Courts martial of the First World War
Courts martial are legal bodies convened to determine the guilt or innocence of accused members of the armed forces. They had the authority to try a wide range of military offences that resembled civilian crimes like fraud, theft or perjury. Others, like desertion and cowardice, were purely military crimes.
Use this database to search for records of courts martial during the First World War.
Search Courts martial of the First World War
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- Start with just a name.
- Try adding their regimental number, unit or offence (if known).
- Be careful when using regimental numbers, as they may limit your search results. For example, if you type 222044, you will obtain only one reference. Officers did not have a regimental number unless they enlisted first as privates or non-commissioned officers.
- If you can’t find the person by name, try spelling variations or combinations of given names and initials (e.g., Simpson, Harold or Simpson, H* or Simpson*).
Please note that the quality of the images on these microfilm reels is often poor and that the paper originals no longer exist.
About the records
This database contains records from the Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada: Courts martial records, 1914–1919, RG 150, R611-0-0-E, R611-0-0-F, T-8651 to T-8696.
Records of individual cases consist of an average of 20 to 25 pages, many of which are standardized forms. These document the trial and the charges under the Army Act.
A panel of officers sat in judgement at a court martial, while the accused was represented by an officer who may have been a military lawyer.
The records identify the officers who sat in judgment and the evidence presented in court, including statements by the accused and witnesses. In cases of conviction, the records document the sentences. Many records include formal rulings by the Judge Advocate General, the senior officer responsible for military justice.
Punishment for military offences ranged from fines and imprisonment to execution.
Offences, punishment and instructions on how to run a court martial are explained in the Manual of Military Law, which was distributed to Canadian Expeditionary Force units.
How to read the records
Military offences were identified by “AA” for Army Act, followed by a number indicating the specific section of the Act under which the service person was charged.
In total, there are 174 punishable offences in the Army Act for which soldiers were liable to be court-martialled. Listed below are the offences findable in the “Courts Martial—First World War” database. For a list of all 174 punishable offences in the Army Act, see the Manual of Military Law.
| 4 | Offences in relation to the enemy punishable with death |
| 5 | Offences in relation to the enemy not punishable with death |
| 6 | Offences punishable more severely on active service than at other times |
| 7 | Mutiny and sedition |
| 8 | Striking or threatening superior officer |
| 9 | Disobedience to superior officer |
| 10 | Insubordination |
| 11 | Neglect to obey garrison or other orders |
| 12 | Desertion |
| 13 | Fraudulent enlistment |
| 14 | Assistance of or connivance at desertion |
| 15 | Absence from duty without leave |
| 16 | Scandalous conduct of officer |
| 17 | Fraud by persons in charge of money or goods |
| 18 | Disgraceful conduct of soldier |
| 19 | Drunkenness |
| 20 | Permitting escape of person in custody |
| 21 | Irregular arrest or confinement |
| 22 | Escape from confinement |
| 23 | Corrupt dealings in respect of supplies to forces |
| 24 | Deficiency in and injury to equipment |
| 25 | Falsifying official documents and false declarations |
| 26 | Neglect to report and signing in blank |
| 27 | False accusation or false statement by soldier |
| 28 | Offences in relation to courts martial |
| 29 | False evidence |
| 30 | Offences in relation to billeting (the practice of soldiers lodging in private homes while on active service) |
| 31 | Offences in relation to the impressment of carriages and their attendants |
| 32 | Enlistment of soldier or sailor discharged with ignominy or disgrace |
| 33 | False answers or declarations on enlistment |
| 34 | General offences in relation to enlistment |
| 35 | Traitorous words |
| 36 | Injurious disclosures |
| 37 | Ill-treating soldier |
| 38 | Duelling and attempting to commit suicide |
| 39 | Refusal to deliver to civil power officers and soldiers accused of civil offences |
| 40 | Conduct to prejudice of military discipline |
| 41 | Offences punishable by ordinary law of England (or the Canadian civil court) |
| 155 | Penalty on trafficking in commissions |
Access the records
The records in the database are transcriptions, but you can find the originals on Héritage. To find a file:
- Look for microfilm reels T-8651 to T-8696.
- Note the microfilm number and the file number from the reference field in collection search (example 649-C-12323).
- Use these numbers to browse the images on Héritage. The images are in order by file number. That number is on the start of the file on the file docket.
You can also see them in person in our self-serve microfilm room.
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