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Highlight on official records of the First World War: AWM8 - Unit Embarkation Rolls

Craig Berelle

16 March 2015

Highlight on official records of the First World War is a centenary program of posts highlighting those records created 100 years ago, why they exist and how we can help make these essential records available for research purposes.

 

Collection Item C1378976

Accession Number: RCDIG1067548

The 9th Battalion was among the first infantry units raised for the AIF during the First World War. It was the first battalion recruited in Queensland.

 

 

Function and provenance

This series comprises printed nominal rolls of individual Australian Imperial Force units and reinforcements as they embarked from Australia during the First World War.  The rolls are usually referred to as embarkation rolls, or nominal rolls as at embarkation and were printed by the Government Printer, Albert J. Mullett in Melbourne. 

It is unclear when the process of printing the rolls began, but a Defence Department report written at the end of the war notes that, “The printing of nominal rolls, as at embarkation, is steadily progressing.” (Report upon the Department of Defence, c 1919, p 217).  The same report suggests that it was planned to print 100 copies of each unit’s rolls for distribution to the AIF Headquarters abroad, Military Commandants, Commonwealth Electoral Officers, Statisticians, the Audit Office, the Red Cross Bureau, and other departments as required. 

The printed rolls were based on actual forms completed just prior to 338,609 embarkations, and retained by the Army for further reference.  Examples of these original forms can be found in AWM332, a smaller collection of embarkation rolls originally held by the AIF Base Records Section and received by the Memorial from the Central Army Records Office (CARO) in 2004.  Many of these original forms have later annotations, and show signs of extended use by the Army, including being mended or strengthened along the edges with glued-on strips of paper.   

Content

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 unit at embarkation is usually the unit in which personnel enlisted (embarked from Australia), whereas the unit recorded in the Nominal Roll reflects the final unit with which they served (and returned to Australia, unless stated otherwise). 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.

Each roll includes the dates of embarkation, the port embarked from and the ship concerned. Personal information is provided in column format under the following headings: regimental number, name, rank, age, trade or calling, married or single, address, next of kin and address, religion, date of joining, rate of pay, remarks. A detailed description of the various information fields is also available.

Some rolls are divided by unit parts, such as headquarters, companies and sections. Different parts may have different embarkation details. The rolls are principally arranged by regimental number (officers and NCOs excepted) and alphabetised within different units, sections and reinforcements. Rolls not in alphabetical order include some reinforcements, and some units and sections such as headquarters, nurses, chaplains and others.

At the base of each page is the reference number C.16602 followed by an abbreviation of the unit’s number.

9th Battalion AIF nominal roll 1914 headquarters

 

System of arrangement and control

A three-number classification system, corresponding to the classification imposed on the 1914-18 unit war diaries (AWM4), has been imposed on the series so that diaries and rolls can be cross-referenced.

The primary and secondary numbers of the embarkation roll numbers imposed here are thus the same as that of the unit's war diary, if held. The third number signifies particular embarkations (one or more) of the same unit, ‘1’ representing the original embarkation roll, other numbers equating to the rolls of subsequent reinforcements.

Where no war diary number for a particular unit was assigned originally, that unit's embarkation roll has been given the next available number on the war diary listing of the particular corps (infantry, artillery, etc.) There is no equivalent war diary to rolls with such numbers.

Using the series

The original pages on the roll approached A3 size in the modern convention, with consequent difficulties in printing. To obtain the best results for printing to A4, please reduce in your printer settings to 45% of size.

During 2003/2004 work commenced on digitising the series, which was completed (including a personal name and unit index), by early 2005. Physical access to the rolls is now restricted. To view the collection, please follow the link to the Memorial’s website page at: https://www.awm.gov.au/people/roll-search/nominal_rolls/first_world_war_embarkation/

A browse by unit function is also available.

Enquiries relating to information contained in the First World War Embarkation Rolls, 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.

 

 

 

 

Author

Craig Berelle

Last updated: 30 March 2021

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