Older Pams

[genericview]

Does anyone know if there is a central repository anywhere of old military pams with a searchable index?  I would love to get some reproductions of old field manuals etc and am having a devil of a time getting anything online and have not found any library caches yet.

Anyone know of any good research spots?

 

[Blackadder1916]

I've been occasionally lucky in finding old military and naval pubs in used book stores.  It is interesting to see how things have changed over the years, not always to the better and often very little change other than the hardware.

It's been several years since I've been there, but the Canadian War Museum's library did have many technical publications in its collection.  http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/libraryarchives/services_e.html

I did stumble across a website a few years ago that sold copies of (mainly US) military pubs, some dating from 20th Century wars.  They did list a few non-US items.  I haven't used that site since so don't have a link.

 

[genericview]

many thanks a good start.  Yes I am donig the garage sale thing and used bookstores trying to find gems.  I was thinking of starting an online project to scan them and put them on the web for all to view but can not get  enough critical mass to make it viable at this point.

Gratz for the info.

 

[reccecrewman]

There is a very knowledgeable Corporal working in the RCD archives at CFB Petawawa.  He's sitting on a mountain of military history. Try getting in contact with him by calling CFB Petawawa and requesting the RCD duty centre, and you'll get direction from there.  He is currently in the process of catalogueing old film and photos to CD-ROM, but he may be able to help you either directly himself or through one of his numerous contacts.  It's worth a shot to you.

Regards

 

[Gayson]

At the same time, it's funny how many things haven't changed much at all.

Many moons ago my mother was a member of the LSSR then later the service battalion in Thunder Bay.  It was so uncommon for women to join the military that there was a newspaper article on her when she got on a plane to begin training in Wainwright.

Anyways, she has some old pams written in the 60's.  One of them is an Infantry field book that covers just about everything infantry / combat arms relates that pertains to the field, patrolling, field craft, section attacks etc. . .

After reading through it I realized, just about everything in it I was taught on my BMQ , SQ and DP2, many of the skills written are those that I use to this day.

 

[geo]

Oddly enough, a number of reserve units have tons of old manuals in their libraries.  Libraries being real close to the bottom in some people's priorities, old manuals are rarely thrown away and the boxes of new ones are added to the pile - and sometimes, those boxes are never opened...

An alternate source would be those crusty old Sr NCOs with their personal stash of training manuals from around the world and going back through the ages...

Unfortunately, a lot of new manuals are electronic in nature and are only printed if & when needed on looseleaf - soon disgarded after use.... sigh!

 

[reccecrewman]

Oddly enough, a number of reserve units have tons of old manuals in their libraries.  Libraries being real close to the bottom in some people's priorities, old manuals are rarely thrown away and the boxes of new ones are added to the pile - and sometimes, those boxes are never opened...

It's funny you mentioned that one geo............ I remember 'C' Sqn. of the 1st Hussars in Sarnia has a PAM library up on their second floor of the Armoury they parade at.  There was a ton of old PAMS in that musty little room.

Regards

 

[Milhouser911]

At one point I catalogued the "library" in the Sr. NCO's mess at my reserve unit, only to find things as old as cavalry manuals from 1870.  I kid you not.  They've since cleaned out the bookshelf, and I'm not sure what they did with all of the old literature.  Its amazing what you find in the strangest places.