Milestone for Second World War record digitisation

Contractors Fuji Xerox BusinessForce Pty Ltd and W&F Pascoe Pty Ltd will digitise records from the two largest Second World War series, with new digitised material available free of charge on the National Archive’s website from as early as December.

More than 220,000 service records are already digitised and are available on the website.

National Archives Director-General David Fricker said the contracts marked a milestone in the four-year, $10 million project to digitise the majority of Second World War records.  

‘The World War II service records are among the most popular in our vast collection and this project will ensure Australians can access almost one million of these records digitally by 2023,’ Mr Fricker said.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester visited the Second World War Project Digitisation Centre at the National Archives Preservation Facility in Canberra to see the important work being carried out by National Archives’ staff.

‘This builds on the already digitised records of those who served in the First World War and will ensure families, historians, academics and students will have free and ready access to these historical records,’ Mr Chester said.

DVA has provided the National Archives with the details of Second World War veterans known to be deceased to help the Archives target records that can more readily be released.

For more information on the project, please visit the National Archives website.

A National Archives volunteer and staff member with Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester.