WARBRIDES-L Archives

Archiver > WARBRIDES > 2003-05 > 1054093636


From: Michelle Rusk <>
Subject: Re: [WarBrides] Canadian Army Corporal Gordon ELMER PALMER
Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 21:55:35 -0600
References: <000e01c3239c$d1a270a0$a900a8c0@seanixmxlfp2x4>


Hi Anne,

Well, for at least another 3 days I work at Veterans Affairs Canada (budget
cuts), so in the course of work have learned the process to obtain records
when you are not the Veteran, or not VAC personnel requesting records for
processing claims. Melynda is quite correct that the Access to Information
Act creates many difficulties in obtaining complete records.

You can go to the web site at the National Archives,
http://www.archives.ca/08/08_e.html On the home page, on the left side is a
link to genealogy. Scroll down to military records, and then records after
1918, and you can link to a printable form
http://www.archives.ca/02/020203/0202030201_e.html to send to: Personnel
Records Unit, National Archives of Canada
395 Wellington Street OTTAWA ON K1A 0N3 Fax: (613) 947-8456.

I am including information on the rules for accessing military personnel
records at the archives further down. Another process you might try for
your particular needs is to call your local Veterans Affairs Office (the
number for the Prairie Region Client Contact Centre is 1-800-665-3420) and
you could ask for the address to send a letter to the Access to Information
Commissioner for Veterans Affairs in Charlottetown. If they have a
possible address for someone who received benefits on behalf of Elmer
Palmer, they might send a letter from you to that person. It would then be
up to that person to decide for themselves whether they wish to initiate
contact with you. The Canadian Virtual War Memorial link on the Veterans
Affairs website has information on individuals who died in the service of
their country.
http://198.103.134.2/general/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem .
Sometimes this will also include the name of parents or spouse.

From the National Archives Web Site:
Access restrictions
Access to post-First World War military and civilian personnel records is
subject to the federal Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.
Canadian citizens and those present in Canada have the right to examine or
receive copies of government records; however, certain information may be
restricted, depending on provisions of the legislation.

In accordance with the Privacy Act, access to personal information relating
to an individual who is still living requires that person's written consent.
If the individual has been dead for less than 20 years, limited information
may be released to immediate family. Proof of death and relationship must be
provided. There are no restrictions on access to information relating to an
individual who has been dead for more than 20 years; however, proof of death
is required if the individual did not die while serving with the Armed
Forces. A death certificate, newspaper obituary or funeral director's notice
are accepted as proof of death.

"Proof of relationship" refers to a document that clearly demonstrates the
relationship between the individual concerned and the person requesting the
record. Both names must appear on the document. A newspaper obituary,
baptismal certificate or full-form birth certificate are acceptable, but a
wallet-sized birth certificate is not. Please do not send original
documents; photocopies are accepted.

Another long message from me, but I hope it helps you, Anne, or anyone else
on this list trying to access the military records of Canadian Veterans.

Michelle Rusk
(daughter of C. Lloyd & Olive Cochrane)


----- Original Message -----
From: "Anne Kaus" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, May 26, 2003 9:38 AM
Subject: [WarBrides] Canadian Army Corporal Gordon ELMER PALMER


> Hi,
>
> I am hoping very much that this message qualifies to be posted on the
Warbrides message board.
>
> Corporal Gordon "Elmer" Palmer - Canadian Army, Service Unit: Seaforth
Highlanders, served overseas during World War II from October 1942 until his
death on 4 January, 1945. He was 29 years old at his death. He is buried
in Ravenna War Cemetery in Italy.
>
> While he was stationed in England, he fell in love with a woman and had a
child with her. I do not know the sex of this child, but he or she would
have been born between 1942 and 1945. Family information was that Elmer
Palmer was planning on living in England with this woman and baby after the
war.
>
> Anyone with any information or ideas about how I might find this missing
family, please e-mail me at . It is not my intention to
disrupt anyone's life by finding them, but only to find a long - lost
missing Aunt or Uncle. Their sister, my mother is deceased and I would very
much like to find another link to her.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Anne Kaus
>


This thread: