Access to more than 4 billion records

Access to more than 4 billion records

You can access wartime collections from around the world. There's never been a better time to discover your family's story.

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Find your ancestors

Find your ancestors

Just enter what you know below and we will help you find them in our global wartime  collections.

Just enter what you know below and we will help you find them in our global wartime  collections.

Birth
Birth

Not sure where to start?

Not sure where to start?

  • 1. Search by name

    From service records to electoral rolls, uncover where your ancestors were and what role they played during wartime.

  • 2. Dive deeper into wartime life

    Read the firsthand accounts of prisoners of war and find out what life was like for ordinary people living in extraordinary times.

  • 3. Build your family tree

    Using Ancestry's tree builder tools, start making connections and adding branches to your family tree.

Wartime stories, preserved

Wartime stories, preserved

From those who went overseas to those who held things together back home in Australia, these records reveal how conflict changed lives.

From those who went overseas to those who held things together back home in Australia, these records reveal how conflict changed lives.

Where their service is remembered

Where their service is remembered

Enlistment papers, service files, and medal rolls record the military service of people—where they served, how they
served, and how they were recognised.

Enlistment papers, service files, and medal rolls record the military service of people—where they served, how they
served, and how they were recognised.

  • Australia, World War II Military Service Records, 1939‑1945

    Australia, World War II Military Service Records, 1939‑1945

    These records set out the essentials of a person’s service in the forces and were used to manage the movements and pay of their personnel. With this collection, you'll find prior military service, details of illnesses, injuries and more.

    These records set out the essentials of a person’s service in the forces and were used to manage the movements and pay of their personnel. With this collection, you'll find prior military service, details of illnesses, injuries and more.

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  • Australia, World War I Service Records, 1914‑1920

    Australia, World War I Service Records, 1914‑1920

    Dive into service dossiers for Australians who served in WWI in selected units where you can find the age of enlistment, employment and more. Records also include personnel who served in Australia, rather than overseas.

    Dive into service dossiers for Australians who served in WWI in selected units where you can find the age of enlistment, employment and more. Records also include personnel who served in Australia, rather than overseas.

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  • New Zealand, World War II Ballot Lists, 1940-1945

    New Zealand, World War II Ballot Lists, 1940-1945

    These WWII ballot lists record the names, addresses, and occupations of over 310,000 men in New Zealand who were called up or volunteered between 1940 and 1945, capturing a moment when ordinary lives were redirected by war.

    These WWII ballot lists record the names, addresses, and occupations of over 310,000 men in New Zealand who were called up or volunteered between 1940 and 1945, capturing a moment when ordinary lives were redirected by war.

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  • British Army World War II Medal Cards, 1939-1945

    British Army World War II Medal Cards, 1939-1945

    Any veteran or their family who were awarded a medal needed to complete an application to claim their award. This collection holds those applications, and they can reveal details like rank, corps, and regiment, which in turn can lead you to historical accounts about those units.

    Any veteran or their family who were awarded a medal needed to complete an application to claim their award. This collection holds those applications, and they can reveal details like rank, corps, and regiment, which in turn can lead you to historical accounts about those units.

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  • New Zealand Army Medal Rolls, 1860-1919

    New Zealand Army Medal Rolls, 1860-1919

    Drawn from official yearbooks and military histories, this collection indexes New Zealanders awarded medals for bravery, distinguished service, and gallantry between 1860 and 1919. Covering the New Zealand Wars (1860–1870), Second Boer War (1899–1902), and World War I (1914–1919), it’s a valuable resource for uncovering military achievements and adding depth to your family’s story.

    Drawn from official yearbooks and military histories, this collection indexes New Zealanders awarded medals for bravery, distinguished service, and gallantry between 1860 and 1919. Covering the New Zealand Wars (1860–1870), Second Boer War (1899–1902), and World War I (1914–1919), it’s a valuable resource for uncovering military achievements and adding depth to your family’s story.

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  • UK, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Service Records, 1942-1959

    UK, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Service Records, 1942-1959

    This collection contains records of the soldiers who were responsible for maintaining British Army equipment. You can uncover lots of details, including their experience in the army, as well as information on life outside of the military.

    This collection contains records of the soldiers who were responsible for maintaining British Army equipment. You can uncover lots of details, including their experience in the army, as well as information on life outside of the military.

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110 years ago: Australia, New Zealand,
and the silence of the Battle of the Somme

110 years ago: Australia, New Zealand, and the silence of the Battle of the Somme

From July to November 1916, many Australian and New Zealand soldiers fought as part of the long and grinding Battle of the Somme. Unlike Gallipoli, which entered national memory as a single defining moment, the Somme was felt by families back home as months of waiting, uncertainty, and loss. Letters that slowed, then stopped, and stories that fell silent.

From July to November 1916, many Australian and New Zealand soldiers fought as part of the long and grinding Battle of the Somme. Unlike Gallipoli, which entered national memory as a single defining moment, the Somme was felt by families back home as months of waiting, uncertainty, and loss. Letters that slowed, then stopped, and stories that fell silent.

Elsewhere, though, details were still being written down.

War diaries recorded daily life within military units. From Gallipoli in the Dardanelles to the battlefields of France, Belgium, and Germany, they trace long rotations, shifting positions, and the cumulative toll of war—revealing where soldiers moved, what they faced, and how events unfolded on the ground.

Together, these records can place an Australian or New Zealander within the lived reality of the Somme, helping families understand not just when an ancestor served, but what those months were like—revealing stories that never made it home.

Explore the many War Diaries on Ancestry and uncover the stories still waiting to be found.

Elsewhere, though, details were still being written down.

War diaries recorded daily life within military units. From Gallipoli in the Dardanelles to the battlefields of France, Belgium, and Germany, they trace long rotations, shifting positions, and the cumulative toll of war—revealing where soldiers moved, what they faced, and how events unfolded on the ground.

Together, these records can place an Australian or New Zealander within the lived reality of the Somme, helping families understand not just when an ancestor served, but what those months were like—revealing stories that never made it home.

Explore the many War Diaries on Ancestry and uncover the stories still waiting to be found.

Helpful tips from Ancestry experts

Helpful tips from Ancestry experts

Useful advice to help you feel more confident using records,
spotting clues, and building your family story.

Useful advice to help you feel more confident using records, spotting clues, and building your family story.

Why Ancestry is the best place to discover your family story

Why Ancestry is the best place to discover your family story

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Explore more than 4 billion records

Explore more than 4 billion records

Explore more than 4 billion records

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