THE AIF NOMINAL ROLL 1914-1918

Available on microfiche (AWM 133) is available at the the Australian War Memorial and many other libraries including local family history groups. A typical entry on these microfiche give the following example. BACKHOUSE, James McDonald. No. 2721. Rank Private, 13th Battalion. Date of enlistment 23/3/1916 Return to Australia 12/5/1918.

FIRST AIF
In 1993 the Australia Archives started to transfer the records of the 420,000 members of the First Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) from the Department of Defence in Melbourne to its Canberra repository at Mitchell. Address your queries to:-
First AIF Service Records Unit,
Australian Archives, PO Box 117,
Mitchell, ACT 2911, Australia

The Australian Defence Force Academy has developed a computer database of information on members of the First Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) and copies of entries may now be purchased if sufficient information is available to identify the person being researched. Write to:-

AIF Project Department of History, University College,
Australian Defence Force Academy,
Northcott Drive, Campbell, ACT 2601, Australia.
Ph. 06-2688879

The details on individuals are drawn from a number of readily available sources as follows:-

(a) EMBARKATION ROLLS - These contain the information given on the Attestation Forms signed by each member of the AIF at the time of enlistment. The following information can be found on the Embarkation Rolls:- - name - alias - address - age - religion - occupation - rank at enlistment - date of enlistment - regimental number at enlistment - Unit at enlistment - date of enlistment - details of previous military service - next of kin - next of kin's address - relationship of next of kin - date of embarkation from Australia - ship of embarkation - port of embarkation

(b) NOMINAL ROLL - The Nominal Roll adds details over and above that available from the Embarkation Rolls as follows:- - Regimental Number at end of War - Rank at end of War - Unit at end of War - decorations received - fate during the war e.g. killed in action, or wounded in action - date of fate (c) DECORATIONS - The Australian War Memorial has details of decorations as follows:- - Award - date of promulgation - circumstances to conferral (d) PROMOTIONS - Promotions at the commissioned level are available from the Army Lists. They include details such as:- - new Rank - date of promotion Minimal details are available for non-commissioned officers.

(e) ROLL OF HONOUR CIRCULARS - In an effort to obtain details for the official Roll of Honour and also for the writing of Official Unit Histories, the Government sent out questionnaires in the 1920's and 1930's to the next of kin of those members who had died during the War or whose death up to 1921 was attributable to the War. The Roll of Honour is the bronze tablets that line the colonnades of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. - place of birth - age when arriving in Australia if born outside Australia - school - other training - occupation - previous military service - place where killed or wounded - age at death - Biographical details - details of any relatives in the AIF who were killed or who distinguished themselves

(f) POST WAR DEATHS - Details for those who died after the 1921 cutoff date for the Nominal Roll, and whose death was attributable to the War, can be found in the records of the Office of War Graves. Details are available as follows:- - Date of death - age at death - place of burial/cremation - recorded in Garden of Remembrance

LOCAL WAR MEMORIALS
Nearly every town or suburb in Australia has a memorial to our war veterans.  Some list just the dead, some list those who served and returned home. It is also likely that these have been indexed by the local Family History Group in the district where your where from. War Memorials are visited by members of the local community on Anzac Day (25 April) and Remembrance Day (11 November) each year to remember and pay respect to those who gave their all, in the fight for freedom.

Milton Township Memorial
Woy Woy War Memorial and the Woy Woy Soldiers Memorial Park
 
WW1 SERVICEMEN ENLISTMENT AND SERVICE RECORDS
Great information on your family members can be obtained for their enlistment records.
Such as Full surname and given names, Any known alias, Service number, Army unit and/or battalion, Age on enlistment, Place of birth, Date of enlistment, Place of enlistment, Next-of-kin, Marital status at time of enlistment, Distinctive physical marks (e.g. scars, birthmarks, tattoos, etc.), Date wounded or killed, Date returned to Australia. For more details see the Australia Archives

WAR GRAVES
Did you know that if you have a relative or friend buried in a War Cemetery in Europe, it is possible to obtain information and photographs of those graves. There are 70 War Graves Commission cemeteries in Australia. In Australia the Office of the Australian War Graves maintains 11,416 war graves. About half of these are in war cemeteries and the rest are scattered across 900 different civil cemeteries.
There are major war cemeteries containing the graves of Commonwealth service personnel located near all capital cities except Canberra. They may also contain some limited numbers of Allied and enemy military dead. There are 250 graves at the German Military cemetery at Tatura in Victoria and 523 graves at the Japanese War cemetery at Cowra in New South Wales. The Office holds burial details of all Australian war dead of World War I, the Commonwealth war dead of World War II and Australian war dead in Korea, Malaya and Vietnam.
Inquiries can be directed to:- Department of Veteran's Affairs.  Office of Australian War Graves.  P.O Box 21 Woden ACT. 2606.  Full surname and given names (this information is essential). Or visit their web site - Office of Australian War Graves - to obtain commemorative details of those who died in war time.

WAR GRAVES AT YPRES BELGUIM
Johan Moors a World War 1 researcher from Belgium. For the moment I'm doing a lot of research for Australians, New Zealanders,Irish, Canadians and British to locate their family members who were killed during the Great War in the Ypres Salient.

Any relative who fought in my country during the WW1, he would be glad the locate him and sent you a picture of his headstone. This is free of charge. The only thing he would like in return is his picture.
Why? If the picture is of good quality then he plastify it and place it next into the cemetrey register next to his name. This way the thousands of tourists who visit these cemeteries can see who's really buried there and do not just see the lonely, sad stone. If you have more questions do not hesitate to contact Joahan

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL.
The Australian War Memorial in Canberra can supply photographs of service personnel who died on active service from the Boer War to the Vietnam conflict. The Memorial also holds many photographs of returned personnel. Contact: Records of Military Ancestors, Australian War Memorial Canberra. Also available at Canberra are Facilites for researchers along with the Journal of the Australian War Memorial which is available on line. Official Records:- AWM 133, Nominal roll of Australian Imperial Force - AWM 144 Roll of Honour cards - AWM 8 Unit embarkation nominal rolls - AWM 9 Unit roll books - AWM 140 Official Historian's biographical index cards - AWM 140 Official Historian's other research - Unit history - AWM 131 Roll of Honour circulars- AWM 4 War Diaries

WORLD WAR I (1914 - 1918)
Australian War Stories.
Anzacs: ANZAC Officers Killed At Gallipoli
Milton Ulladulla
 
MORE RESOURCES
Australian Military Statistics - Personnel Serving aboard
460 Squadron RAAF
"G for George" - Famous Lancaster from 460 Squadron RAAF in the Australian War Memorial.
World War II Links
Australian War Memorial Photgraph on line Database*****A  GREAT SITE *****

Another resource you might want to add for your war records is the RAAF Museum internet site at www.raafmuseum.com.au . This has information on the Musuem located at Point Cook in Victoria. It will also have information on the various units and aircraft eventually.
 

• BOOKS AND PRINTED RECORDS
• Eric Dermott-Powell, 23 Crump St., Mortdale, NSW, Australia has produced a collection of books about our soldiers and airmen who were killed in action and buried overseas. They give pocket biographies of each person. Send $5.00 to Eric for a catalogue.
• "How to Trace Your Military Ancestors in Australia and New Zealand" by R.H. Montague is another good reference book. It gives the AJCP film numbers covering the actual records for pay and musters, etc.
• CEW Bean - The Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918
• AG Butler - The Official History of the Australian Army Medical Services in the War 1914-1918
• Unit Histories
• Newspapers
• Biographics and memoir
• Who's Who in Australia
• Australian Dictionary of Biography
• Commemorative books
• The Australian Encyclopaedia
• Australian Army Nursing Service, AIF Seniority lists
• The War Graves of the British Empire, 1914-1918
• The War Memorials of the British Empire 1914-1918
• Commonwealth of Australia Gazette
• The London Gazette
• AWM classification subject catalogue
• Troopship serials - Unit serials
• Australian Imperial Force Staff, Regimental and Gradation List of Officers
• Casualty lists
• The Navy List
• Newspaper cuttings collection

  WORLD WAR II
  Inquiries about World War II and more recent campaigns should be addressed to:-
  SCMA Medals Section, 360 St. Kilda Road, VIC 3004, Australia. The Service Records of veterans of World War II are held in various States or in the ACT. Hence the best approach to access these records is to write to the following:-

  Army Records Australian Archives GPO Box 4325PP, Melbourne, VIC 3001

  RAAF/NAVY Records Australian Archives, PO Box 34, Dickson, ACT 2602,

   

  MEDALS The Defence Department handles inquiries about medals. RAAF ASSOCIATION VICTORIA 45 Cromwell Rd., South Yarra, VIC 3141. Ph. 03-98268573 or 03-98268574	DISCHARGED PERSONNEL RECORDS - RAAF Discharged Personnel Records, Air Force Office, Department of Defence, PO Box E33, Queen Victoria Terrace, Canberra, ACT 2600. Ph. 067-2656200
  VETERANS' AFFAIRS You can access family history information from the Veterans' Affairs Department, however you would need to do it under The Freedom of Information Act 1982. The Department only holds the records of those ex-service personnel who sought a pension or treatment from the Department. An application for a Freedom of Information request will cost you $30.00.

  NEW ZEALAND
  An index to New Zealanders who served in other forces during World War I is available from:-Guthrigg Genealogy, PO Box 114, Ringwood, VIC 3134, Australia
  at a cost of $11.00 including postage. It list more than 2,700 people and gives:-
  - name
  - rank
  - force/unit
  - next of kin

  ANZAC DAY  MESSAGE.

  In the words of  Mr Ted Mathew (d. 1997) Australia's last surviving ANZAC - "The whole point of ANZAC day has been lost. It's not for old diggers to remember, it's for survivors to warn young people against romaticising war."

   
  Lest we Forget
  We Shall remember them