What is a Nominal Roll?

A Nominal Roll is a list of the names of veterans who have served in a particular conflict in which Australia has participated. A Nominal Roll can also provide a 'snapshot' of each individual veteran's military service by displaying a range of information that has been gathered from documents in his or her military service record. The Department of Veterans' Affairs publishes online Nominal Rolls for World War Two, Korean War, Vietnam War and the First Gulf War .

Who is included on a Nominal Roll?

The answer is different for different Rolls. For example, the criteria for the World War Two Nominal Roll include all those who enlisted into the military services during a defined period. For other conflicts, the veteran must have been allotted for service and served within the defined operational area for that conflict.

How is a Nominal Roll compiled?

Each Nominal Roll is compiled by extracting data from original Department of Defence service records. However, other archival material from the period held by the Department of Defence or other institutions (such as the National Archives of Australia or the Australian War Memorial) is used where relevant information is not available from service records.

What if my name is not shown on a Nominal Roll?

The Department is aware that some names are not currently displayed on a Nominal Roll. Please send your details to the Nominal Rolls team . It will help if you include as much military service details as possible.

What if I do not want my name on a Roll?

Before a Nominal Roll is published, the Department of Veterans' Affairs advertises the impending publication in national newspapers and invites veterans who do not wish to have their name displayed to advise the Department.

At any time after a Roll is published, a veteran or a person with the right to act on their behalf can write to the Department and advise that their details should be removed from the published Roll. A relative or friend acting on behalf of a veteran would need to include documentary proof of their right to act for the veteran, such as an enduring power of attorney.

Can I change the information on a Roll?

You can request corrections to a Roll if you think the information is inaccurate. The Department is able to correct entries where the information was transcribed incorrectly from the original Department of Defence service records.