CFC Cap Badge Photos courtesy of Bob Briggs

The Poppy is a symbol of Bravery & Remembrance for all fallen soldiers The black-eyes Susan means "Justice". It is a cheery colour that represents the warmth of the soldiers' memories that live on in our hearts as we honour them by bringing their stories to light. We can still honour them by living life for them and being true just as they would want for us. Let not their sacrifice be in vain. Change is good and this flower might symbolize that justice is being served because we are not failing in our duty to remember them and make certain that history does not repeat itself. Flowers are exquisite and delicate masterpieces. I do believe that your choice comes from a place of inner reflection with the belief that a new day has risen thanks to these brave soldiers and hope for the future will remain strong and united. Yellow is a spiritual colour and symbolizes optimism and cheerfulness. - Nathaleigh

Hi my name is Bob Briggs
You might say, my early boyhood marked the beginning of my interest in the military.
My grandfather, this is where I started working and researching the CFC Never thinking about where it would lead to. My mother had a lot of photos so it was wonderful taking with her and her sharing a lot of stories of my grandfather in Scotland and my grandmother back home in Carman with the three daughters. To often the family back at home have their war stories. It wasn't easy for them.
I started out researching my grandfather Tucker, Perle Bruce Pte H94781 who was with No. 28 Coy CFC & my maternal great grandfather Pte Thomas Josephus Haycock who was in the Boer War with the 2nd Battalion South Staffordshire.
He came to Canada and in WW1 was with the 222nd Southern Manitoba Overseas Battalion in the Canadian Forestry Corps.
My objective here is to provide any information regarding the Canadian Forestry Corps, the camps and the CFC soldiers.
I have in so many SO MANY TIMES hear a story was not told, a story that the soldier himself didn’t think he wanted to tell for whatever reason or the family didn’t ask of for whatever reason. That story is of why he signed up, what was going on prior to the war for him and his family, his time in the forces, his contact through letters back home, his coming home etc.
To me for my grandfather it wasn’t good enough for me what his name was and his service number. He was a man, a husband, a father, he worked, he lived and he served. The children or grandchildren or other members of the family do want to hear how their family members served and be proud regardless of what his story, but he served his country.
In the beginning of WW2 only the Air Force had more priority than the CFC.
War diaries have been a valuable asset & gives a list of the men who served in the CFC with service number so if you need the service number to get the soldiers records.

For Further information please contact Bob Briggs

The Canadian Forestry Corps
The CFC Headquarters comprised of 6 Districts and each District had its own HQ's and a number of CFC Companies under their command.
There were also other sections such as the Reinforcement Section, No 1 Canadian Special Forestry Section just to name a few.

An explanation of the Timeline of the Canadian Forestry Corps

I had the pleasure of helping many people over the last 10 years or so listening to their ancestors stories & helping them to find information about that time in the CFC during WWII.
It may have been as simple as Soldiers Records or where they were based. It may have been about a marriage or death, or perhaps even a photograph or ships record or when their war bride came to Canada.
They too have helped me to better understand each individual soldiers time in the CFC, each one unique & with a different story to tell. Some happy, some sad.
Their life before enlistment and even somtimes their life after. Thank you to everyone who has shared their information with me and I with you.

List of over 10,000 soldiers

Interview with Albert Fox - I had many a visits with Bert, he was a real joy Always took frozen fish for him, (that I caught) him and his wife always enjoyed it. I also always picked up some fresh muffins to have with coffee.
Having been in the army myself and knowing the CFC we had many a long chats We both enjoyed the visits - Bob Briggs

* I would like to first thank Allan Barron for his assistance in relation to the CFC soldiers from the Fort Frances, Kenora and Rainy River Ontario areas that served with 17 Coy CFC and other companies of the Canadian Forestry Corps.
His Father was Barron, Harold Alexander, Pte 17 Coy CFC.
Allan is doing bios of each of these soldiers including all Military Service as well as pre and post war info for these soldiers. The information is collected from Family members as well as newspaper and other archives kept at various museums in the areas these soldiers were from.
For further information contact Allan Barron

Special Thanks to:
*William C. Wonders author of “The Sawdust Fusiliers” for allowing me to use his book for my on going research on the Canadian Forestry Corps
* Danny B. who I have hired to access the Library Archives of Canada for the War Diaries
* Paul K. for his excellent Map Work
* Michel B. who sent me the original photos of No.10, 12, 15, 18, 19, 21, 27 and 28 Coy CFC for my keeping who received them from the son of Lt Col Neil Cameron Ferguson CO of of HQ No 8 Canadian Forestry District of the CFC
* David R. for the Timeline of Canadian Forestry Corps & SSchedules of the Trains and Ships of CFC in Canada
* Jean Francois C. for all his contributions of CFC war dairies and photos
*Lynn A. for searching out the Scottish marriage announcements

Other Research Sources:
Thunder Bay District Cemeteries - has many CFC soldier headstones
Access to Information (ATI) Online Request – to obtain the services records for a soldier
For CFC References visit the Library and Archives Canada & the Collection Search
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
CWGC - Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers of the First World War - CEF - to find attestation papers for your WW1 soldier
Heritage Canadiana - Section on the CFC
Aboriginal Veterans Tribute Honour list
The British Newspaper Archive - For newspaper clippings of marriages & other information of CFC soldiers
National Defense - Directorate of History an Heritage

Some comments from contributors
Subject: Canadian Forestry Corps
Hello Robert
This email comes by way of a thank you and other contributors for the wonderful insight and information offered online regarding the Canadian Forestry Corps.
I have at least one Uncle who began his WW2 service with the Corps - and in the interest of compiling a genealogical record of my family, I have found your website very interesting and helpful.
My Uncle, Lance Corporal George Lynn McParlon was from Grand Forks, British Columbia - he went on to the Seaforth Highlanders and was killed at the battle of Ortona just days before the
Germans troops of that battle capitulated (actually disappeared in the night, is my understanding).
Your website - all of the details and the stories/photos lend an invaluable contribution to the stories that I can tell of my ancestors so I thank you very much for being so generous in sharing
information that is a true gift for the families of the men in the CFC.
My sincere regards - and thank you again.
L.S.

Bob,
Personally I have found your website most informative and very easy to navigate. Yes there is a lot of content there and it takes a while to go through it all but that is not a bad thing. I think your webpage is one of those rare rich sites which has to be digested slowly in order to take it all in. Honestly I would not change anything. I am sure your site can be overwhelming for someone very new but sometimes making things too easy comes at a price by diminishing the overall content. I think you have achieved a wonderful balance and I am so grateful that you made it. Like you said, I came to your website not looking to become an expert on the CFC but to find out more about NO.13 COY and what the overall experience must have been like for my grandfather. However, I got so much more out of your website and from talking with you than I ever imagined so I think the beauty of your layout is that a person can drink from your cup as deep or as shallow as they want. The limits are entirely based upon their personal need , satisfaction and willingness to learn more.
These are my honest thoughts. It is a wonderful thing that you are doing and I am sure everyone that goes on your site is very thankful to have it. I know I was.
Maybe for yourself things will never be perfect but for others that is likely all they need.
J.H

To: Bob
I like the fact that it is ordered chronologically, it makes reading easier and I am able to follow the company on a daily basis from their forming to disbanding.
I like reading the daily diaries. There is a fair amount of mundane info recorded, the weather and production numbers, but I find even that interesting. If you read through all of them you will find gems like weddings, POW movement, staff photographer visit, medical situations and even visits from royalty.
I also like the other little tidbits you include, for instance a receipt of a car loan from a local dealer and a note from a clergyman, I believe, expressing concern over whether or not the men could frequent the cafe in Pitlochry.
I look for any reference to my father( there are a couple).
In short I just enjoy the read, it sort of gives me a sense of being there.
Thanks again
R.W

Dear Robert — I drew on your excellent website for help in creating my own blog post about the foresters, and credited you at the end. I hope you enjoy this and share it with your own followers.
Thanks, Elinor

Morning Bob
First off I'd like compliment you on your site as it is one amazing resource in regards to the Canadian Forestry Corps and has been a big help to me. Earlier this year I started researching the Canadian Forestry Corps for a living history impression that I'm working on as I've been involved in reenactment for 3 years. I've been researching both 11 Coy & 5 Coy as they were on our doorstep and believe these two should be the ones we focus our attention on.
D.T.H.

Hello Bob,
After a life time in forestry I have for the last 12 years been working as a volunteer on a Scottish Forestry history website in an attempt to record images, stories, maps, papers on forestry in Scotland before it is either forgotten or lands in the waste skip. It is a random collection of items recorded and written up as and when items are passed to me or discovered in my wanderings around old offices and when meeting members of local communities.
Thank you