1914 to mobilize at Pincher Creek and to recruit in the southwestern part of Alberta. Recruiting was slow among the farmers, ranchers and miners of the district, and dispatch of two 50-man reinforcement drafts in June and August 1915 further delayed completion of the establishment. The recruiting base was expanded to include Calgary and Medicine Hat, even though these two centres had just raised a regiment of mounted rifles each, and were mobilizing infantry battalions as well. By January 1916, the strength of about 600 needed for a regiment of mounted rifles had still not been achieved. But by that time the CMR regiments serving at the front had been converted to infantry battalions. It appears a decision was taken to continue recruiting to something approaching infantry battalion strength, and 13 CMR sailed on 29 June 1916 with a roster of 970 all ranks. The Regiment was disbanded and used to reinforce other Alberta units when it arrived in England.
One of the notable features of 13 CMR was the 42 men born in Japan in its ranks. By the early part of 1916, there was a shortage of volunteers for the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and the solutions included conscription and removal of impediments to enlisting what had earlier been considered undesirable nationalities. The appearance of not only Japanese, but also eastern Europeans born in countries on the Allied side, in the nominal rolls marked a decided change in recruiting policy. Many of the Japanese names found in the roster of 13 CMR can be found in to-day’s telephone directories of Calgary and southern Alberta.
Notes on the 50th Battalion
- Privates Bennett, Charles and Chant, Arthur Thomas are both listed with the regimental number 434921.
- Privates Bryne, Guy Mane L. and Mears, Bertie Francis are both listed with the regimental number 435241.
- Privates Carter, James Macdonald and Straley, William are both listed with the regimental number 435669.
- Privates Green, Thomas Bold and Packer, John are both listed with the regimental number 434444.
- Private Pettit, Charles Richard and Corporal Walley, Frank Dudley are both listed with the regimental number 434154.
Glossary
Canadian Expeditionary Force 1st Hussars
A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment at London, Ontario, organized in 1872.
1st Regt
1st Regiment (Canadian Grenadier Guards). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Montreal, organized in 1860.
2nd Regt.
2nd Regiment (Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Toronto, organized in 1860.
3rd Dragoon Guards
A British Regular Army cavalry regiment whose full title was 3rd (Prince of Wales’s) Dragoon Guards.
3rd Hussars
A British Regular Army cavalry regiment whose full title was 3rd (King’s Own) Hussars.
4th Hussars
A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters at Prescott, Ontario and squadrons at Kingston, Napanee and Hainsville, organized in 1875.
4th Regt. C.A.
4th Prince Edward Island Regiment (Heavy Brigade) Canadian Artillery. A Canadian Militia artillery regiment at Charlottetown, organized in 1882.
5th Dragoon Guards
A British Regular Army cavalry regiment whose full title was 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s) Dragoon Guards.
5th Dragoons
5th (The Princess Louise) Dragoon Guards. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment at Ottawa, organized in 1872.
5th Regt.
5th Regiment (Royal Highlanders of Canada). A kilted Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Montreal, organized in 1862.
6th Regt.
6th Regiment (The Duke of Connaught’s Own Rifles). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Vancouver, organized in 1899.
7th Hussars
A British Regular Army cavalry regiment whose full title was 7th (Queen’s Own) Hussars.
9th Horse
9th Mississauga Horse. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters and three squadrons at Toronto and one squadron at Barrie, organized in 1901.
10th Regt.
10th Regiment (Royal Grenadiers). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Toronto, organized in 1862.
11th Hussars
A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters at Richmond, Que´bec, organized in 1903; or, a British Regular Army cavalry regiment whose full title was 11th (Prince Albert’s Own) Hussars.
11th Regt.
11th Regiment (Irish Fusiliers of Canada). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Vancouver, organized in 1913.
12th Dragoons
12th Manitoba Dragoons. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters at Brandon and squadrons at Brandon, Virden, Minnedosa and Souris, organized in 1903.
13th Dragoons
13th Scottish Light Dragoons. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters at Waterloo, Que´bec and squadrons at Cowansville, Stanbridge East and Waterloo, organized as an infantry regiment in 1872 and converted to cavalry in 1904.
13th Regt.
13th Royal Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Hamilton, organized in 1862.
14th Horse
14th King’s Canadian Hussars. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment, with headquarters at Middleton, Nova Scotia and squadrons at Canning, Kentville, Middleton and Windsor, organized in 1874.
15th Horse
15th Light Horse. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters at Calgary and squadrons at Crossfield, Elbow River and Calgary, organized in 1905.
16th Horse
16th Light Horse. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters at Regina and squadrons at Regina, Yorkton and Grenfell, organized in 1905.
17th Regt.
17th Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Le´vis County, Que´bec with headquarters at Le´vis and companies in other towns in the county, organized in 1902.
18th Hussars
A British Regular Army cavalry regiment whose full title was 18th (Queen Mary’s Own) Royal Hussars.
18th M.R. (Horse)
18th Mounted Rifles. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters at Portage la Prairie and squadrons at Portage la Prairie, Altamont and Morden, organized in 1907.
18th Regt.
18th Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment with headquarters at Chicoutimi and companies in other towns in the Lac St-Jean district, organized in 1900.
19th Dragoons
19th Alberta Dragoons. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters at Edmonton and squadrons at Edmonton and Vegreville, organized in 1908.
19th Regt.
19th Lincoln Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at St Catherines, organized in 1863.
21st Hussars
21st Alberta Hussars. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment, with headquarters at Medicine Hat and squadrons at Medicine Hat, Youngstown and Irvine, organized in 1908.
23rd Horse
23rd Alberta Rangers. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters at Pincher Creek and squadrons at Claresholm, Cardston, Magrath and Pincher Creek, organized in 1908.
23rd Regt.
23rd Regiment (The Northern Pioneers). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment with headquarters at Parry Sound and companies in other towns in Northern Ontario, organized in 1903.
24th Horse
24th Regiment (Grey’s Horse). A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters at Ingersoll, Ontario and squadrons at Princeton, Ingersoll and Berlin, organized in 1908.
24th Regt.
24th Kent Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Kent County, Ontario with headquarters at Chatham and companies in other towns in the county, organized in 1901.
25th Regt.
25th Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at St Thomas, Ontario organized in 1866.
27th Horse
27th Light Horse. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment, with headquarters at Moose Jaw and squadrons at Maple Creek, Swift Current, and Pennant, organized in 1910.
27th Regt.
27th Lambton Regiment (St Clair Borderers). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Lambton County, Ontario with headquarters at Sarnia and companies in other towns in the county, organized in 1866.
29th Horse
29th Light Horse. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters at Saskatoon and squadrons at Saskatoon, Allan, Rosetown and Prince Albert, organized in 1911.
32nd Regt.
32nd Bruce Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Bruce County, Ontario with headquarters at Walkerton and companies in other towns in the county, organized in 1866.
35th Horse
35th Central Alberta Horse. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters at Red Deer and squadrons at Red Deer, Pine Lake and Wetaskiwin, organized in 1913.
35th Regt.
35th Regiment (Simcoe Foresters). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Simcoe County, Ontario with headquarters at Barrie and companies in other towns in the county, organized in 1866.
38th Regt.
38th Regiment (Dufferin Rifles of Canada). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Brantford, organized in 1866.
40th Regt.
40th Northumberland Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Northumberland County, Ontario with headquarters at Cobourg and companies in other towns in the county, organized in 1866.
42nd Regt.
42nd Lanark and Renfrew Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Lanark and Renfrew Counties, Ontario with headquarters at Perth and companies in other towns in the two counties, organized in 1866.
43rd Regt.
43rd Regiment (Ottawa and Carleton Rifles). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Ottawa, organized in 1881.
44th Regt.
44th Lincoln and Welland Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Lincoln and Welland Counties, Ontario with headquarters at Niagara Falls and companies in other towns in the two counties, organized in 1866.
48th Regt.
48th Regiment (Highlanders). A Canadian Militia kilted infantry regiment at Toronto, organized in 1891.
49th Regt.
49th Regiment (Hastings Rifles). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Hastings County, Ontario with headquarters at Belleville and companies in other towns in the county, organized in 1866.
52nd Regt.
52nd Regiment (Prince Albert Volunteers). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Prince Albert, organized in 1913.
53rd Regt.
53rd Sherbrooke Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Sherbrooke, Que´bec, organized in 1867.
63rd Regt.
63rd Regiment (Halifax Rifles). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Halifax, organized in 1860.
71st Regt.
71st York Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in York County, New Brunswick with headquarters at Fredericton and companies in other towns in the county, organized in 1869.
73rd Regt.
73rd Northumberland Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Northumberland County, New Brunswick with headquarters at Chatham and companies in other towns in the county, organized in 1870.
77th Regt.
77th Wentworth Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment with headquarters at Dundas, Ontario and companies in other towns in Wentworth County, organized in 1872.
78th Regt.
78th Pictou Regiment (Highlanders). A kilted Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, with headquarters at Pictou and companies in other towns in the county, organized in 1871.
79th Regt.
79th Cameron Highlanders of Canada. A kilted Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Winnipeg, organized in 1910.
82nd Regt.
82nd Regiment (Abegweit Light Infantry). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Prince Edward Island with headquarters at Charlottetown and companies in other towns in the province, organized in 1875.
87th Regt.
87th Que´bec Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Que´bec County, with headquarters and two companies at Ancienne Lorette and additional companies at St. Ambroise, Les Saules, Limoilou, Sillery, Les Eboulements and Baie St. Paul.
88th Regt.
88th Regiment (Victoria Fusiliers). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Victoria, organized in 1912.
90th Regt.
90th Regiment (Winnipeg Rifles). Winnipeg’s, and western Canada’s, oldest Canadian Militia infantry regiment, organized in 1883.
91st Regt.
91st Regiment (Canadian Highlanders). A kilted Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Hamilton, organized in 1903.
93rd Regt.
93rd Cumberland Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia with headquarters at Springhill and companies in other towns in the county, organized in 1871.
94th Regt.
94th Victoria Regiment (Argyll Highlanders). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in Victoria County, Nova Scotia with headquarters at Baddeck and companies in other towns in the county, organized in 1871.
95th Regt.
95th Saskatchewan Rifles. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment with headquarters at Regina, organized in 1907.
96th Regt.
96th Lake Superior Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay), organized in 1905.
99th Regt.
99th Manitoba Rangers. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment with headquarters at Brandon and companies at Brandon and Portage la Prairie, organized in 1908.
100th Regt.
100th Winnipeg Grenadiers. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Winnipeg, organized in 1908.
101st Regt.
101st Regiment (Edmonton Fusiliers). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Edmonton, organized in 1908.
102nd Regt.
102nd Regiment (Rocky Mountain Rangers), A Canadian Militia infantry regiment with headquarters at Kamloops and companies in other towns in central British Columbia, organized in 1908.
103rd Regt.
103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles). A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Calgary, organized in 1910.
105th Regt.
105th Regiment (Saskatoon Fusiliers) A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Saskatoon, organized in 1912.
107th Regt.
107th East Kootenay Regiment. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment in the East Kootenay district with headquarters at Fernie and companies at Fernie, Cranbrook, Creston and Nelson.
Actg. Sgt.
A corporal appointed to the rank of sergeant, on a paid but temporary basis, unlike a lance sergeant, who was not paid at the rank.
Adjutant
The commanding officer’s assistant and chief administrative officer in an infantry battalion or mounted regiment.
Belgian Army
Denotes service in the army of the Kingdom of the Belgians.
C.A.M.C.
Canadian Army Medical Corps.
C.A.S.C.
Canadian Army Service Corps.
C.A.V.C.
Canadian Army Veterinary Corps.
C.F.A.Canadian Field Artillery.
The Canadian Militia field artillery branch. In 1914, there was one battery of four guns, the 25th, in the province of Alberta, at Lethbridge.
C.G.A.
Canadian Garrison Artillery. The Canadian Militia garrison and siege artillery branch.
C.M.R.
Canadian Mounted Rifles. Independent squadrons of Canadian Mounted Rifles were organized at various times in western Canada after 1900. These were later combined to form regiments.
C.Q.M.S.
Company Quarter-Master Sergeant. The non-commissioned officer in an infantry company responsible for rations, quarters and supplies. Note that 13th C.M.R. was using some infantry ranks, such as this one, by the time of sailing. The reason may be that all of the C.M.R. regiments already serving overseas had been converted to infantry by August 1916.
C.S.M.
Company Sergeant-Major. The senior non-commissioned officer in an infantry company.
C.O.C.
Canadian Ordnance Corps.
C. of G.
Corps of Guides. The intelligence-gathering branch of the Canadian Militia, with detachments in each military district.
Canadian Militia
The part-time army in Canada. Denotes service in an unspecified regiment or corps.
Channel Islands Militia
The militia of Guernsey and Jersey.
Driver
A soldier assigned to drive the battalion’s wagons.
E.O.T.C.
British Army Officers’ Training Corps, possibly at Eton College.
Danish Navy
Denotes service in the navy of the Kingdom of Denmark.
F.Q.M.S.
Farrier Quarter-Master Sergeant The non-commissioned officer responsible for the veterinary stores in a mounted regiment.
Fr. Sgt.
Farrier Sergeant. The non-commissioned officer responsible for the health of the horses in a squadron.
Fr. Sgt-Maj.
Farrier Sergeant-Major. The non-commissioned officer responsible for the health of the horses in a mounted regiment.
French Army
Denotes service in the Army of the Republic of France.
G.G.B.G.
The Governor General’s Body Guard. A Canadian Militia cavalry regiment with headquarters and three squadrons at Toronto and one squadron at Aurora, organized in 1855.
G.G.F.G.
Governor General’s Foot Guards. A Canadian Militia infantry regiment at Ottawa, organized in 1872.
Greek Army
Denotes service in the army of the Kingdom of Greece.
Honorary Captain
A rank given to the regimental quartermaster, paymaster and chaplain. Being non-combatants, they were not deemed to be entitled to the same rank as line officers.
Imperial Forces
Denotes service in the British Regular Army.
Japanese Army
Denotes service in the army of the Japanese Empire.
L.-Corporal
Lance Corporal. A trooper or private appointed by the commanding officer to be an unpaid acting corporal.
L.-Sergeant
Lance Sergeant. A corporal appointed by the commanding officer to be an unpaid acting sergeant.
L.S.H.
Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians). A Canadian Permanent Force cavalry regiment stationed at Winnipeg, organized in 1885.
Montenegrin Army
Denotes service in the army of Montenegro, latterly part of Yugoslavia.
Nfld. Guards
Nothing is known of this unit.
N.Z. Defence Forces
Denotes service in the defence forces of New Zealand.
N.Z. Engineers
Denotes service in the New Zealand Engineers.
Norwegian Army
Denotes service in the army of the Kingdom of Norway.
O.T.C.
Officers’ Training Corps of the British Army.
O.R. Sgt.
Orderly Room Sergeant. The chief clerk in a regiment or battalion.
O.R. Sgt.
Orderly Room Sergeant. The chief clerk in the battalion.
O.T.C.
Officers’ Training Corps – British Army.
P.P.C.L.I., C.E.F.
Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. The first Canadian unit to see active service in the First World War. It was raised in 1914, chiefly from ex-British Army personnel living in Canada.
R.Q.M.S.
Regimental Quarter-Master Sergeant. The non-commissioned officer in a mounted regiment responsible for rations, quarters and supplies.
R.A.M.C.
Royal Army Medical Corps – British Army.
R.S.M.
Regimental Sergeant-Major. The senior non-commissioned officer in a mounted regiment or infantry battalion.
R.C.D.
The Royal Canadian Dragoons. A Canadian Permanent Force cavalry regiment stationed at Toronto, organized in 1883.
R.C.G.A.
Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery. The Canadian Permanent Force artillery branch responsible for manning fixed defences at port fortresses.
R.C.H.A.
Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. The Canadian Permanent Force field artillery regiment.
R.C.R.
The Royal Canadian Regiment. The only Canadian Permanent Force infantry regiment, organized in 1883, with headquarters at Halifax, and stations at London, Toronto, Fredericton, Halifax, Que´bec and Esquimalt.
R.F.A.
Royal Field Artillery – British Army.
R.G.A.
Royal Garrison Artillery – British Army.
R.N.W.M.P.
Denotes service in the Royal North West Mounted Police or its predecessor, the North West Mounted Police.
R.Q.M.S.
Regimental Quarter-Master Sergeant. The non-commissioned officer in the battalion responsible for rations, quarters and supplies.
R.S.M.
Regimental Sergeant-Major. The senior non-commissioned officer in the battalion.
Royal Navy
Denotes service in the British Royal Navy.
Sgt. Cook
Sergeant Cook. The chief cook in a regiment or battalion.
Sgt.-Maj.
Sergeant Major. In this context, the regimental sergeant major, the senior non-commissioned officer in a mounted regiment or infantry battalion.
S.S. Corporal
Shoeing Smith Corporal. The horse-shoer in a mounted squadron.
S.S.M.
Squadron Sergeant Major. The senior non-commissioned officer in a mounted squadron.
S.Q.M.S.
Squadron Quarter-Master Sergeant. The non-commissioned officer in a mounted squadron responsible for rations, quarters and supplies.
South Africa
Denotes service in the South African War 1899 – 1902 with one of the Canadian Contingents
Stretcher-Br.
Stretcher Bearer. This function was normally performed by musicians when the battalion was in action. The 50th had a band, but the musicians are not specifically identified in the nominal roll.
Swiss Army
Denotes service in the army of the Confederation of Switzerland.
TOS
Taken On Strength. Joined the regiment or battalion.
Territorials
The Territorial Force, the part-time army in Great Britain.
U.S. Army
Denotes service in the army of the United States of America.
U.S. Navy
Denotes service in the navy of the United States of America
Given names | Surname | Former Corps | Country of Birth | Enlistment - Place | Enlistment - date |
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Returning Soldiers – WW1
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Nominal Rolls
50th Battalion 1914-1915
3rd, 12th and 13th Regiments Canadian Mounted Rifles 1915-1916
Canadian Expeditionary Force
These Canadian Expeditionary Force data were compiled by AFHS member Lt Col W. van der Schee and were published by the AFHS in two volumes in 1994. These and other publications are available for purchase from the AFHS. For details, see our Publications webpage. AFHS does not have further information on the individuals listed in the Nominal Rolls, unless a name appears in one of our on-line resources such as the cemetery indexes. For additional information, you may view the online resources of the National Archives of Canada
At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Minister of Militia, Sam Hughes, organized an overseas army, the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) completely separated from Canada’s existing military structure. The infantry Militia of the day was organized into 110 regiments, each with roots in its community, and with a structure suited for expansion upon mobilization. Instead of making use of this structure, Hughes called for drafts of volunteers to report to Valcartier Camp, near Québec City. These drafts were ultimately organized into numbered battalions with only minimal connection to their Militia and regional origins.
Name/Rank | Surname | Arrival port | Port date | Place date | Arrival place |
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