By Cassie Mercer and Mark Webster Gallipoli was a marker in the growth of Antipodean national identity for New Zealand as well as Australia. In New Zealand, it’s said that everyone with Kiwi connections for three generations has a line to a soldier at Gallipoli. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark had relatives there. Actor Russell Read More
Military records can be valuable sources of information for genealogists, helping you to find enlistment dates, learn about famous battles and discover the unique stories of the heroes in your family tree. We’ve put together some tips to help you get the most out of Ancestry’s extensive collection of military records: The best way to Read More
For family historian Geoff Oliver, the centenary of World War One prompted him to start discovering more about a military ancestor. What he uncovered led him to remember the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele with special significance. From France to Cootamundra, NSW, 30 October 1917: I regret very much to inform you of the Read More
Guest post by Kim Phillips, the historian behind Spirits of Gallipoli In November 2000 when I first walked the beach at Anzac Cove, I had little idea of the effect that visit would have on me, or the journey it would take me on. There is an aura at Anzac, a ‘spirit’. Those who have Read More
Ancestry is asking our lovely members and the Australian community to share their Anzac ancestor’s stories and for each photo and story shared on the Ancestry Anzac Hero Wall facebook app, Ancestry will donate $5 to Legacy Australia up to $15,000. The Ancestry Anzac Hero Wall is an app hosted on the Ancestry facebook page Read More
Guest post by Matt Smith, historian at Australian War Graves Photographic Archive For the majority of young Australian men who joined the Australian Imperial Force [AIF] during the First World War, it was their first time separated from family, a familiar world and most certainly, in battle. Many of these men would have experienced an Read More
Guest post from Anne-Marie Conde, National Archives of Australia WW1 Curator World War I service records (1914–1920) are a magnificent resource for family historians and anyone interested in war and its enduring impact on Australian society. These records are held by the National Archives of Australia and now on Ancestry – click here to start Read More
Guest post by Matt Smith, historian at Australian War Graves Photographic Archive Family and Military Historians and Genealogists alike, will continue to trawl archive websites such as Ancestry.com on the eve of the Centenary of ANZAC Day in April 2015; and beyond. They are hoping to make sense of the enormous service commitment delivered by Read More
The Japanese military attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, thrust the United States into WWII. It wasn’t long after that, Australia and New Zealand found themselves also under threat of Japanese attacks. While the majority of Australia’s soldiers fought alongside the British Royal Army against the Germans in the Read More
Sidney Reilly, the secret agent widely believed to be the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s legendary character James Bond, has been uncovered in an online archive available at Ancestry.com.au. The record (shown above) was found in the British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 collection, which details the medal entitlement of more than 4.8 million Read More