How to make a Freedom of Information request: Records of a deceased member
Older records
Army medical records for people discharged prior to 1947 and Air force medical records for people discharged prior to 1952 are held by Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) therefore if your request falls within this period please contact DVA.
If you are requesting service records of an Australian member who served during World War I and World War II it is recommended that you contact the National Archives of Australia (NAA) in the first instance.
Seeking personnel records of a deceased member
Should you be assisting a widow with seeking access to the service and medical records (records over 30 years old) of their late spouse, you can apply direct to the appropriate service area within the department. Please be aware that the area may contact you to provide proof of relationship. The types of documents accepted are death certificates and marriage certificates. There is NO requirement to go through DVA until you are ready to actually make a claim.
NB: please refer to application form for further details about which agency holds the records.
Most service and medical records are now in the open period (open period – over 30 years old) so, there is no requirement for these requests to come under the FOI Act.
The following form is to be completed and signed before being sent directly to the relevant Service personnel office. This may require you to send this to more then one office.
Request for records of a deceased member [MS-Doc-262 KB]
As the records do not contain your own personal information you may be required to provide proof of relationship in order for your request to be processed.