Long absence

I would like to apologize, first of all, for my long absence from this blog. Between work and family life I simply hadn't been able to find the time to post entries. But, I'm back now.

A couple of weeks ago I continued my research on the history of the 38th Battalion, CEF, at the archives of the Canadian War Museum here in Ottawa. A few years back, when the archives were still located in the old bus terminal at Vimy House, I had thought that I'd finished with the research there. But, with the move to the new building, new material seems to have surfaced, or become more accessible, and Carol Reid, the chief archivist, is more than happy to show it to any researcher. There is also new archival material being received and catalogued all the time, and I found a handful of extremely useful items relating to the 38th which will be very useful. Carol and the rest of the staff at the museum's military history research centre and very friendly and helpful. If you give them enough notice that you'd like to make a visit to conduct research (always the right thing to do with an archives you've not been to before), they will pull material for you beforehand, ready for your arrival.

On the main page of the museum's website you will find a pull down menu in the upper right corner. Select "library catalogue" to take you to a page with the museum's online searchable database of books and documents. They've even added a search for newly-received items. This is an extremely useful resource and shows what a fascination and, I think, relatively unknown collection the war museum houses.