A Military Historian’s First Port of Call
Column A on the Freedom’s Call 2nd N.Z.E.F Roll of Honour shows whether the person entered is also on the Auckland War Museum Cenotaph database.
If an entry shows a record exists , then you will do yourself a grave mis-service, if you do not check it out. Believe me you will be so enriched by the experience!
The Cenotaph as it pertains to New Zealand World War II servicemen and women is an online database searchable on the Auckland War Museum website, which memorialises all those who died on active service in all branches of the services. Some were killed in action, some died of wounds sustained and some from other causes. Most of the pages bear photos but a few do not.
Just in the last year or two, nearly all who served with the 2nd N.Z.E.F. are to be found there as well as a good number from the other branches of the service. This would have been a gargantuan task for which museum staff deserve the highest accolades.
Many of these entries have been flagged as ‘preliminary records‘ and relate to those assumed to be still living. Only on confirmation of death do these become ‘bona fide’ online database records.
You can access all records on the Cenotaph database here.
Elias, M D, fl 1943. Laying a railway line in Libya during World War II – Photograph taken by M D Elias. New Zealand. Department of Internal Affairs. War History Branch :Photographs relating to World War 1914-1918, World War 1939-1945, occupation of Japan, Korean War, and Malayan Emergency. Ref: DA-06759-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22721777
“Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.”
Searching the database
A problem sometimes arises when the same regimental no. has been attached to a soldier who appears on the WWI database. Often, no WWII entry comes up. I have been in touch with one of the Cenotaph research team about this and hopefully this small glitch will be ironed out over the next few months.
When undertaking a search, if at first you don’t succeed, try again. If you do a search on a name and it does not come up, try searching under possible name variations, eg Haywood versus Hayward, or vice versa..
Things are a bit ‘hit and miss’ at present. I have had instances where I have conducted a search of surname and christian names as per the roll entry and come up with a blank. Then, on searching under just the surname I have found the entry I want. Exactly the same scenario too, vice versa.
If neither of these produces results revert to the filters option, for example, a search under regimental number only may produce the record, with the name slightly different to that which is on the roll.
If a number search produces nothing, try searching after putting either one or two zeros in front of the number. That may well produce the result you seek. None of the numbers listed on the Roll are preceded by zeros, even though some may have appeared with zeros on the Nominal Rolls.
With regards some entries, I also sought additional information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission or the New Zealand War Graves Project.
f you are interested in the military service of your family or your community or are researching New Zealand’s military history, you will want to find out how to get started using Cenotaph. Maybe you too would like to contribute what you know about a family member , to this rich biographical resource?