War diaries, 1939-1945

Available reels: 1353

Document Record

Creator
Canada. Dept. of National Defence
Title
War diaries, 1939-1945
Journaux de campagne
Journaux de campagne, 1939-1945
Journaux de guerre
Identifier
MIKAN: 133700
Reels/Bobines: T-1847 to T-1882, T-6668 to T-7114, T-7599 to T-7620, T-10528 to T-10664, T-10869 to T-10900, T-11021 to T-11078, T-11135 to T-11160, T-11179 to T-11203, T-11224 to T-11256, T-11318 to T-11348, T-11999 to T-12053, T-12060, T-12062, T-12153 to T-12166, T-12327 to T-12334, T-12391 to T-12417, T-12562 to T-12573, T-12642 to T-12663, T-12683 to T-12768, T-15428 to T-15477, T-15871 to T-15970, T-16144 to T-16155, T-16358 to T-16457, T-16715 to T-16765, T-16847 to T-16875, T-17261 to T-17278, T-17800 to T-17825, T-18306 to T-18352, T-18364 to T-18400, T-18578 to T-18630, T-18731 to T-18830, T-21280 to T-21343
Archival Reference/Référence Archivistique: RG 24 C 3, R112-135-3-E, R112-135-3-F
oocihm.lac_mikan_133700
lac_mikan_133700
Subject
Military
Government
World War, 1939-1945
Militaire
Gouvernement
Guerre mondiale, 1939-1945
Document source
Library and Archives Canada/Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
Notes
1939-1967
Copyright Government of Canada/Droit d'auteur Gouvernement du Canada
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted/Protégé par le droit d'auteur - Utilisation non commerciale autorisée
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/
Language
English
Description
A war diary is a regularly updated official record kept by military units of their activities during wartime. The purpose of these diaries is to both record information which can later be used by the military to improve its training and tactics as well as to generate a detailed record of units' activities for future use by historians. War diaries are focused on the administration and operations of the unit they cover, and generally do not contain information about individual personnel. Their purpose is "to supply authentic material for the history of the unit, and of the force; to furnish a historical record of operations; and to provide data upon which to base improvements in training, equipment, organization and administration. A good war diary makes possible the accurate and detailed reconstruction of circumstances, conditions and action." The British Army first required war diaries to be used in 1907 to help the army prevent repeating the mistakes they had made during the Second Boer War.
This collection consists of war diaries for Canadian units during the Second World War which describe the daily activities of a unit or formation on active service.
A reference guide to this collection can be found at: https://www.crkn-rcdr.ca/en/navigating-collections#ref-guides.
Un journal de guerre est un registre officiel régulièrement mis à jour par les unités militaires dans lequel sont consignées leurs activités en temps de guerre. Le but de ces journaux consiste, d'une part, à enregistrer des informations qui peuvent plus tard servir à améliorer la formation et les tactiques militaires et, d'autre part, à rédiger un compte-rendu détaillé des activités d'une unité à l'intention des futurs historiens. Les journaux de guerre se concentrent sur l'administration et les opérations qui touchent leur unité et, en général, ils ne contiennent pas d'informations sur les membres du personnel. Leur objectif est de « produire une documentation authentique pour l'histoire de l'unité et des forces, de présenter une relation historique des opérations et de fournir des données qui constitueront une base pour l'amélioration de la formation, des équipements, de l'organisation et de l'administration. Un bon journal de guerre permet la reconstitution précise et détaillée des circonstances, des conditions et de l'action. » C'est en 1907 que l'armée britannique imposa pour la première fois la tenue de journaux de guerre afin d'aider les militaires à ne pas répéter les mêmes erreurs commises durant la deuxième guerre des Boers.
Cette collection comprend les journaux de guerre d'unités canadiennes durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale et décrivent les activités quotidiennes des unités ou formations en service actif.
Il ne semble pas y avoir d'instruments de recherche au début des bobines de microfilm.
Un guide de référence de cette collection est disponible à l'adresse suivante : https://www.crkn-rcdr.ca/en/navigating-collections#ref-guides.
The finding aid is part Computer generated and part file list consisting of lists indicating the name of the unit and dates for which there is a war diary. Serial numbers also appear beside the unit, but these are unit identifiers and not file numbers. Attached to each folder of the finding aid is a table of contents indicating the volumes containing the diaries of a particular corps or group, and on which finding aid page numbers the volumes will be found. 24-60.
This finding aid contains the names of units and dates. The finding aid is part Computer generated and part file list consisting of lists indicating the name of the unit and dates for which there is a war diary. Serial numbers also appear beside the unit, but these are unit identifiers and not file numbers. Attached to each folder of the finding aid is a table of contents indicating the volumes containing the diaries of a particular corps or group, and on which finding aid page numbers the volumes will be found. Please note that finding aid 24-60, part 2 is a list of cross references for Royal Canadian Artillery Batteries and Regiments. 24-60 part 1.
This finding aid is a list of cross references indicating where the diaries for batteries and regiments of the Royal Canadian Artillery which were amalgamated with other units of the artillery can be found. This finding aid is to be used in conjunction with finding aid 24-60, pt 1. If a researcher is unable to locate an artillery unit in finding aid 24-60, part 1, they should consult this list of cross references to determine if the unit for which they are searching was amalgamated with another RCA unit, and then refer back to 24-60, part 1 to identify the RG 24 volume number. 24-60 part 2
Persistent URL
https://n2t.net/ark:/69429/s0cn6xw48w6m