This section provides information about how to apply for military service records and medals from NZDF Archives, what to expect from the files and where to go for further information.
NZDF Personnel Archives at Trentham Military Camp is the repository for some 1.5 million personnel files relating to 420,000 New Zealand service personnel who served in New Zealand’s Military Forces. These files are an invaluable resource for documenting the social and military history of New Zealand. They provide a unique record of the military service of the men and women who defended our country at home and overseas.
NZDF Personnel Archives holds the files of all those who served in New Zealand’s military forces from the 1st January 1921 to the present day.
Almost all of the files of those who served in the South African War and the First World War have been transferred to Archives New Zealand in Wellington. For information about these files please contact Archives New Zealand.
NZDF Personnel Archives continues to hold the files of only the relatively small number of South African and First World War veterans who continued to serve after 1st January 1921 or who re-enlisted to serve during the Second World War (1939-1945).
See: http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/personnel-records/nzdf-archives/accessing-military-service-records.htm
Access to personnel information held by NZDF Archives is governed by the following legal provisions:
Enquiries about living former servicemen and women
You can request a copy of your own service record by writing to us at NZDF Archives. Your request must be in writing and signed by you in order to validate the enquiry.
If you are requesting details about another living person, information can be disclosed only if you have the signed and written authorisation of the individual concerned. NZDF Archives will not release information unless you can show us this authority.
If you cannot do this because the person concerned is unable to provide this authorisation, then we will need to receive a signed request from the person who holds the relevant ‘Power of Attorney’. We also require a copy of the Power of Attorney documents for verification purposes.
Enquiries about deceased former servicemen and women
Anyone can request the service records of deceased former service personnel, whether it is for a research project, your family history or your personal interest.
You can request a copy of a deceased person’s service record by writing to us at NZDF Archives.
Please note that if the person concerned died after leaving the services this fact may not be recorded on their file. In such cases you will need to send us some form of evidence that they are deceased. This could be a copy of a death certificate, newspaper death notice, funeral service sheet or photograph of the headstone. It will save time if you send us this information with your initial request.