Personal service records can be requested via the National Archives of Australia’s (NAA) RecordSearch database. You can locate the details of the service record by searching the database using the individual’s name and service number, and follow the grey request buttons.

Information Needed to Apply

To obtain a personal service record, the individual’s full name is required. Please also supply as much as you know of the following:

• Name of service
• Service number and/or rank
• Unit/s served
• Place enlisted
• Place and date of birth
• Next of kin at time of service

If a soldier saw service in both the First and the Second World Wars, the record has usually been amalgamated in the Second World War service record.

What’s in World War 1 Service Records?

The records created by the Army during WWI typically comprise the following set of documents including the enlistment papers, the service and casualty forms,  and any military correspondence between the Department of Defence and the soldier’s next-of-kin.

Search by Name to Find a Service Record

All World War I service records have been digitised and are available to view online. Using NameSearch you can quickly find the service records of particular individuals. You can also browse service records by place of birth or enlistment through Mapping our Anzacs.

The National Archives is only authorised to give access to records that are more than 30 years old.

For wider research, you may also want to consult National Archives records about defence administration and policy or unit, operational and administrative records held by the Australian War Memorial.