Information sheets

Records of service in forces of other countries

Canada
New Zealand
South Africa
United States
United Kingdom
Other countries

Addresses of organisations to contact regarding personal service records.

Websites are listed if available: some of these provide information about applications for records, costs, contacts for medals, graves, tracing veterans, etc.

Canada

Personnel Records Unit
National Archives of Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa ONTARIO K1A ON3

First World War attestation papers are available online from the National Archives of Canada website.

New Zealand

Pre-1920 records

Archives New Zealand
PO Box 12-050
Wellington. NEW ZEALAND
Website: http://www.archives.govt.nz

War (Archives New Zealand Reference Guide 3)

Post-1920 records

Personnel Archives
NZ Defence Force
Trentham Camp
Private Bag 905
Upper Hutt. NEW ZEALAND
Fax: 04 527 5275

Military personnel records and medals

Details of new Zealanders who have died in conflicts from South Africa (Boer War) to East Timor can be found on the Cenotaph database. The Cenotaph Database is primarily a roll of honour of those who died as a result of war service, but also includes some personnel who have died since.

South Africa

1881–1902

SA Defence Force Archives
Private Bag X615
Pretoria . SOUTH AFRICA 0001

The SA Defence Force Archives are not open to the public, but you may write to obtain information.

First and Second World Wars

Documentation Service Directorate
Private Bag X 289
Pretoria . SOUTH AFRICA 0001

You need permission from the person concerned or from the eldest living relative to obtain information from these records.

United States

National Archives & Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
WASHINGTON DC 20408

United Kingdom

The Imperial War Museum provides some useful online information sheets on their Family History page

Post-1920

Ministry of Defence Veterans’ Agency provides addresses to contact for post-1920 records for each service.

Pre-1920 records

The National Archives
Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 4DU
United Kingdom

Phone: +44 (0) 20 8876 3444
Email: enquiry@nationalarchives.gov.uk

Merchant Navy

PORT Maritime Information Gateway research guides

Other countries

Some other countries are listed on the contacts page of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs World War 2 nominal roll database.

Enquiries concerning a veteran of another country’s armed forces may be directed to the embassy or consulate of that country. Addresses can be found in the telephone directory.

First World War additional resources for records information:

Christina K. Schaefer, The Great War: a guide to the service records of all the world’s fighting men and volunteers (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing ,1998). (Research Centre Reading Room R940.3 S)

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