Canada, Canadian Airmen of WWI, 1914-1918

Source Information

Ancestry.com. Canada, Canadian Airmen of WWI, 1914-1918 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2021.
Original data: Canadian Airmen and the First World War. Ottowa, ON, Canada: Library and Archives Canada.

About Canada, Canadian Airmen of WWI, 1914-1918

General Collection Information

This collection is an account detailing the history of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Originally published in 1980, this volume examines the roots of the RCAF, spanning pre-World War I through 1918. This is the first volume in a four-book series. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.

Using this Collection

The collection includes the following:

  • Full name
  • Rank
  • Unit
  • Enlistment Date
  • Casualty Date
  • Casualty Status

    • Collection in Context

    At the dawn of World War I, the Dominion of Canada was still an active part of the British Empire. As such, Canada didn’t yet have its own air force; any Canadians wishing to serve joined the Royal Air Force. When the United Kingdom declared war on Germany in 1914, Canada did, too. More than 20,000 Canadians would go on to play a critical role in the aerial successes of World War I. This paved the way for Canada to form the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1924.

    Bibliography

    Government of Canada. “Canadian Airmen and the First World War.” Last Modified April 5, 2018. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/popular-books/airmen-ww1.html

    Veterans Affairs Canada. “First World War, 1914-1918.” Last Modified February 28, 2019. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/first-world-war

    Blakemore, Erin. “Canada’s Long, Gradual Road to Independence.” History.com. Last Modified August 29, 2018. https://www.history.com/news/canada-independence-from-britain-france-war-of-1812