Does anyone have an idea what kind of info is in these WDs, I want to order three of them, but hope before I do, as I have no idea about the cost, they have an example to see what kind of information it holds.for example the one about 7th Canadian Light Field Ambulance. And what's the meaning of a Advanced Surgical Centre, do they mean a Field Dressing Station or is this a Field Hospital? Thanks in advance.
A couple of years ago I ordered War Diaries for the 11th Cdn Field Ambulance. I found that the cost for the main body of the War Diary, for a given month, is minimal. However the cost for some of the attachments will add to the cost. I suggest that you order a couple of months of monthly war diaries without the attachments. When you receive the package the war diary will have a list of appendices that are attached to the main body. You can then reorder for the appendices that you are interested in. I my case, I found that the "in and out message traffic" and the "field order" attachments were the most interesting. Also for some of the months, the 11 Cdn Fd Amb would attach a "summary of operations" or technical or medical reports for that month. These, I would order separately and I would put a cost limit when I placed my order with LAC. (The message traffic could be in the order of a 100 pages of so.) Not sure what the present cost per page is or whether LAC still has a senior's discount.) Send me a private message if you wish to discuss further. I have attached a war diary for the 23 Cdn Fd Amb. I think I downloaded it from this site? Do a search for it on this forum. There is additional attachments that I did not include in this post. A Historical Summary of the RCAMC in WWII can be found at: Official History of the Canadian Medical Services, 1939-1945, Vol 1 Organization and Campaigns (canada.ca) Do a "Find" for "Advance Surgical Centre" and your questions will be answered. Good Luck
Here’s another example, each unit did their War Dairies differently, they were suppose to follow a “format”, but they usually wrote and included what they wanted. Take a look at some of these I’ve posted below and it will give you some idea of the info in War Dairies (or the attachments) and you can see if it may tell you what your looking for, before you start ordering anything 1st Cdn Exhaustion Unit, RCAMC War Dairy http://www.canadianmilitaryhistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/1st-Cdn-Exhaustion-Unit-RCAMC.pdf And here’s a “short” info on the RCAMC at Normandy https://wartimes.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/RCAMC-and-the-Beaches-of-Normandy.pdf 14th Cdn Field Ambulance War Dairies for a few months https://wartimes.ca/wp-content/uplo...nce-R.C.A.M.C.-War-Diaries-June-July-1944.pdf 22nd Cdn Field Ambulance War Dairies https://wartimes.ca/wp-content/uplo...nce-R.C.A.M.C.-War-Diaries-June-July-1944.pdf 23rd Cdn Field Ambulance War Dairies https://wartimes.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/No. 23 Canadian Field Ambulance R.C.A.M.C. War Diaries June - July 1944.pdf
And addition to the info above…….when i said the usually “wrote what they wanted”…..I should correct this….when War Diaries arrived at 2nd Ech in Canadian Military HQ’s, they were “reviewed” and comments about “content”, or insuring something was included was sent back to the unit. You can see some of these in the War Dairies of Units. But, HOW, they wrote the WD their was “artistic license” so to speak. Usually a Junior Officer or Senior NCO clerk) wrote the diary each day and the CO approved it. Sometimes the “writer” just gave facts and figures, other’s were very “flowery” in the prose, and like to write a “story” in the WD, but the CO had finally approval of what was said, and if its in the WD, he had seen it and it met that particular CO’s OK In fact, when reading WD’s, sometimes you can spot significant changes on “how they were written”…..and 9 times out of 10, if you checked when the CO’s changed, you can see the style they wished in the WD was their own (and also when the initial “original writer” changed)
Well, only the one’s that have been digitized or microfilmed and are on LAC’s website or Heritage Canadiana. If they aren’t there, then you either pay to order a copy thru LAC (information on how to get them on their website), hire a private researcher to get them (information on Private researchers on LAC website), or go to LAC to look at them yourself (Information on how to “schedule a visit and look at the records that you wish on LAC) BUT Project 44 has also done a lot of them, and you can see them on their website, BUT (sorry, lots of buts) they are mostly “major units” (Divisions, Brigades, Infantry Battalions, Tank regiments etc etc) they haven’t done a lot of the smaller units or support units…..but still an excellent source Library and Archives Canada Information on Army War Diaries Second World War (1939-1945) and Korean Conflict (1950-1953) References to war diaries (RG24-C-3) can be identified using Collection Search. Enter RG24-C-3 and a keyword; for example, the name of a unit: "Royal Canadian Dragoons" or "Princess Patricia's." Some volumes are available on microfilm. Some of the microfilm reels have been digitized on our partner site Héritage. https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/disco...war-diaries-ship-logs-operations-records.aspx And if you need to order a War Diary, link to LAC page that you start your request Order form for copies NOTE: Seniors and Students get a discount on order Canadian War Diaries of the Normandy Campaign Collection (Are available, albeit for limited months, at this link) Canadian War Diaries of the Normandy Campaign Collection BUT BEFORE YOU DO ANY OF THE ABOVE……always check the website’s such as this one, or Wartimes.ca and other sites to see if they are there…..or their members may have copies and willing to share……AND the resources of Other countries Archives, such as the Australian and New Zealand Archive, South Africa etc etc etc
I would be interested in 15 Field Amb Sept 44 + 22 Field Amb Okt 44 and 23 Field Amb Okt + Nov 44. They have casualties at the Adegem Canadian War Cemetery.
