Search for a war grave or commemoration

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Learn about finding a war grave or commemoration of a veteran.

On this page

  1. What you can do
  2. What you will need
  3. How to search
  4. What happens next
  5. What else you can do

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What you can do

Finding the grave or commemoration of a friend or family member who served our nation can be an important way to remember them. Once you have found out where the grave or memorial is located, you may be able to visit the site.

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What you will need

It will help your search to collect as much information as you can about the veteran.

Try to find out:

  • their full name
  • which conflict they served in
  • their type of service (Navy, Army or Air Force)
  • their service number
  • the date and place of their death
  • their DVA file number
  • their address at time of death.
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If the veteran died in the First or Second World War, you can search the Debt of Honour Register maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). This register records the 1,700,000 members of the Commonwealth forces who died during the First and Second World Wars.

On the Australian War Memorial website, you can search:

  • the Roll of Honour for members of the Australian military who died during or as a result of service in any conflict
  • the Commemorative Roll for Australians who were members of military forces and who died during or because of service in any conflict.

The Office of Australian War Graves also holds complete records of:

  • names listed on Memorials to the Missing in Australia
  • names listed in our Gardens of Remembrance
  • commemorations of individual Australians who died during service in all conflicts
  • commemorations of veterans who survived war service but who later died from service-related injuries or conditions.

You can search our online database or contact us for help with your search.

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What happens next

Once you have located your loved one’s war grave or commemoration, you may like to visit the site of commemoration to pay your respects.

We can provide a photo

Visiting the grave of a loved one can be an important part of grieving. If you or another family member can’t visit a grave or site of commemoration, we can give you a photo of a grave or memorial.

For relatives, this service is free of charge.

You will need to complete and return Form D9167 Application for a Photograph of a Grave or Memorial. Please send it either by:

  • email to wargraves [at] dva.gov.au (wargraves[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au)
  • post to Office of Australian War Graves, GPO Box 9998, Brisbane QLD 4001.

If you’re not a relative, you can still request a photo of a Commonwealth grave or commemoration through The War Graves Photographic Project website for a small fee.

How long it takes to get the photo depends on the location of the grave or memorial. It may take up to 6 months if it is overseas or in a remote location outside of a capital city. The season can also affect how long it takes.

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What else you can do

You can:

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