Anzac Day: Find NZ soldiers' war history with this free online tool

With Anzac Day commemorations happening all over the country, it’s a great time to pause and reflect on the servicemen and women who have defended Aotearoa.

Auckland Museum has a helpful - and largely unknown - online resource for anyone wanting to dig into family war history or learn more about ancestors.

Its War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph is a free, biographical database that allows researchers, enthusiasts, and veterans and their families to explore, contribute to, and share the records and stories of those who served during times of international conflict.

You can access it via the museum’s website by clicking on 'Paenga Hira' or 'War Memorial', then selecting 'Online Cenotaph'.

From there, you can search a person’s full name or service number, and even filter by specific wars or campaigns they were involved in.

The site then brings up available records, service history, and where around the county their memorial or roll of honour can be found.

Lana Searle mentioned the tool in 2023, saying: “I actually stumbled across this a few years ago and found it really really interesting and quite helpful for any ancestry research and family trees and stuff."

"It's a great resource for any family history project or a great thing to do with Anzac Day coming up," she added.

If you're looking to educate your friends, family, the youngsters at home, or even yourself this Anzac Day, this is a great way to start.