Archives

NOTE: We do not keep “service files” of individual riflemen in our archives. Some 19th-century nominal rolls and orders are listed below. If you are looking for anything we have connected to individuals in our collections, we recommend you check our online catalogue under the Search Terms: People. This will include the most up-to-date information we have cataloged and entered into our database.  Service records for those serving since the South African War (1899-1901) may be available from Library and Archives Canada – search for Military Service Records.

NOTE: The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum and Archives condemns the use of racist and other offensive statements, comments and rhetoric in any form. However, the Museum is committed to not hiding from the full history of our Regiment and its members. It is from this commitment to acknowledge and learn from painful and uncomfortable moments, that we make our archival materials available.

The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum includes an archival collection with materials dating back to the 1860’s. We are in the process of digitizing a selection of this material and including it here. New or recent items are denoted with an asterisk (*).

Our thanks to Anne Dondertman, Acting Director of the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library, University of Toronto, and David Sharron Head, Archives & Special Collections at Brock University Archives for allowing us use of their book scanners.

NEW! You can now also see a large collection of our digitized photos on our Flickr site.

Nominal Rolls:

1866 to 1882:

  • 00053 – This is a bound record book of handwritten Nominal (or attendance) Rolls. Each roll includes a “staff” or headquarters listing in then rolls by company. Blank pages have not been included. See the item description for further details about content and information.

1882 to 1904:

  • 00184 – A bound record book of handwritten Nominal (or attendance) Rolls. Each roll includes a “staff” or headquarters listing in then rolls by company.

1904 to 1912:

  • *00160 – 1904-1912 Muster Roll Book No. 3 Q.O.R. Each roll includes a “staff” or headquarters listing in then rolls by company.

WWI

These searchable nominal rolls issued with Militia Orders in 1915, includes service number, rank, name, previous military service, name of next of kin, address of next of kin, country of birth, and date and place taken on strength.

WWII

Official Nominal Roll of “B” Company QOR just prior to D-Day (pdf 1.2 MB) Searchable document includes B Company soldiers’ name; name, relationship and address of next of kin; and date for those killed in action (k/a) or died of wounds (d/w).  At the end is a list of all those Queen’s Own Rifles killed during the Second World War and two maps of Aldershot Camp in England.

Parade States:

Books record attendance numbers, one page per parade day. Each day contains information on how many Officers and soldiers attend a parade event, who was in command, and many pages contain notes on the event.

Regimental Orders/Records of Service:

Pages have handwritten regimental orders mainly covering movement of officers – transfers, strike offs, promotions, etc. Subsequent pages contain lists of Officers service including dates of enrollment, promotion, etc.

Book of Remembrance 1866 to 1918:

00128 – Bound Book of Remembrance containing a brief history of the Queen’s Own Rifles up to 1931, list of battle honours, VC recipients, decorations received in the Great War, honour roll for those who died in the Fenian Raids, South Africa, and the Great War, and Orders of Service for the dedications of the Memorial Cross and the Memorial Shrine. (Searchable pdf format.)


pic_2013-01-27_091009Regimental Orders:

These are 19th-century bound books (with the exception of 1860-1865) of handwritten regimental orders signed by the Adjutants. These include training, supply and administration instructions, and personnel administration including enrollments, transfers, postings, promotions and discharges with individuals named. Also include in some cases, district and brigade (Camp Niagara) orders.

Modern day typed orders include training, supply and administration instructions, and personnel administration including enrollments, transfers, postings, promotions and discharges with individuals named. These files have OCR applied so they are searchable.

1910 Trip to England:

Diaries & Memoirs:

Our archives have a number of personal diaries which include relevant periods of active service, which in a number of cases have been transcribed and digitized.

Standing Orders Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada:

Standing Orders spell out organization, detailed dress regulations and orders of dress, mess, committees, band, drill and a raft of other need to know for all officers, NCOs and men of the regiment. These were updated periodically and the following are examples of several versions from our archives (scans courtesy of CWO Shannon and others):

Service Rolls:

Contains information on soldiers who joined the QOR including: name, address, age, date, marital status, and company.

Attestation Sheets:

Contains letter tabs that organize the personnel enlistment forms alphabetically by last name. Contains personnel information such as: next of kin, birthdate, past work/military service, date of enrollment, and their platoon/company, etc. 

Militia Orders

Includes printed orders, printed mail/memos and statements as issued by Militia Headquarters:

00048 Militia Orders Book 1862-1868

CA QORM SC50 Militia Orders collection 1802-1885

Report of the Court of Inquiry on the Action at Lime Ridge

Court of Inquiry (Cover)Court of Inquiry on the Battle of Lime Ridge or Ridgeway completed June 24 1866. President was Colonel George T. Denison, Commandant of Volunteer Force, 5th Militia District.

"In Pace Paratus – In Peace Prepared"