First World War Embarkation Roll Introduction

The First World War Embarkation Roll consists of nominal rolls of some 330,000 personnel of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and the Army component of the Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) as they embarked for overseas service during the First World War. The Embarkation Roll includes the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) and the Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train (RANBT). The rolls do not include those who elisted but did not serve overseas, nor reinforcements that were formed overseas.

Background

The embarkation roll was created by indexing the Official Records series AWM8, Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914–18 War. You can search the embarkation roll using name, service number, name of the ship embarked upon and/or place of embarkation. Attached to the embarkation roll entries are digitised images of the original embarkation rolls. For further information about details contained within the rolls, consult the detailed description.

Browse by unit

To browse the digitised images of AWM8, Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914–18 War follow browse by unit from the search screen.

The Embarkation Rolls are arranged primarily by original unit and any subsequent periodical reinforcements. Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers are usually ordered by rank and listed before other ranks which can be ordered either by service number or alphabetically by surname. In addition, there may also be a sub-unit breakdown into headquarters, companies or sections.

Errors & Omissions

The data included in these rolls is only as accurate as the source data recorded at the time the rolls were compiled. As a result, there are several errors of fact and omissions. Sometimes an alias may have been used, a surname incorrectly spelt or an age incorrectly recorded or given by the individual. Some names have been omitted entirely.

The authoritative source of information on individual service men and women is the personal service record. Copies of First World War service records can be obtained from the National Archives of Australia.

Coverage

The Memorial’s Unit Embarkation Rolls are not complete. As far as is known, no complete set exists. Other incomplete sets are held by:

Search Tips

For many names, searching by surname is the most effective search. If this approach produces too long a list of names, try searching using the person’s first name and surname e.g. Alfred Jones.

Advanced search

The Advanced search allows you to search the First World War Embarkation roll using service number, ship embarked on and place of embarkation

Service number:

Searching using service number is useful for narrowing down searches on common names that have retrieved many records. The service number can be used to distinguish your individual.

Exceptions: Officers and nursing sisters were not allotted service numbers in the First World War. Also in the First World War service numbers were not unique. It was quite possible for eighty or ninety soldiers to have the same number.

Ship name:

The name of the ship an individual embarked on can be used to narrow down searches on common names that have retrieved many records. You can also produce a list of all those who sailed on particular ships.

Place of embarkation:

The place of embarkation can be used to narrow down searches on common names that have retrieved many records. You can also produce a list of all those who embarked from particular ports.

Personnel usually embarked from one of the major cities around Australia such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart or Fremantle. Many personnel were transferred interstate by train, so the place of embarkation does not necessarily indicate the state from which they originated.

Further information

Enquiries relating to information contained in the First World War Embarkation Roll, including corrections, should be directed to the Research Centre.

For more information on researching servicemen and servicewomen who participated in the First World War, see the information sheet Researching Australian military service: First World War.