Press Releases

In celebration of the brave men and women who have served their country, Ancestry.com.au, Australia’s largest online family history resource[i], today announced it will make 46 million Australian, New Zealand and UK WWI military records[ii] free to search this ANZAC Day weekend to encourage more Aussies to uncover their family’s military history.

The collections, which include the ANZAC Memorial, 1914 – 1918, the UK Military Campaign Medal and Award Rolls and New Zealand Army WWI and WWII Nominal Rolls will be free to search from 25 to 29 April, 2012.

Ancestry.com.au’s extensive online collection of military databases from Australia, the UK, Canada and the US can help you to discover a variety of information about your ancestors who served. The collections include records of enlistment dates, battles fought, performance on the field, medals awarded and for the many who never returned, locations of final resting places.

Personal stories about the ANZACs continue to fascinate Australians who unearth their own ANZAC tale.

Serving our country runs in their blood – It seems that the desire to serve and protect one’s country can run in the family as Ancestry.com.au member, Christine Buckley discovered. Christine has a staggering 43 direct family members who have proudly served the Defence Forces for Australia, New Zealand, England and the US, with her family fiercely fighting to protect their countries since WWI.

The daughter of an Australian Army Soldier, mother and mother-in-law to serving members of the Australian Defence Force, Christine strongly believes there is something in her family’s genes that drives them to serve their country and defend their beliefs for freedom.

Keeping it in the family –South Australian-born James Bateman regularly attended the ANZAC Day dawn service; however, recently he learned that five of his ancestors served in the military. ANZAC Day now hits a little closer to home for him and his family as he discovered his grandfather, Alfred Carson, played a significant role of South Australia’s history as Alfred was in the Australian Light Horse Brigade that departed Adelaide for Gallipoli in 1914 as part of the 10th Battalion.

James spent months pouring over handwritten letters, medals of honour and old photographs to build a rich tapestry of his ancestor’s gallantry and bravery. This inspired his own 17-year-old daughter, Imogen Bateman, who recently spent six months as part of the Navy Cadets – adding another piece of military history to the Bateman tree.

To start searching, all you need to do is enter the name of an ancestor, register for free and you can then view original military records dating back to 1793.

The military collections free to explore in Ancestry.com.au’s ANZAC Day weekend promotion include:

• ANZAC Memorial 1914-1918
• NZEF Nominal Rolls 1939-48
• NZEF WWI Nominal Rolls
• NZEF WWI Reserve Rolls
• NZEF Casualty Lists WWI
• NZEF WWI Roll of Honour
• New Zealand Army Medal Rolls
• NZEF WWI Military Defaulters
• Defenders of New Zealand
• Chronicles of the NZEF 1916-19
• UK, Silver War Badge Records, 1914-1920
• UK, Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972
• UK, Military Campaign Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1949
• UK, Citations of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, 1914-1920
• British WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards 1914-1920
• British WWI Service records 1914-1920
• British WWI Pension records 1914-1920
• British Commonwealth War Graves Register 1914-1918
• The National Roll of the Great War 1914-1920
• Canadian Soldiers of World War I 1914-1918
• US WWI Draft Registration Cards 1917-1918
• US WWII Army Enlistment Records 1938-1946

Ancestry.com.au Content Director, Brad Argent, comments: “ANZAC day is about remembering the sacrifices that our countrymen and women made so that we could be safe and enjoy our liberty. While many soldiers passed away on the battlefield, many others returned home and have passed on their legacy to future generations.

The free databases provide Australians with the opportunity to learn about their family history and discover their military past.”

To access the free collections, please visit www.ancestry.com.au/anzac2012