Te Pakanga Tuarua o te Ao 1939-1945

World War 2 1939-1945

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 Some items may include medical details, graphic images and language now considered outdated or offensive.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

During World War 2, about 105,000 men and women from New Zealand served overseas with the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF).

Over 11,000 New Zealanders died, including almost 7,000 who died on active service. Nearly 16,000 New Zealanders were wounded.

Check different spellings of surnames as these were sometimes 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.

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

What’s digitised

Open-access records that have been digitised can be found on Collections search.

What you can find

We have a variety of WW2 records. These are mostly Army records, and some Air Force (RNZAF) and Navy (RNZN) records, such as:

• embarkation rolls, diaries, statements

• Māori Battalion – 28th New Zealand Battalion records

• NZ Home Guard records

• photographic collections and maps

• files about prisoners of war and internees.

Different offices have different records. For more details, read our information about browsing the archives below.

For detailed official accounts, see the Official War Histories published by the War History Branch online at NZ Electronic Text Collection.

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.

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 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.

To access some of our WW2 records, you’ll need to use the Advanced search process. This is explained in our guide to advanced searching and filtering.

The War History Branch card index in the Wellington register room is a useful guide to finding some World War 2 records.

If you can’t find something or it’s restricted, then contact us. We can help you find out what records a specific archive has, and how to access them.

The New Zealand Defence Force holds all World War 2 personnel files. Contact them to gain access.

The records contain information for personal and professional researchers, such as a person’s movements, promotions, punishments and medals received, their health and other personal information. For more information, check out what's in a personnel file? (PDF 611KB).

‘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.

• Victoria Cross (VC) and other bravery awards [AAYS 8665 records 1 to 93 and AALJ 18806].

• Rolls and citations [ADQZ 18886 records with prefix DA 409].

• Awards made to New Zealanders — including decorations given by other governments [AAYS 8638 former archives AD1, subseries 248/ and 323/].

• Nominal list of ‘unclaimed commemorative scrolls for those who died on active service’ [AAYS 20193].

• Merchant Navy war medals card index [ABPL 7461 boxes 47 to 49].

Note: the term ‘conscientious objector’ applies to both military service and to Trade Union membership. All personal files of conscientious objectors and military defaulters are restricted for 100 years from the date of birth of the individual concerned.

All National Service Department files are held in our Wellington archive.

• Personal files (Auckland/Northland) [AEJC 18892 — restricted

• Special Tribunal appeal registers (Auckland) [AEJC 19018] — restricted

• Personal files (Canterbury) [AEJH 18946] — restricted

• Appeals registers, other files (Dunedin) [AEJI 18953]

• Personal files (Waikato) [AEJD 18948] — restricted

• Personal files (Hutt District) [AEJF 18947] — restricted

• Personal files (Wellington) [AEJG 18952] — restricted.

• Discipline, detention, imprisonment, deserters (mostly general, some individual files) [AAYS 8638, former archives AD1, subseries 310/ boxes 1290 to 1292].

• Conscientious Objectors – Military training [ACGV 8823] — restricted until 100 years from date of closure.

• Courts Martial 1916 to 1987 (Note: WW2 files of courts martial are not publicly listed on Collections search) [ABOO 25419] — restricted indefinitely.

Embarkation and disembarkation rolls usually include name, number, rank, occupation, unit, conjugal status, place of enlistment, last New Zealand address, name and address of next-of-kin. Some are organised by brigade or a similar level unit. Records are arranged by date range in [AAYS 8657].

Embarkation rolls may be found elsewhere in several departments’ records:

• nominal rolls – 2NZEF 1940 to 1942 [AAYO W3120 box 1, parts 2 to 9]

• [AAYS 8638 subseries 349/]

• [ADQZ 18886 – keyword embarkation roll]

• soldiers returning from overseas 1940 to 1941 – nominal rolls [ADBO 16141 record 11/6/14 R17490019] — restricted.

Formed in mid-1940, the New Zealand Home Guard became a part of the Army in August 1941. This was formalised in early 1942 but wound down in late 1943 when the Japanese threat eased. At its peak the NZ Home Guard involved around 123,000 men. We hold some records but no full rolls:

• various files, mostly administration [AAYS 8638 subseries 281/ and 304/]

• appointment to commissions, rolls of officers, and so on [ADQZ 18899 subseries 13/7/ and 13/12/]

• civilian narratives including Home Guard [AAQZ 18912 subseries 21/].

• Personnel files – duplicates of the originals held by NZDF Archives [ABFK 18805 Accession W3629] — restricted.

• Unit diaries [ADQZ 18886 records DA 68/1/7 to DA 68/1/73] — use WAII card indexes in our Wellington register room to identify specific date range for each diary.

• Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu, VC personnel file [AAAL 18806 record D. 202/12196 R23523709], posthumous award of VC [ACGO 8333, records 171/70/4, 171/70/5 part 1, 171/70/5 part 2, 171/70/6].

Other material for the 28th Māori Battalion is with Māori Affairs, External Affairs and Army department files.

We hold a variety of WW2 maps and plans from the Second World War Archives ADQZ (formerly WAII), including:

• major series of maps [ADQZ 18904]

• plans from Dr Douglas Kennedy [PACB 7375] — similar but not identical to others in [ADQZ 18904]

• Italy and North Africa (74 maps) [PACB 7375].

• El Alamein, Monte Cassino and Field Medical Service [PACB 7376]

• allied garrison at Tobruk [AABK W4471 part 1] — digitised.

Most medical records of the 2NZEF, including official reports, operational unit records, medical narratives and medical unit diaries, are collected into one archive series [ADQZ 18903].

Our nursing files cover WW2 and J-Force (Japan, 1946 to 1948). These are mainly unit histories and administrative files, but some files include details of individual nurses [AAYS 8682 items 33 to 41].

Our archives include World War 2 photographic collections, including 2 major series of WW2 in the Pacific.

• Official photographs taken by RNZAF photographers in NZ and the Pacific [ADQA 17263 – albums and photographs].

• Semi-official and private photographs in the Pacific, mostly Army (2NZEF) but also some Navy (RNZN) [ADQZ 18905].

Smaller photographic collections include:

• Māori in armed forces (includes Māori Battalion, Vietnam and Singapore) [AAMK W3495 items 23f-23q]

• Women at War [AAUR W3263 box 1 item a]

• NZ Patriotic Fund Board – Photographs: WW2 and after [AAYO 25284].

Works Department Official War History, including:

• list of photos [ADQZ 18912 record 128 part 1] — also copied as Appendix L in Army Department list [ARNZ 22499 record AD part 6]

• photographs [ADQZ 18912 record 128, parts 1 to 4].

Photographs can also be found by using the World War 2 subject card index in Wellington.

Other institutions, such as the Alexander Turnbull Library and service museums, hold significant collections of WW2 photographs.

For more information on finding photographs in our archives see our Photography research guide.

Records relating to New Zealanders include:

• Prisoner of War section – London [ADQZ 18899 box 21]

• Questionnaires filled out in 1947 by ex-prisoners of war and ex-internees [ADQZ 18902 boxes 50 to 53]

• Casualties: Prisoners of War in enemy hands [AAYS 8638 subseries 339/]

• Evacuation (includes prisoners of war) [AAYS 8638 subseries 357]

• NZ Missing and POW Agency civilian internees (including merchant seamen) card index 1939 to 1945 [AAYS 8666 item 41 R21078979]

• Allied prisoners of war and civilians in enemy territory [ACIE 8798 subseries 88]

• Civilian internees and evacuees [ACGO 8333 subseries 171]

• Major Kippenberger’s Personal Files 1945 to 1954: ex-prisoners of war April 1949 to November 1950 [ACGO 8399 box 2 item 9 R16948747]

• 2NZEF members reported missing and prisoners of war 1941 to 1957 [ADBO 16141 record 11/6/21 R17490023] — restrictions may apply

• Grants to New Zealand ex-prisoners of war [ADBO 16141 record 11/6/38] — restrictions may apply.

• Prisoner of War Camp – Featherston [ADQZ 18899 boxes 22 to 26].

• Internment Camp – Somes Island 1939 to 1945 [ADQZ 18899 boxes 27 to 33].

• Various files [8798 subseries 87/ and subseries 89/] — restrictions may apply.

We have limited records on rehabilitation and pensions post-WW2.

Former servicemen’s rehabilitation files listed by name [AADK 20203] — restrictions may apply.

Some servicemen, notably those suffering from shell-shock, spent time in the Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer Springs. See our Mental Health research guide for information.

Minutes and correspondence of the Rehabilitation Board [AATK] and the Rehabilitation Department [AATL].

Pensions and other payments, and assistance for personnel who returned to New Zealand, Niue, Rarotonga, and adjacent islands [ADBO 16141 subseries 11/].

The War History Branch card catalogue (located in the Wellington register room) provides a means of accessing World War 2 and J-Force (Japan) records by subject.

Unit diaries of the 2NZEF were originally collected to provide material for New Zealand’s Official War Histories.

You can see a list of these diaries — listed under the unit name — in Volumes 4 and 5 in the Wellington reading room. Some are available on microfilm.

A diary usually covers a calendar month. Use WAII card indexes in the Wellington reading room to identify specific date ranges for each diary.

• Middle East and New East unit diaries [ADQZ 18886 records DA 1 to DA 397].

• Pacific unit diaries [ADQZ 18886 records DAZ 1 to DAZ 543].

• Medical and hospital unit diaries with other material [ADQZ 18903].

Our Wellington reading room has 2 card indexes for the graves of WW2 service personnel:

• war graves index of servicemen who died overseas, arranged by place of burial [AAAC 17726]

• non-war graves index of deceased ex-service personnel (alphabetical) [AAAC 21829].

Other relevant records are:

• war graves (various formats) [ACGO 8398]

• war graves, monuments, and so on [ACGO 8333 subseries 7/]

• war pensions and war veterans’ applications, bursaries, funeral grants, registers and so on [AADK 7916] — restricted until 100 years after the death of the person documented.

Information about most war graves can be obtained from:

• Commonwealth Graves Commission website

• New Zealand Defence Force.