Historical military databases opened to public

Ancestry.com will open the site's New Zealand and Australian military history collections, and UK collections with information on Commonwealth soldiers, until 2am Monday. Photo / Screengrab

An online family history resource is opening its military databases free of charge to commemorate the Anzac Day centenary.

Ancestry.com will open the site's New Zealand and Australian military history collections, and UK collections with information on Commonwealth soldiers, until 2am Monday (27 APRIL).

Ben Mercer, content director, said the site had more than 12 million individual military records pertaining to Kiwis and Aussies, including who enlisted where and when, who served in what capacity and what happened to them.

Many records also show addresses, occupations and next of kin.

"The information in these military history records offers fascinating insight into New Zealand's past, and the role New Zealanders played in some of the most significant military events from 1840 to 1945," Mr Mercer said.

The military collections that will be free to access during this period include:

New Zealand
•New Zealand, Roll of Honour, 1840-1903
•New Zealand Army Medal Rolls, 1860-1919
•New Zealand Army WWI Nominal Rolls, 1914-1918
•New Zealand Army WWI Casualty Lists, 1914-1919
•New Zealand Army WWI Roll of Honour, 1914-1919
•New Zealand Expeditionary Force Record of Personal Service, 1914-1918
Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F., 1916-1919
•New Zealand Army WWI Reserve Rolls, 1916-1917
•New Zealand WWI Military Defaulters, 1919-1921
•New Zealand Army WWII Nominal Rolls, 1939-1948
•New Zealand, World War II Appointments, Promotions, Transfers and Resignations, 1939-1945
•New Zealand, World War II Ballot Lists, 1940-1945

Australia:
•ANZAC Memorial, 1914-1918
•Australia, WWI Service Records, 1914-1920
•Australian Imperial Force Burials at Gallipoli, 1915
•New South Wales, Australia, Cowra Military Camps Personnel Photo Index, 1905-1970

See: Ancestry.com.au/anzac100