Records of Australian servicemen and women who served in World War I in the first Australian Imperial Force (AIF) are preserved in the National Archives. The collection of first AIF personnel dossiers includes records of service in the:

• First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF)
• Australian Flying Corps (AFC) – the predecessor of the RAAF
• Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) – the combined force despatched in August 1914 to neutralise German New Guinea
• Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train (RANBT) – formed to assist the landing of men and equipment from RAN vessels
• Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS)
• Home or Depot units for personnel who served within Australia
• non-combatants such as artists, photographers, chaplains and historians

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.

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.

All World War I service records (series B2455) have been digitised and are available to view online.

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.

You can purchase a photocopy of any 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.

Costs are:

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

The colour photocopy will be posted to you in a presentation folder, with an information sheet to help you interpret the abbreviations and terminology used in the records.

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.

Information about medal entitlements is available from:

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

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

For information about WWI Army medals, send a copy of the WWI service record with your written inquiry.

For more information on Army records see:

• Fact Sheet 136 – Army service records 
• Fact Sheet 163 – Sources of information about military service 
• Fact Sheet 177 – Defence service records for WWI and WWII

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