Eligibility for Listing on the Virtual War Memorial Australia
The primary purpose and focus of the Memorial is:
To commemorate all Australians who have served the nation in times of war and armed conflict commencing at the Boer War and Boxer Rebellion and the Great War, World War 2, Korea, Vietnam, all Middle East conflicts and all declared Peacekeeping and Peacemaking missions.
Primary listings include:
- Any individual who has served Australia in its armed forces and went in harm’s way in the country’s name during conflicts from the Boer War to the present day. Individuals need to be listed on an official service database as this baseline data provides confirmation of key personal and service details. In the absence of an official database lisiting proof of personal details and service is required. This is simply to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our data.
Secondary listings may include:
- Australian citizens who enlisted in British or Commonwealth forces in the Boer War, WW1 and 2 where that service can be evidenced adequately and the above rules are met. The burden of proof regarding citizenship and formal military service within a defined conflict rests with the contributor and approval for inclusion is at the discretion of the Chief Moderator. Any submission which is not accompanied by appropriate documentary evidence will not be approved.
'Harm’s way’ is defined by official recognition in the form of the award of a service or campaign medal. These include South African Medal (Boer War), British War Medal (WW1), Australian Service Medal (WW2, 1945-75, 1975-current) and the equivalent Active Service medals, and the more recent Operational Service Medal.
Excluded
- Individuals from other Commonwealth (allied) countries who migrated to Australia post-conflict unless there is evidence of subsequent recgnised service in Australian defence forces.
- Australians who enlisted in another nation's defence force in conflicts in which Australia was not involved.
- Vietnam National Service personnel who did not deploy overseas.
- People currently serving in the armed forces.
Verification of person listings
The tribute profiles on this Memorial have all been created from a primary data source such as Embarkation Rolls and or Nominal Rolls. We are cognisant that these Rolls contain errors as a result of transcription from original documentation or a deliberate decision made by an individual not to use correct personal information. In the event that errors in the given name of a person or date or place of birth of are detected the Memorial is happy to receive notification in writing. In order for any change to be made the notification must be accompanied by sufficient official primary evidence such as a birth certificate: certificate of marriage; death certificate or a Statutory Declaration by the individual confirming use of an assumed name and altered personal details. The manner in which this information is recorded in a person profile will be decided by the Chief Executive Officer in consultation with Military History advisors.
For individuals who are eligible for listing based on service after the First Gulf War a request for inclusion should be accompanied by an official statement of service issued by the ADF.
Eligibility rules for listing on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is responsible for the commemoration of members of the Commonwealth Forces who died during the two World Wars.
For the purposes of the CWGC, the dates for qualification as Commonwealth War Dead are:
WWI – 4th Aug 1914 – 31st Aug 1921
WWII – 3rd Sep 1939 to 31st Dec 1947
The reason why the First World War period extends to 31 August 1921 is that the 'Termination of the present war (Definition) Act' laid down that the war would officially end when an Order in Council under that Act declared the war ended. This duly occurred on 31 August 1921. The official cut-off point for casualties of the Second World War was established by the member governments of the Commonwealth, agreeing a date that was approximately the same period after the Armistice was signed with Germany, as had been allowed after the First World War.
Commonwealth servicemen and women who died whilst in service during the war periods as shown above, regardless of the cause of death, are accorded war grave status. Additionally, those who were discharged from service but whose deaths occurred within the war periods, from injury or illness caused by or exacerbated by their service in the war are also commemorated by the CWGC.
It should be noted, that after the First World War, the Australian Government extended official commemoration to include those Australian veterans who died post-war of causes related to their war service. Official commemoration was extended again after World War II and subsequent Governments have extended official commemoration after other wars and conflicts post-World War II.
Providing the eligibility criteria is met, official commemoration for an eligible veteran takes the form of provision of a memorial at the site of the remains in a cemetery or crematorium, or the alternative form if the family wish to provide a private memorial or scatter the ashes etc, by provision of a plaque only in an official OAWG Garden of Remembrance.
Information about official post-war commemoration for veterans of the Australian forces can be found on the Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs website at:
NOTE: eligibility for listing on CWGC is based on much broader set of rules and does not mean that an individual will be accepted for listing on the Virtual War Memorial.
Listing Rules for the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour and the Commemorative Roll
For information on eligibiity for listing on the Roll of Honour please use the link below:
https://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/honour-rolls/roll-of-honour
NOTE: Part-time service, whether in the Australian Military Forces or Volunteer Defence Corps, is not eligible for the Roll of Honour
For information on the Commemorative Roll and eligibility criteria please use the link below:
https://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/honour-rolls/commemorative-roll