Ship audit

WHANGANUI, NEW ZEALAND:

A dual-source audit of New Zealand’s First World War troopships, published on The Anzacs (theanzacs.co.nz), uses the National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s official list of HMNZT sailings as Source B. The same work helped move Australia’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs Anzac Portal to correct its New Zealand Gallipoli figure from about 8,500 to between 16,000 and 18,000.

Source A is Online Cenotaph embarkation evidence (Auckland War Memorial Museum). Source B is the Navy Museum troopships list for HMNZT 1-111 (Troopships departed NZ WW1). A sailing earns a dual tick only when both sources confirm it and it sits in the Gallipoli pipeline: departure on or before 31 October 1915, Samoa excluded, matching the Crawford & Buck / Phenomenal and Wicked embarkation frame.

The audit finds 30 dual-ticked Gallipoli-pipeline sailings and 23,053 dual-audited travellers (unique Cenotaph soldiers with proven embarkation on at least one of those sailings). That figure is travel proof, not a per-man landing certificate. The published New Zealand peninsula landing estimate remains about 16,000 to 18,000. The Anzacs Roll Call’s Gallipoli campaign census on The Anzacs is 22,479.

On 19 October 2026 Guy Hollister of Whanganui wrote to the Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs asking for the Anzac Portal Gallipoli page to be corrected. On 28 October 2026 Dr Kylie Galbraith, Senior Historian in the DVA History Team, confirmed the portal will be amended to the 16,000 to 18,000 range used in New Zealand public history (NZDF / Manatū Taonga / ww100 / Phenomenal and Wicked).

Guy Hollister conducted a full New Zealand WW1 troop audit (The Anzacs Roll Call and the ship audit). The Navy Museum’s published sailing list made the dual-source gate possible. The Anzac Portal correction means nearly twice as many New Zealand families as once thought have a direct Gallipoli link.

“The Navy Museum list is the backbone of the ship audit. Without that official HMNZT register we could not dual-tick the Gallipoli pipeline sailings or prove 23,053 travellers the way we have.” Guy Hollister

“Australia’s Anzac Portal is moving from 8,500 to 16,000-18,000 for New Zealanders at Gallipoli because of this audit, my letter, and my work. That figure belongs with the ships and the men, not in a quiet footnote.” Guy Hollister

Key facts

• Source B: Navy Museum troopships list, HMNZT 1-111 (navymuseum.co.nz … troopships).
• Source A: Online Cenotaph embarkation HMNZT on the soldier record (Auckland War Memorial Museum).
• Dual-ticked Gallipoli-pipeline sailings: 30.
• Dual-audited travellers: 23,053 (embarkation proof, not a per-man landing certificate). Open the ship audit.
• The Anzacs Roll Call Gallipoli campaign census: 22,479 (The Anzacs Roll Call).
• Published NZ landing estimate: about 16,000 to 18,000 (Crawford & Buck / NZ public history).
• Old Anzac Portal figure: about 8,500 (Waite 1919 ~8,556).
• DVA confirmation: 28 October 2026, Dr Kylie Galbraith, Senior Historian, History Team.
• Related release: Gallipoli numbers (portal correction detail).

Media contact

Guy Hollister
The Anzacs, Whanganui, New Zealand
Email: guy.hollister@gmail.com
Web: theanzacs.co.nz

About The Anzacs

The Anzacs (theanzacs.co.nz) is run by Guy Hollister from Whanganui, New Zealand. Guy is the great-grandson of Trooper Eric Meadowcroft. The Anzacs is dedicated to accurate remembrance of the New Zealanders who served, so that their families can find and honour them.

Ends

Also on this site: Ship audit · Gallipoli numbers · Audit trail · All Media