Getting started with Online Cenotaph
You can search Online Cenotaph for biographical and service details for more than 250,000 New Zealand service men and women, who have served this country on active service from the 19th century until today.
The biographies in Online Cenotaph have been built up over the past nearly 25 years, from official military records, photographs, ephemera, publications including newspapers and information provided by family members.
Add your contribution
You can share your knowledge about a service person's life and help us improve Online Cenotaph by adding information, photographs or memories directly to that person's record page.
![Portrait of Ronald Florence Royal New Zealand Air Force.]()
Portrait of Ronald Florence Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Kindly added to Online Cenotaph by Patricia, 23rd April 2017.No known copyright restrictions.
We're particularly interested in information about the person's war service, along with details about his or her civilian life, enlistment, demobbing and subsequent career, death and burial. To add to any service person's record page, simply scroll to the 'Add your contribution' section, click the 'contribute' button, and then follow the on-screen instructions. Note this currently excludes video and audio files. We ask for a little information about you, and also whether you would like your details published for other researchers with an interest in the same service person to contact you directly.
For further information please read the website Terms of Use.
New Records
Our database is by no means complete and we are continually adding records. If you would like a new record created or you cannot find a record for someone who should be recorded, please fill in this form.
The form will be emailed to us and we can create the record based off the information you send you can also contact us.
Preliminary Records
Online Cenotaph includes record for both living and deceased personnel. Preliminary Records, sometimes called Kitbag Records, are for those who are living and does not allow you to lay a poppy.
Research help and other resources
Data Sets and Research Support
The Online Cenotaph team are happy to provide research and data support to our users. You can request specific data sets or research advice by contacting us through the Contact Us page.
We also maintain strong reciprocal relationships with the following military websites and databases.
Archives New Zealand - Search for records held by the New Zealand Archives, including all First World War personnel files.
Digital NZ - Digital NZ is a site for all things New Zealand. More than 200 organisations in New Zealand have provided digital information on a variety of topics.
28th Māori Battalion (WWII) - This site is dedicated to the men who served with New Zealand’s 28th (Māori) Battalion during the Second World War, and to their whānau and comrades.
VietnamWar.govt.nz - The VietnamWar website is the hub for memories of New Zealand and the Vietnam War.
New Zealand War Graves Project - The New Zealand War Graves Trust project has been able to identify the graves of New Zealand and Allied forces, who died in conflicts from the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) up to the present day and in peacekeeping operations.
New Zealand Defence Force Archives - The New Zealand Defence Force Archives at Trentham hold the personnel files for of all those who served in New Zealand’s military forces from the 1st January 1921 to the present day.
Soldiers of Empire (New Zealand Wars) - A Database of men from British imperial regiments and Royal Navy who fought in the New Zealand Wars c.1860-70.
Measuring the ANZACs (WWI) - The Measuring the ANZACs project is a team of researchers who explore, analyse and transcibe New Zealand personnel files from Archives New Zealand.
First World War Research Guide - The National Library also has a helpful and comprehensive research guide on the First World War.
Ancestry - The Ancestry Library provides access to wide range of databases to help with researching ancestors. This link provides access to Ancestry from within Auckland Museum.
We also upload some of our data sets to Zenodo, and are happy to provide other datasets. If there is a specific data set you require please contact us.
Need more help?
Do you have questions about how best to contribute to Online Cenotaph? Contact our helpful staff in the Online Cenotaph team by phone, post, or the Contact Us form:
Pou Maumahara, Memorial Discovery Centre
Auckland War Memorial Museum
Private Bag 92018
Auckland
New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 309 0443
Email the Online Cenotaph team