Service dossiers and enlistment applications

The service personnel dossiers of men and women who served during World War I are held in series B2455. The table below lists this series as well as another useful series containing applications to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force.

Collection references

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	First Australian Imperial Forces personnel dossiers (World War I service records)*	1914–20	B2455
	Applications to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force	1915–18	MT1486/1

What’s in World War I service records?

World War I service records usually contain the following documents:

• attestation paper – the attestation paper was completed by the person on enlistment and normally gives next-of-kin, employment details, marital status, age, place of birth and physical description
• service and casualty form – this form, known as ‘Form B103’, shows movements and transfers between units, promotions, when and how the soldier was injured and where treatment was received 
• military correspondence – correspondence between the Department of Defence and the soldier’s next-of-kin may include notification of wounds or death, awards and medals and questions about the whereabouts of the serviceman or woman

Defence service records do not contain detailed information about the actions and battles the person was involved in, nor do they contain a day-by-day account of their life in the services. To find more records about a person’s service, see Fact Sheet 177 – Defence service records for World War I and World War II.

Find and view a World War I service record online

All World War I service records (series B2455) have been digitised and are available to view online. Using NameSearch you can quickly find the service records of particular individuals. You can also browse service records by place of birth or enlistment through Mapping our Anzacs.

NameSearch

1. Go to NameSearch.
2. Enter the family name of the service person – make sure it is the name used at enlistment.
3. Select ‘World War I’ from the dropdown menu. 
4. Search.
5. Display the results of your search. If there are too many, you can refine this search result, and then enter the person’s given names and/or service number. 
6. Use the link to ‘View digital copy’. You can also print a copy of the record.

Mapping our Anzacs

1. Go to Mapping our Anzacs.
2. Using the maps, or one of the other search options, find an individual's details.
3. Click on the thumbnail image of the file to view the complete service record.
4. Use the 'print' button to print the entire file.
5. For detailed instructions click on the question mark to view the help page.

Purchase a colour print copy

You can purchase a colour print copy of a World War I service record. First locate the entry for the record using NameSearch (see above). When you have found the entry, use the ‘Request copy’ button, then order and pay online using our secure eCommerce facility.

A colour print copy costs:

• AU$25 (including GST) for purchases within Australia
• AU$28 (GST-free) for purchases made outside Australia

The copy will be mailed to you in a presentation folder within 30 days of your paid request being received. An information sheet to help you interpret the abbreviations and terminology used in the records will also be included in the folder. 

View an original record

You can view a World War I service record in the National Archives Canberra reading room.

To view an original record, please contact us at least 5 working days in advance so we can ensure it is available.

Medals

Information about medal entitlements is available from:

Defence Honours and Awards
T–1–49, Department of Defence
Canberra ACT 2600

Tel: 1800 111 321
Email: honoursandawards@defence.gov.au
Website: www.defence.gov.au/medals

Further information

For more information on Army records see:

• Sources of information about military service 
• Army service records 
• Defence service records for WWI and WWII

You can also browse one of our other fact sheets on defence, armed services and war.