Stratford-Perth Archives invites residents to discover more about veteran ancestors

The Stratford-Perth Archives is inviting the public to attend an upcoming speaker session with author and historian Eric Edwards, who will discuss how to use service records to learn more about First World War veterans.

The presentation is set for Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 2-4 p.m. at the Stratford-Perth Archives, 4273 Line 34.

Those interested in learning more about their heritage and connecting with veteran ancestors are encouraged to attend. The session aims to make the archives approachable and accessible for anyone curious about local history.

Edwards wants to help people feel more comfortable searching through archival material and will share how he’s learned to navigate historical records to uncover connections to his own family and others.

His presentation will provide a grounding in how to read and gain valuable information from a First World War Canadian soldier’s service file. He will also provide worksheets to help attendees navigate files more effectively.

“It’s going to be more of a technical overview of how to navigate service files,” he said. “When you open up a service file, they can be anywhere from 15 to 200 pages, and they’re not in any logical order, so this can be confusing.”

Edwards will also tell the story of how he used the service records of a Stratford man who once lived in the home where he now resides. Through his research, he learned that Dave McDonald lived in the house from 1922 until his death in 1968. McDonald, he noted, was an “average man” who served in the war.

“He went about his business after serving in the war, got wounded twice, got in trouble – actually pretty significant trouble,” said Edwards. “He raised a family, had children and contributed to Canada’s social, political and economic fabric.”

Drawing on examples from the service record, the presentation will help attendees better understand the types of information that can be found in these fascinating documents.

The session will offer helpful insights into what can be discovered and used as a springboard for further research into the people who served Canada during this sweeping world conflict.

To learn more about Edwards and his research, visit his blog and Facebook group about the 18th Battalion at 18thbattalioncef.blog.

Registration for the event is free. Email archives@perthcounty.ca or call 519-271-0531, ext. 259 to register. The deadline to register is Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 4 p.m.