A nominal roll is a list of the people who served in a particular conflict, with a snapshot of each person's service taken from their Defence service record. DVA publishes nominal rolls for the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the First Gulf War. They're free to search.
Which nominal rolls DVA publishes
| Roll | Period | Who is on it |
|---|---|---|
| Second World War | 3 September 1939 to 2 September 1945 | About one million people who served in Australia's defence forces and the Merchant Navy |
| Korean War | 27 June 1950 to 19 April 1956 | Over 18,000 people who served in Korea or the waters next to it, and a small number of civilians |
| Vietnam War | 23 May 1962 to 29 April 1975 | About 61,000 people who served in Vietnam or the waters next to it, plus RAAF members at Ubon, Thailand. More than 1,600 civilians are listed separately by organisation |
| First Gulf War | August 1990 to September 1991 | ADF members involved in the hostilities and related operations in the Persian Gulf |
The Second World War roll includes everyone who enlisted during the war. The other rolls include people who were allotted for service and served in the operational area. Australians who served with other Commonwealth or Allied forces aren't on DVA's rolls, and neither are members of the Australian Women's Land Army or the Australian Red Cross.
DVA doesn't publish a First World War or Boer War roll. The Australian War Memorial has those.
How to search a nominal roll
The Second World War, Korea and Vietnam rolls are on DVA's Nominal Rolls website. You can search by name, service, service number, rank, honours, date of birth, date of death, prisoner of war status and next of kin, or search by place. Each record shows details such as service number, date and place of birth, enlistment and discharge dates, rank and honours.
From a record you can print a commemorative certificate, send feedback, and print a permission letter to use a service badge for commemorative purposes. The Gulf War roll is a separate table on DVA's website, searchable by surname.
Search DVA's nominal rolls, search the Gulf War roll or search the First World War roll at the Australian War Memorial.
Corrections, missing names and removal
DVA can correct an entry that was copied wrongly from the original Defence service record. Use form D0005, the feedback button on the record, or email [email protected]. If the service record itself is wrong, contact Defence instead.
If a name is missing, send the Nominal Rolls team as much detail about the person's service as you can. A veteran, or someone with the right to act for them, can also ask DVA in writing to remove their details from a published roll. Someone acting for a veteran needs proof, such as an enduring power of attorney.
The Nominal Rolls team is on 1300 780 133.
Get form D0005 to correct a nominal roll
Getting a full service record
A nominal roll is a summary. For the full service record:
- The National Archives of Australia holds more than 1.5 million First and Second World War service records, and records for conflicts up to 1975. Search RecordSearch with the person's surname and service number, which you can find on the nominal roll. Many First World War records and some Second World War records are online, and you can order copies of others.
- The Department of Defence holds more recent records. Current and former members, their immediate families and their representatives can ask for records through ServiceConnect, and Defence says it responds within 30 days. You need two certified ID documents.
Read the National Archives guide to war service records or request records from Defence.
Read DVA's information about nominal rolls
Checked against DVA's website on 25 September 2026.