AWM9 Unit roll books, 1914-1918 War Accession Number: AWM9

Description

Contextual Description

Series number

AWM9

Series Title

Unit roll books, 1914-1918 War

Contents date range

01 Aug 1914 – 31 Dec 1919

Extent

10.32 metres

Access conditions

Subject to the Australian Archives Act (1983)

Agency controlling

Australian War Memorial

Function and Provenance

This series contains nominal roll books kept by various, but not all, units of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during the 1914-1918 War. Items in the series appear to have been accumulated by the Australian War Memorial (AWM) from a number of sources – firstly, handed in by units when they were demobilised, and secondly by retiring/returning officers and other service personnel. In some cases interested parties donated records.

It is important to note that the quality and quantity of the items in the series varies considerably between rolls, perhaps because there was no obligation, or Army Regulation, to keep such rolls. The format of the records held also varies considerably. However they formed a valuable source of information for compiling unit weekly Field Returns as required by the Base Record Office.

Content

The items in AWM9 are usually maintained at battalion, company and sometimes platoon level. Many of the bound volumes contain, at their most basic, an alphabetic list of the surnames, initials, rank, and regimental numbers of men serving in the unit at a particular date. Some of the rolls, however, especially those kept at company level provide more detailed information on each individual. Additional information can include, first names, date and age of enlistment, date of joining the unit, occupation before enlistment, religion, marital status, name and address of next of kin, clothing size, function within the unit, and where applicable, details of sickness, wounds, transfers or death.

While the majority of items in this series are nominal roll’s of the type listed above, the series contains a variety of other types of administrative listings, including Kit Store Registers, ‘details’ rolls (duty rosters), lists of deceased and burial places, rolls for the army schools and Nominal Rolls for various headquarters. The latter, listing the staff of the headquarters, are often organized by function providing valuable information on the different roles servicemen performed during the war. Some diaries, casualty lists, honours and awards, leave rolls, demobilisation rolls largely complete the series. Items 66 through 72 are known as the oversize rolls, and item 66 alone (49th Battalion) weighs in excess of 12 kilograms.

System of arrangement and control

Researchers should note that the material in AWM9 was listed in the early 1980’s. A two-part number system was imposed on the series which, at the time, was housed in boxes. The first number referred to the box and the second reference, up to a maximum number of 9, to the item within that box. This numbering system has been retained despite the records no longer being housed in boxes.

Furthermore additional records have at some stage been added to the end of the series rather than being incorporated into the series with other related items. For example the 16 nominal rolls of 20 Infantry Battalion (Bn) AIF comprise the following items: 16/1, 16/2, 16/3, 16/4, 16/5, 16/6, 16/7, 16/8, 16/9, 17/1, 17/2, 17/3, 17/4, 17/5, 87/8 and 87/9. Such breaks in numbering of items are not, however, confined to 20 Bn and researchers should check the availability of records following item 84/1 which ended the retained index of the series devised in the 1980s.

In July 2008, the Memorial arranged and described a further 75 rolls (including parts). This accession represented new material not previously available on RecordSearch. Standard numbering was imposed for this accession, ranging from 1 to 75.

Using the series

Items 1/1 to 86/5, plus 87/7, 87/15 and 87/21 are standard archival box size items. Items 1-53 are large oversize items, with 54-75 housed in standard archival boxes. Where oversize (or top numbered) items exist as parts, e.g. 13 Part 1 and 13 Part 2, researchers should note a superficial similarity only with 13/1 and 13/2, which are different collection items in this series.

Sources

AWM Administration file, AWM9 Series dossier.

Details

Conflicts

• First World War, 1914-1918

Tags

• Unit rolls