Researching a person

The Memorial's collections and website contain a wealth of material which can help you research the service and wartime experiences of relatives who served in Australia's military forces during conflict.

Accession Number: P05555.015

Composite group portrait of Mary and Henry Hutchins, of Woorinen North, Vic, and seven enlisted sons

Research a person

Online

Getting started

Gather together what you already know about the person you are researching. For example:

Who are you researching?
What do you know about them?
What do you know about their service?

What other details can you find? You can

Ask family members what they know
See if the family has any wartime memorabilia that may include information
Investigate local sources such as a library or historical society

Many Commonwealth official records, photographs, diaries and letters can be found in our digital collection.

You can submit your relative’s personal or service details and research question using the form below.
We aim to respond to online enquiries within 10 working days.

Ask a military family history question

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Research guides

Researching Australian military service

Personal service records (dossiers)

Personal service records are files created for individuals during their military careers. Service records are held in the country of the force with whom your individual served, for example, Royal Australian Air Force records are held in Australia and Royal Air Force records are held in the United Kingdom.

Medals

Prisoners of War and civilian internees

Unit histories

Researching the history of a unit

Maps

Guide to recording oral histories

Oral histories can be a valuable resource for personal use, interest or reference. The Memorial receives many nominations for oral history interview, and it is not possible to meet every request. The Memorial has created this guide as a way to help people to conduct interviews with veterans.