The Newfoundland Regiment and the Great War Database

Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial archives, known as The Rooms, recently added scans of documents from the military files of soldiers who served with the famed Newfoundland Regiment during the First World War.

www.therooms.ca/regiment/part3_database.asp takes you directly to a page that explains the various documents typically found on the files for the 6000 men who enlisted. Click on "Soldiers" to search by name or community.

Unlike most British WW1 service files they survived destruction in WW2. Unlike corresponding Canadian records they survived stripping of all but what the authorities considered essential documents. For two cases I examined at random, one killed and one wounded at the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel on July 1, 1916, the file included basic military documents and correspondence regarding matters such as medals, benefits and personal possessions not returned.

The site also includes useful material on the Regiment's role during The War.

Thanks to Lesley Anderson for bringing this resource to my attention.