Skip to main content

Te Pakanga Tuatahi o te Ao 1914-1918
World War 1 1914-1918

On this page you’ll find information about the New Zealanders who served in the armed forces overseas during World War 1, including Army personnel files, war graves, casualty rolls, decorations, pensions and other archives.

Select your language

Content warning

Archives can contain sensitive content that may be distressing. Some items may include medical details, graphic images and language now considered outdated or offensive. Take care when accessing them.

Know before you start

When World War 1 broke out on 4 August 1914, New Zealand immediately offered Britain an expeditionary force. Up until 1916, New Zealand troops were drawn from the 30,000-strong Territorial Force and volunteers. In 1916, conscription was introduced to maintain force numbers.

During World War 1 just over 100,000 troops — known as the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) — left New Zealand to serve in Samoa, Gallipoli, Sinai-Palestine, Belgium and France. More than 16,000 New Zealanders lost their lives and over 41,000 were wounded.

Check different spellings of surnames as these were often changed or incorrectly copied.

Registers and rolls are not always in exact alphabetical order.

Restricted access

To protect personal privacy, access to some files and records is restricted.

Records for defaulters, deserters and conscientious objectors are restricted until 100 years after the birth of the person documented. Contact us for access.

Court Martial files are restricted indefinitely and are only listed online after 100 years from date of file closure.

Some offices have files and registers that are over 100 years old but still restricted. Contact us to find out more.

Requesting access to restricted files

This is how you can request access to restricted records.

Contact us — Contact us and we’ll refer you to the relevant government agency.

Contact them — Get in touch with the relevant government agency to request written permission to access the records.

Access the record — When you have obtained written permission, there are 2 ways to access the record:

  • the government agency you’ve obtained permission from will organise access to the record, or

  • you will need to contact us again with your permission letter, and we will enable access to the record.

What’s digitised

All personnel files have been digitised and can be found using a name search. Open-access records that have been digitised can be found on Collections search.

What you can find

There are varied categories of World War 1 records, such as:

  • New Zealand Defence Force personnel files

  • Pioneer Māori Battalion records

  • NZ Army Nursing service papers

  • embarkation rolls, diaries, statements

  • photographic collections and maps.

Archives codes and terminology

When you use our research guidance, you might find a string of letters and numbers — for example AAYS 8665 — next to a title. These are our archival codes or references.

You can search the letters or numbers separately on Collections search. They can also be useful if you visit our reading rooms or contact us to access a record, as they help our archivists find records quickly.

The numbers and letters in the codes can represent the record’s:

  • agency code

  • series number or accession number

  • record number

  • R-number.

For help with searching — including how to use advanced searching and filtering— read our tips on how to use Collections search or ask an archivist for advice.

Some WW1 files use different archival codes beginning with letters such as WA, for example WA234. This former archives reference can also be searched in Collections search.

For more information on referencing the archives, check out the Copying and citing archives page.

Glossary and terminology

To familiarise yourself with the records terminology, check out our Definitions of archival terms guide.

Alien — someone who was not a citizen of New Zealand.

Conscientious objector — someone who objects to military service for reasons of conscience.

Browse the archives

Collections search has all of our open-access records. Restricted records are also listed, and the access organisation appears either under the record description or the series tab.

We’ve included links throughout this guide that will take you directly to the item or series on Collections search. Scroll to the bottom of that page and click on ‘Record hierarchy’ for individual R-numbers (item codes). These are useful for ordering items to view at the relevant reading room.

You might not be able to access everything online. Many records have been digitised, but if they aren’t, you’ll need to visit the reading room they’re held in to access them.

You can also use the former archives references listed on this guide combined with keywords or record numbers to search for relevant records.

To access some of our WW1 records, you’ll need to use the advanced search process. This is explained in our guide to advanced searching and filtering. Searching within accessions is not currently possible. Please fill out the Ask an archivist form for assistance with this.

If you can’t find something or it’s restricted, then contact us. We can help you find and access it.

Search NZDF personnel files

Search our database of all known New Zealanders that served in World War One using the DigitalNZ search below.

World War 1 personnel files

We hold New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel files for all known New Zealanders who served in World War 1. The original files are restricted for preservation reasons, but we’ve digitised over 140,000 individual records. These digital versions are open to view and download.

To find WW1 personnel files, you can search by name or service number in Collections search.

Aliens

‘Aliens’ (non-New Zealanders) were classed as ‘an enemy’ during World War 2. You can find our archives for aliens in our Citizenship research guide.

Casualties

Our records of World War 1 casualties include:

  • casualty forms – Active Service c1915 to 1919 should include every soldier killed overseas. Similar to personnel files, these may also include extra death and burial information [AABK 519]

  • First NZ Expeditionary Force Roll of Honour 1914 to 1918 — published official roll of casualties [8658 item 14 R19134064], MICRO 3503

  • active-service casualty rolls compiled during WW1 [AAYS 8658]

  • index to casualties 1914 to 1918 [AAYS 8658 item 10 R19134059], MICRO 3539

  • registers of casualties 1915 to 1920 [WA234 items 6 to 19]

  • registers of wounded soldiers (incomplete) [AABK 7738]

  • register of soldiers treated at Wellington Hospital 1916 to 1919 [ABRR 6910].

Decorations and Awards

Our records mostly relate to the more notable decorations and awards of World War 1, such as the Victoria Cross, Military Medal, Distinguished Service Order, and decorations awarded by non-British governments to members of the NZEF.

Defaulters, Deserters and Conscientious Objectors

Note: To search for records beginning ‘AD’ (a former Archives reference) search AD plus the record number, for example ‘AD1’ and record number (RN) ‘10/*’.

  • Courts Martial[ABOO 25419] — These files are listed publicly on Collections search after 100 years. They are restricted indefinitely.

  • Territorial Forces files on ‘defaulters and shirkers’ [AD1/10/* — advanced search former archives reference ‘AD1’ and record number ‘10/*’].

  • Returns of religious objectors 1913 to 1921, 9 records [advanced search former archives ‘AD1’ and record number ‘10/22/13’, then 10/22/14 and so on through to 10/22/21].

  • Courts Martial and Courts of Enquiry [AD1/22* — advanced search former archives reference ‘AD1’ and record number ‘22*’ and keywords ‘courts martial’].

  • Courts Martial and Courts of Enquiry [AD1/22* — advanced search former archives reference ‘AD1’ and record number ‘22*’ and keywords ‘courts martial’ in the name field].

  • Deserters and defaulters [AD2 14/184 — advanced search former archives reference ‘AD2’ and record number ‘14/184’].

  • Individual personnel files concerning disciplinary action, 20 records [AD10 5/1 to 5/20 — advanced search former archives reference ‘AD10’ and record number ‘5/1’, then 5/2, and so on through to 5/20].

  • Prosecutions and exemptions [AD19 108/3 to 108/216 — advanced search former archives reference ‘AD19’ and record number ‘108/3’, then 108/4, and so on through to 108/216] — R100.

  • Employment — religious objectors on experimental farms 1918 to 1920 [AD78 70/1/2].

  • Recruiting Board and religious objectors — 1917 to 1918 [former archives reference ‘AD82’ and record number ‘1/23, 1/33, 1/33/1, 1/33/2’].

  • Lists of deserters August 1918 to March 1919, 5 records [former archives reference ‘AD82’ and record number ‘14/2/1’ through to ‘14/2/5’].

  • Discharges from camp — religious objectors 1917 to 1919 [AD83 R 9/1].

Diaries & Statements

We hold some diaries, statements and reports from operations by New Zealand Expeditionary Force units in Europe and the Middle East. The records include some personal diaries and statements [ACID 17625]. See unit diaries below for each unit’s daily journal.

Maps

Maps — when used in combination with other material such as unit diaries — are useful to trace the movements of an individual or unit. These include:

Nominal Embarkation Rolls NZ Expeditionary Force 1914-1919

Army Department embarkation rolls for the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force (1NZEF) — arranged by unit, listing personnel by rank first, then alphabetically — are held on microfilm, and in Army and War department records. Microfilm numbers appear in the Collections search listing [AAYS 8657 items 1 to 8].

Nominal and alphabetical rolls 1914 to 1919 [advanced search former archives reference ‘WA234’].

Rolls and lists for specific sections for New Zealanders serving in Australian units, NZ officers in British units, nurses and the Pioneer Māori Battalion [AAYS 8638 particularly subseries 10].

New Zealand Army Nursing Service

Nurse service records are included with all military service records.

  • Nominal roll of nurses serving with NZEF [AAYS 8638 record 10/231 R22429533].

  • New Zealand Army Nursing Service papers 1910 to 1924 [AAYS 68682 items 1 to 32] — mostly administrative records with some information on individual nurses, for example Hospital Ships 1915 to 1919 [AAYS 8682 item 4 R21079043] names individual nurses.

Pensions

There are few files about individual war pensions apart from 2 series listing applications:

General correspondence files include some names:

  • War pensions for WW1 servicemen W20 to W313 [ABDO 16143].

Photographs

Our archives include collections of World War 1 photographs:

  • Gallipoli Campaign, by Sergeant Jack Hilliard [ACID 24609] — permission is required for copies

  • embarkation, wounded (graphic images) and women’s war effort in Britain [ACID 17625]

  • Bravery Medal recipients from 1920s Dominion Museum exhibition [AALZ 902and AALZ 25044]

  • NZEF in France 1917 to 1918 by the official photographer, mostly group portraits — a list of print numbers includes brief descriptions [AALZ 901]. Many of these photographs are also in the F D Thomson papers [ABHT W3920]

  • soldiers overseas, cemeteries and so on [ACGO 8398].

Other photo collections include:

For more information on our photograph archives see our Photography research guide.

Pioneer Māori Battalion

Pioneer Māori Battalion WW1 records include:

Other records include the NZ Māori Contingent numerical roll, registration roll for Māori contingent, nominal roll, routine orders and unit records listed on Collections search. Advanced search former archives reference ‘WA97’ and keywords ‘registration roll’ or ‘routine orders’.

Further records of the Pioneer Māori Battalion may be found in Māori Affairs and Army department records. Our Māori research guides have more information.

Rehabilitation of soldiers after World War 1

Some servicemen suffering from shell-shock (now known as post-traumatic stress disorder) and other wartime injuries were sent to Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer. For more information, see our Mental health research guide — many of these records are restricted access.

After the war, the government tried to help rehabilitate soldiers back into civilian life. The land settlement scheme provided cheap land for soldiers who wanted farms, and loans to help finance the purchases. About 9,500 soldiers were settled but the land was often marginal, and considerable hardship and failure resulted. Some Army and Lands and Survey Department records provide information on the government’s efforts to rehabilitate soldiers after World War 1:

  • Army Department [AAYS 8638 — subseries 358/ & 359/]

  • register of returned soldiers holdings 1916 to 1930 [ACGT 18460]

  • land for settlement [ACGT 18190 — subseries 21/]

  • soldiers’ advances [ACGT 18190— subseries 26/].

Auckland archives include:

  • registers of applications for financial assistance — discharged soldiers 1919 to 1923 [BAAZ 4698]

  • register of discharged soldiers’ leases (A to M) 1921 to 1922 [BAAZ 1133]

  • land tenure files – discharged soldiers’ leases [BAIE 1177— record number prefix DS].

Reservist Rolls

Lists of reservists were drawn up by ballot under the Military Service Act of 1916:

  • numerical lists, organised by ballot [AAYS 8658, items 1 to 8] — available on microfilm

  • index (alphabetical) to the lists of reservists [AAYS 8658 item 9 — MICRO 3533].

The above lists have no address of residence at ballot time. However, the New Zealand Gazette November 1916 to September 1918 notified the names of those called up, arranged by recruiting district, with addresses included.

Medical examiners assessed men on a 4-point scale:

  • A – Fit for service

  • B – Requiring further training or treatment

  • C – Fit for Home Service only

  • D – Unfit for service.

Unit Diaries

Each unit has its own series number (formerly listed as WA1 to WA252) and can be found in Collections search.

Access the paper listings

Once you’ve identified the unit you’re searching for, do an advanced search of former archives reference and the keyword ‘diary’. For example, to find the Canterbury Mounted Rifles war diaries, you should search for former archives reference ‘WA43’ and the keyword ‘diary’.

These records include routine orders and information on the activities and movements of the unit. Individuals are rarely mentioned by name.

War Graves, funeral grants, burials and pensions

War graves

Our Wellington reading room has card indexes of the graves of World War 1 servicemen:

  • War Graves branch files [ACGO 8333, subseries 32/]

  • non-war graves card index of WW1 servicemen who died after the war [AAAC 21829].

Information about the war graves of most soldiers who died on active duty during WW1 can be obtained from other institutions such as:

Pensions and funeral grants for ex-servicemen