New Zealand, World War I Army Nominal Rolls, 1914-1918

At the outbreak of World War I, New Zealand immediately began sending troops to fight with Britain and Australia. The New Zealand Expeditionary Force was the title given to all military forces sent from New Zealand. These nominal rolls provide an index of soldiers and other individuals who embarked from New Zealand as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force during World War I. The rolls cover embarkations from 1914 to 1918, and are grouped by embarkation date ranges. Initially, the force was reinforced by volunteers, but conscription was introduced in August 1916.

By the end of the war, approximately 124,000 New Zealanders had served in the NZEF, nearly half of the eligible male population of 250,000. About 100,000 were sent overseas to fight in France, Belgium, Egypt, Palestine, and Gallipoli. Nearly 17,000 died of wounds or sickness while on active service during the war, and another 35,000 were wounded.

These records contain:

• Enlisted person's name
• Enlisted person’s rank
• Regimental number
• Unit or regiment
• Name, address, and relationship of the person's next-of-kin.

Records may also contain:

• Last New Zealand residence
• Marital status
• Occupation
• Recruiting district
• Name of the body or reinforcement draft