Would like information about father.

[truthangel]

I am looking for some information about my father. He joined the army in 1942. He took his basic training in either Swift Current, or Maple Creek. He was then sent to Regina to wait for orders to go over seas. He was sent to Niagra Falls were he did guard duty and cooking. Next he was sent to Toronto and from there he went to Europe, to England. From England he went to Belgium and then to the front line where he lost most of his hearing from a bomb. He was sent to Holland in 1945, then march to Germany and then the war ended. His name is Gustave Mansuy and he is from Parkman, Sask. I don‘t know what regiment he was with or if he had a military number. He died a couple of years ago and I was too young to understand the importants of learning this information. Can anyone help Me?

 

[Bill Alexander]

Hello truthangel. Given the scanty information that you have, there are a couple of ways to proceed. The first and likely most productive avenue would be a letter to National Archives of Canada Researcher Services Division Ottawa Ca K1A 0N3. Give them all the information that you have, the above description is pretty good, and his birth date and age would be helpful. They will search their records and send you the information that they have. NOTE: You must indicate that you are next of kin or a close relative or the access will be denied. You will likely have to prove the relationship and the fact your father is dead. ( A photocopy of the death certificate or the obit from a newspaper.) You can do this as a request, at no cost, (except maybe photocopying), or as a freedom of information request, with a minimal fee. The advantage to the second method is that the archives must respond within 90 days.
Another method of finding the information is to hire a professional researcher, and they will do the above for you. (Professional researcher‘s can speed up the process and know certain tricks of the trade.)
Finally you could start at the other end and try to locate information from the home town newspaper of the time. These are usually on microfilm at local libraries.
Hope this gets you started.

 

[truthangel]

Thanks for that information. I have found out that he might have been with the Edmonton Fusiliers from 43 till 46. Not much information about this regiment. What can you military history buffs tell me?

 

[Terry Warner]

James Findlay(!)

I have relatives, father and son, by that name. However the father was an RCAF Merlin engine mechanic in Britain for the duration, and his son was born after the war.

There are families named Findlay in the Ottawa Valley area of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. The Cameron Highlanders continue to this day, and their armouries is Cartier Square Drill Hall in downtown Ottawa. There is a regimental museum for them and the Governor General‘s Foot Guards in the middle of the drill square (a complete misuse of valuable interior space in my opinion).

Terry