The world of online genealogy data keeps growing at an unbelievable rate, and it is good to see some New Zealand content being added on as well.

Ancestry has just uploaded a heap of new military records for New Zealand, which is perfect timing to be up in time for ANZAC Day.

Approximately 124,000 served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF), during World War 1. Of these, about 100,000 were sent overseas. Sadly nearly 17,000 died of wounds or sickness while on active service, while another 35,000 were wounded.

Use these records to find more about your ancestors New Zealand military history.

The Defenders of New Zealand
Comprises short biographies of certain colonists who distinguished themselves during the New Zealand War of 1860–1870. It also contains tales of the Maori, a list of volunteers and militia who received the New Zealand Medal, and a list of officers and men of the colonial force who were killed in action during the war. The list of medal recipients has been indexed and is searchable in the New Zealand Army Medal Rolls, 1860-1919 collection.

New Zealand Army WWI Nominal Rolls, 1914-1918
This is an indexed collection of soldiers and other individuals in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The rolls cover soldiers who embarked from New Zealand from 1914 to 1918 during World War I. The records contain the enlisted person’s name, rank and regimental number, unit or regiment, the name, address, and relationship of the person’s next-of-kin. The records may also contain the last New Zealand residence, marital status, occupation, recruiting district, and the name of the body or reinforcement draft.

New Zealand Army WWI Reserve Rolls, 1916-1917
This collection is an index of men who were conscripted into the New Zealand Expeditionary Force Reserve during World War I. The collection runs from 1916 to 1917 and the records contain name of the reservist, occupation, place of residence at time of enlistment. The second roll also contains a classification based on how many children the reservist had.

New Zealand Army WWII Nominal Rolls, 1939-1948
This is an indexed collection of soldiers and other individuals in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The rolls cover soldiers who embarked from New Zealand from 1914 to 1918 during World War I. The records contain the enlisted person’s name, rank and regimental number, unit or regiment, the name, address, and relationship of the person’s next-of-kin. The records may also contain the last New Zealand residence, marital status, occupation, recruiting district, and the name of the body or reinforcement draft.

New Zealand Army WWI Casualty Lists, 1914-1919
The New Zealand Expeditionary Force or NZEF were the forces sent by New Zealand to fight alongside Australia and Britain in WWI. This collection contains records of the casualties the force sustained between 1914 and 1919. Information that can be found in this index includes surname, rank, army number, casualty type, etc.

New Zealand Army WWI Roll of Honour, 1914-1919
This collection is an index of soldiers who died in military service for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force between 1914 and 1919. The rolls are split into three sections: persons who were killed in action or on active service, persons who died from wounds or disease after discharge, and people who died from disease or accident during training. The records contain name, rank, regimental number, unit abbreviation, casualty details, location, and date.

New Zealand Army Medal Rolls, 1860-1919
This collection provides an index of individuals from New Zealand who were awarded medals, decorations, or other honors for military service, between 1860 and 1919. The medal rolls were compiled from The New Zealand Official Yearbook (1919) and Defenders of New Zealand (1887), and may not contain a complete list of all military medals and honors awarded to New Zealanders who served between 1860 and 1919.

New Zealand WWI Military Defaulters, 1919-1921
This collection contains an index of men who were eligible for compulsory military service during World War I and, for moral or political reasons, failed to meet their legal obligations under New Zealand’s Military Service Act of 1916. With the passing of the Expeditionary Forces Amendment Act of 1918, they were deemed Military Defaulters. You can expect to find their names and places of residence in this index.

Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F., 1916-1919
The “Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F. (New Zealand Expeditionary Forces)”, a magazine published twice a month in London during WWI from 1916 to 1919, are in this database. The magazine provided reports on service life in the NZEF, including stories, entertainment, and information about sporting and social events. Each issue also contains obituaries and casualty lists for soldiers who died while serving in the NZEF, as well as hospital reports of wounded troops.