Soldiers who fought in the 19th century land wars were eligible for a New Zealand War Medal. This was awarded automatically to British militia, while colonial soldiers had to prove they had been under fire. Individual medal application files contain brief descriptions of the soldier’s active service. The index for these files is available at our Wellington office.

For detailed information on Medal Applications and other records relating to the colonial forces in New Zealand refer to our War reference guide.

Archives New Zealand holds a wealth of records on the involvement of the New Zealand forces during World Wars One and Two. These include war diaries of units, divisions & battalions, official histories, nominal embarkation rolls, casualty rolls, maps and photographs. We also hold files on decorations and awards, conscientious objectors, Māori Battalion, and nursing services.

For further information on First and Second World War records refer to our War reference guide.

Personnel records for soldiers who served in the Boer War, World War I, World War II, and later conflicts contain the enlistment date, the places the person fought, promotions, leave and place and cause of death.

These files are mostly held by the New Zealand Defence Force but are gradually being transferred to Archives New Zealand. To obtain a copy of a service record that is not listed in Archway contact the New Zealand Defence Force.

Contact details for the New Zealand Defence Force are listed in our War reference guide.