Items medium note

Function and purpose

Series B883 consists of service documents for people who served in the Second Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) for the Second World War. The series is controlled by AIF service numbers: a single number series with alphabetic regional prefixes (based on place of enlistment) and an X prefix (indicating enlistment in the AIF). Additional ‘F’ prefixes were used for female enlistees.

The Australian Military Forces (AMF) in World War II consisted of the Permanent Military Force (PMF), the Citizen Military Force (CMF), also known as the Militia, and the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). In 1947 all personnel of the PMF or CMF who had not already enlisted in the AIF and who were killed or captured in New Guinea or Darwin before 1st July 1942 were transferred retrospectively to the AIF and given AIF numbers. Some items have been found to contain folios relating to previous service in the Militia (the Citizen Military Force). Where a service person left the Militia to enlist in the AIF, the records may contain different service numbers: that is, a Militia army number and an AIF (permanent) army number.

The core documents are:

• An Attestation form, stating details such as the serviceman’s name, age, birthplace and Next of Kin.
• Form A.F. B103 ‘Service and Casualty form’ recording promotions (acting, temporary, your call or substantive); movements, transfers, postings and attachments; disciplinary actions; and, medical history.
• A Certificate of Discharge which listed how many days the officer served in Australia and overseas.
• A 35mm contact print photographs (head and shoulders front view, head and shoulders profile view). Some files do not contain photos as they were lost or removed during business use by the Army agency.

Records may also include: correspondence; death certificates; issue of medals; disciplinary matters; injury reports; leave; postings; promotions and training; or, documents relating to previous service in the Militia (the Citizen Military Force).

Related legislation

Using the series

All service records were transferred into the custody of National Archives, and all 471,135 items in this series B883 have been registered onto RecordSearch.

Language of material

Physical characteristics

System of arrangement and control

The series is controlled by AIF service numbers: a single number series with alphabetic regional prefixes (based on place of enlistment) and an X prefix (indicating enlistment in the AIF). From 7 August 1942 female enlistees were prefixed with the letter ‘F’ after their state prefix. Numbers allocated for each alphabetical prefix commenced at ‘1’. Regional alphabetical prefixes are:

QX - Queensland

NX - New South Wales

VX - Victoria

SX - South Australia

WX - Western Australia

TX - Tasmania

DX - Northern Territory

NGX – New Guinea (used for Europeans who enlisted in New Guinea)

PX – Papua (used for Europeans who enlisted in Papua)

Relationships with other records

Finding aids

Access conditions

Series history

The dossiers were culled by the controlling agency in the 1950s with the intention of removing material that did not provide an essential record of service. In 1978 the Central Army Records Office commenced microfilming the dossiers using 16mm film and silver halide copies. A Diazo microfilm was also produced. The microfilm acts as a master copy and is not available for public issue.

Provenance

Immediate source of acquisition

Custodial history

Quantity in agency custody

Disposal history

Publication note

Additional information

End notes

Sources

Series documentation for B883

Australian War Memorial, ‘World War II Nominal Roll’, Commonwealth of Australia, 2002, http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/overview.aspx, accessed 16 December 2014

Wikipedia, ‘Australian Army Reserve’, Wikipedia, last modified 8 October 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Citizens_Military_Forces, accessed 16 December 2014