For the second half of 1947, numbers were allocated starting from X700000, again prefixed with the state of recruitment. A dual system existed until July 1947 as existing personnel kept their Second AIF numbers until that point, while new enlistments received a service number starting from X500000, while maintaining the state-based prefix of the old Second AIF system. įollowing the Second World War, the system employed by the Australian Army was quite complex, as the Second AIF was disbanded and an Interim Army was established. Soldiers transferring from the Militia often kept their old number with 100,000 added, while PMF officers had 200,000 added. A low number indicated an early enlistment. The serial numbers of female soldiers followed this with an F. The first letter represented the state of enlistment: N: New South Wales V: Victoria Q: Queensland S: South Australia W: Western Australia T: Tasmania D: Northern Territory. The problems inherent in the First World War scheme were acknowledged and all members of the Second Australian Imperial Force were allocated a unique service number known as an Army number. This meant that soldiers in all branches of the Army received a unique number, and if they re-enlisted they kept their previously allocated number. In 1921, the assignment of identifying numbers based on regiments was abolished in the Australian Army and replaced with an Army-wide system. Despite the limitations of the scheme, in researching a soldier, it is handy to know the regimental number. These were known as "general reinforcements" and they were allotted unique numbers in the range of 50000–80000. In 1917, the AIF switched to a scheme whereby reinforcements were drawn from the common pool instead of being supplied on a per-unit or corps basis. Re-enlisted soldiers often used the additional letter R.
Otherwise, they might be allotted a new number or the letter A or B might be added to make the number unique with their unit again.
When soldiers were transferred from one unit to another, they often kept their number if it was not already held by someone else. The result was that several dozen soldiers had the prestigious number 1, which was usually given to the Regimental Sergeant Major or the Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant. Each battalion or corps had its own sequence, usually starting at 1, although some units were formed in the field and this did not occur. These were allotted to NCOs and other ranks but not to officers or nurses, who had no numbers. In the First Australian Imperial Force soldiers were allotted numbers known as regimental numbers.
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