WELCOME TO THE READING ROOM

NO SMOKING

Advanced Family History…or what to do when you finally make the

journey here

(don’t panic)

FIRST WORLD WAR1914-1918

1917 90TH ANNIVERSARY

JEREMY RICHTERREADING ROOM MANAGER

Sergeant Dave Roberts MM 1285

WHAT YOU REALLY SHOULD HAVE:

WHAT WE REALLY HOPE YOU HAVE:

• service record

• unit details

• National Archives of Australia

• www.naa.gov.au ‘Recordsearch’

• name and service number

IF YOU DON’T HAVE IT:

The Service RecordWHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

• nothing saying where he served ‘I thought he served on Gallipoli’

• Promotions, injuries, court martials and sick leave, but they don’t tell you much either…

• This was supposed to tell me everything!!!

• scribbles, scrawl and general mess

IT REALLY HELPS US IF YOU CAN DO THIS FIRST:

1. Translate the service timeline:

• write out where he is; e.g. ship, place

• write out when he is wounded, sick, promoted or moved between units

2. Use the glossary online:

• www.awm.gov.au/glossary

3. Contact us if you are stuck:

• www.awm.gov.au/request• (02) 6243 4315

Where did you fight in the war Dad?

THREE SIMPLE STEPS:

3. OFFICIAL HISTORY• Contains many of the units• Gives you perspective• Is available online, in

libraries and here – of course

4. UNIT HISTORIES• Greater detail• More stories, often more

interesting and relevant• Manuscripts (AWM224)• Troopship serials• Not one for every unit• Really, really, really

expensive and rare5. GET INTO THE RECORDS

• Official & Private Records• Spend time researching

and money on coffee

Records, records and more records

GET READY BEFORE YOU GET HERE

1. LOOK FOR OFFICIAL RECORDS: Use the NAA’s database ‘Record Search’ www.naa.gov.au

2. LOOK FOR PRIVATE RECORDS: Use our Collections Database www.awm.gov.au/database/collection.asp

3. LOOK FOR BOOKS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS Use First www.awm.gov.au/firstopac/

4. MAKE SURE YOU DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME: Check to see that the war diary you are looking for is not

digitised www.awm.gov.au/diaries/

5. CONTACT US

Official Versus Private RecordsOFFICIAL RECORDS

WHAT THEY ARE• Official Records are those created by government agencies or

persons. The Memorial's Official Records collection includes records of the Australian armed forces during periods of war and peacekeeping.

• www.awm.gov.au/research/guides/first.htm

PRIVATE RECORDSWHAT THEY ARE

• Letters, diaries, postcards, memoirs, log books, scrap books, poems and personal accounts – just to name some of the things

WHAT THEY ARE GOOD FOR• Determining the ‘Official Account’ of what happened• Getting times and dates right• Creating the timeline and understanding what happened

WHAT THEY ARE GOOD FOR• Getting an idea of what it was like – colour history with a personal touch• Getting greater detail or conflicting accounts• Can be treated like or complement official records eg. Monash 3DRL/2316

What Official Records Will You Use?AWM4 - Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-1918

• The first primary source that should be consulted• Currently on microfilm (yuck!) but are currently being digitised• Can vary in quality e.g. 4th Battalion is hopeless

ADVICE IF THEY AREN’T MUCH CHOP SUPPLEMENT THEM

• Records of other units• Higher units such as the Brigade, or even the Division• Private records• AWM25• Pick another unit and pretend he served in that one…

AWM25 - Written records, 1914-1918• Everything from general official correspondence to orders to Courts of Enquiry• Can be very useful but not always, not frequently used by family historians• Let us help you with them

AWM9 - Unit Roll Books, 1914-1918• Don’t really tell you much, however people like lists

AWM7 – Troopship Records, 1914-1918• Can be interesting and help fill in the gap between Australia and the Front

What else is there?I HAVE TALKED ABOUT A SMALL SAMPLE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE HERE

ALL OF OUR DATABASES CAN BE FOUND VIA THIS WEB PAGE…

www.awm.gov.au/database/index.asp

YOU CAN FIND OTHER THINGS LIKE:• Troopship serials• Unit association periodicals• Newspapers, personal accounts, magazines

MOST IMPORTANT…

CONTACT US!

www.awm.gov.au/request

(02) 6243 4315

THANK YOU AND GOODBYE!ANY LAST QUESTIONS?

HAPPY RESEARCHING!!!

www.awm.gov.au/request