New Zealand Military Records

Military records identify individuals who served in any branch of the military. Evidence that an ancestor served in the military may be found in family records, biographies, census, probate, civil registration, and church records.

New Zealanders have participated in several military campaigns throughout the last century, often as a part of the British military forces. Military records provide information about a soldier’s military career such as promotions, places served, pensions, medals awarded and conduct. In addition, these records may include information about his name, age, birthplace, residence, occupation, physical description, and sometimes names of family members.

Military History Summary
British and New Zealand military units have been involved in the following military actions.

1840-1870 New Zealand Land Wars - between the white settlers and the native Maori tribes.

1899-1902 Anglo/Boer War in South Africa.

1914-1918 First World War.

1939-1945 Second World War.

For information about military campaigns which involved New Zealanders, or their ancestors who served in the British military, see:

Longley, H.G.The New Zealand Wars, 1845-1866. Published by H.G. Longley, 1967-1972. (Family History Library book Ref .)

Hughes, Hugh &amp; Lyn. Discharged in New Zealand: Soldiers of the Imperial Foot Regiments. Auckland: New Zealand Society of Genealogists. 1988. (Family History Library book .)

Additional sources and histories are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog, Locality Search, under:

NEW ZEALAND - MILITARY HISTORY

NEW ZEALAND - [ISLAND] - MILITARY HISTORY

Mossong, Verna. Mid-19th Century Irish Deserters in New Zealand. The list of Irish Deserters taken from the New Zealand Gazette of 1863, shows all those with irish birthplaces, names, army rank and muber, age, place and year of enlistment, parish and county of birth, trade, date and place of desertion. years covered 1840-1866. Article in The Irish Ancestor, vol. XI. no.1.1979. pages 4-9. Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i vol10-11

Locating Military Records
New Zealand was a British colony where British soldiers served and sometimes remained following their military service. New Zealand-born soldiers also served in British regiments stationed in New Zealand. The military records contain information on all soldiers who served in the British military.

British military records are located at several record repositories in Great Britain. Boer War records are housed at:

The National Archives (Formerly Public Record Office) Ruskin Avenue Kew, Richmond Surrey TW9 4DU England Telephone: 20 8876 3444 Internet: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

World War I and World War II records are housed at:

Army Records Centre Ministry of Defence, CS (R)2b Bourne Avenue Hayes, Middlesex UB3 1RF

Some British military records pertaining to New Zealanders are also found at Archives New Zealand  in Wellington (see New Zealand Archives and Libraries for the address).

As it is 100 years since W.W.1 started, they are uploading all the Soldiers files onto Archway New Zealand website. Google Archway New Zealand, and put in your ancestor's name. Also try the Waiouru Army Museum. Perhaps your ancestor was the Official Photographer for the Battalion he was in.

New Zealand Army Nursing Service Records, if you google that, you will see all who served. Gives the name, date, Service Number, Date of enlistment, and discharge, where they qualified, their married name.

Many of the WWI soldiers’ records were destroyed by fire during WWII. Those which survived are available on microfilm through the Family History Library, and are alphabetically arranged by surname. You will find them listed in the FamilySearch Catalog, Locality Search, under:

GREAT BRITAIN - MILITARY RECORDS - ARMY, 1914-1918

Other New Zealand and British Military records are included in the collection of the Family History Library. You will find them listed in the FamilySearch Catalog, Locality Search, under one of the following:

GREAT BRITAIN - MILITARY RECORDS

GREAT BRITAIN - MILITARY RECORDS - INDEXES

NEW ZEALAND - MILITARY RECORDS

NEW ZEALAND - MILITARY RECORDS - INDEXES

Military Records Pertaining to New Zealanders
The following collections of military records contain information pertaining to New Zealand soldiers:

Expeditionary Force Records. These are sometimes known as nominal rolls and are mostly WWI records from 1914-1919. These records include the person’s name, regiment and name of next-of-kin. Some of these records may include biographical information including education, date and place of birth, war experiences, date and place of death or burial. Most are indexed. (Family History Library films 771449-.) Also look at Archives New Zealand Website, they have records up to 1918, and the Auckland Museum Website as well for N.Z. Expeditionary Website. Some do have pictures attached.

Reservist Records. These contain names, causes of rejection (usually medical) for further service, and ballot numbers of those who served in the army reserves from 1914-1919. (Family History Library film ; -782000.)

Officers’ Returns. These are mostly pension records which contain the officer’ s name, regiment name or number, date of pension(s), name of station. (Family History Library film .)

Pension Registers. These give name, description, trade, place of birth, age, residence, marital status, if and where served abroad, which corps, date of admission as Chelsea pensioner, number or name of regiment of those who served in the New Zealand military from 1865 to 1891 (Family History Library film ; and Family History Library films.)

Roll of Honor.This is an alphabetical list of men who died in World War I, 1914-1918. This list contains only names. (Family History Library film .) Also the N.Z Army Museum www.armymuseum.co.nz/research Also www.archives.govt.nz

Nominal Rolls &amp; Casualty Lists. These records pertain to the Boer War, 1899-1902 and World War I,1914-1918. They provide the name, rank, date of casualty, regiment name or number. (Family History Library

War Medal Register. These records give the name, address, rank, corps, dates of campaigns, medals awarded, and date of issue, 1840-1875. (Family History Library .) Up to 1918, check out the Archives N.Z. website, and also the Army Museum, Waiouru.

Finding the Regiment Name or Number
In order to search military records, it is usually necessary to know the military regimental name or number. Sources and records which may provide the regimental name or number include family sources, church records, civil registration, and census records.

Knowing the town or region where your ancestor may have served at any given point during his military service can help you determine in which regiment(s) he served. The following published work may be helpful:

Kitzmiller, John M. In Search of the Forlorn Hope: A comprehensive guide to locating British regiments and their records. Manuscript Publishing Foundation. Salt Lake City, 1988. (Family History Library .)

The following British military records are indexed or are arranged alphabetically and are useful for determining a regiment name or number:

Regimental registers. These contain birth, baptism, marriage, death and burial information for soldiers and their families, for 1761-1924. These are available at:

The Family Records Centre 1 Myddelton Street London EC1R 1UW England This facility closed in March 2008, and as far as I know everything went to National Archives Kew.

The Family History Library has indexes to these records.

Many of the registers which were held at Myddleton Street in London have been put into storage and are no longer available for public use. However you can search the indexes to these registers online with various web sites eg. Ancestry also find my past. You can also place an order on our web site www.gro.gov.uk for a search of the records and the cost is £10.00 and if we cannot find an entry you get the £7.00 certificate fee refunded.

I f you wish to contact national archives to see if the records you are enquiring about have been transferred to them the email address is:

enquiry@nationalaruchives.gov.uk

Chaplain’s Returns of baptisms, marriages, and burials at stations abroad, 1796-1880. These are also available at the Family Records Centre in London. The Family History Library also indexes to these records.

Beckett’s Index of Chelsea Pensioners, 1806-1838. This is available at the Family History Library. (Family History Library.

Widows’ Pensions - Compassionate &amp; Misc. Papers, Reg., &amp; Indexes. (W.O. 25, piece nos. 3108-3125) These pertain to records of pensions for widows, for 1748-1851. Available at the Public Record Office.

Militia Attestation Returns. (W.O. 96) These records provide a roll call for the whole military establishment for 1806-1915 and arranged alphabetically. Available at the Public Record Office.

Judge Advocate General’s Office: Courts Martial: Confirmed at Home &amp; Abroad. (W.O. 93) These are indexes to W.O. 91 &amp; 92; for 1650-1922. Available at the Public Record Office.

Soldiers’ Documents: 1760-1880. (W.O. 97) - includes Canadian and other foreign regiments, 1760-1882 (mostly alphabetical by regiment up to 1869); alphabetical for the whole army from 1869-1882. The Family History Library has piece nos. 1-1279 only. The Public Records Office has also piece nos. 2172-6354; arranged alphabetically for the whole army.

Medals &amp; Awards: Meritorious Service Awards, 1846-1923. (W.O. 101, piece nos. 1-7) These are available at the Public Record Office and are indexed but are not comprehensive for the whole army.

Auckland War Museum
Has a list of Servicemen and women, who were Killed in Action for all the Wars. Google Auckland War Museum.

Mid 19th Century Irish Deserters in New Zealand
Was your ancestor Irish, and in the Forces, that came to New Zealand in the mid 1850's plus. In the New Zealand Gazette of 1863, there is a list of those with Irish birthplaces who were deserters from Her Majesty's Forces serving in New Zealand. The columns read across: Names, army rank and number, age, place and year of enlistment, parish and county of birth, trade, date and place of destertion. It is also available in The Irish Ancestor, vol. XI. no.1. 1979, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i vol.10-11 pages 4-9. Article was contributed by Verna Mossong.