When doing research on military ancestors, start with the Auckland War Memorial Museum’s Online Cenotaph. It is a living memorial of New Zealanders involved in peacekeeping and conflicts from the 1840s onwards. Here you will see civilian and service information, including community contributions, and the service number of your relative.
For those in military service prior to 1920, there may be an external link in the SOURCES section at the base of individual records. This leads to a scanned personnel file (where available) on Archives New Zealand's website.
Archives New Zealand holds service personnel records prior to 1920.
For those in military service after 1920, use the service number from Online Cenotaph to apply for personnel records from the NZDF Personnel Archives.
Once you have a copy of the soldier’s service record, there are a number of excellent avenues for further research, including the book collections in your local library. Use these resources to delve into specific family stories and find out about military history at the time of their service.
For further online searching, explore the websites below:
- Your family's military history | Te Tira Ahu Ika A Whiro Veterans' Affairs New Zealand
- Ngā Mauhanga Whawhai War records | Archives New Zealand
- Ngā Toi a Tū War art | Archives New Zealand
- Family History | National Army Museum
- War Memorial | Auckland War Memorial Museum
- Torpedo Bay Navy Museum | Royal New Zealand Navy Museum
- Research | Air Force Museum of New Zealand
- 28 Māori Battalion | Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa New Zealand Government
- Heritage Material NZ Sappers | Engineer Corps Memorial Centre
- Manawatū Heritage | Palmerston North City Library
- Archive Search | Ian Matheson City Archives
- New Zealand at War | NZ History
- New Zealand Army Nursing Service in the First World War | NZ History
- The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War | War History Project NZETC, Victoria University of Wellington [archived]
- Dictionary of New Zealand Biography | Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
