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New Zealand Medical Services in Middle East and Italy

Deaths in New Zealand Medical Units, September–December 1944

Deaths in New Zealand Medical Units, September–December 1944

There were very few deaths other than those occurring in the field ambulances and only two deaths in hospital in Italy other than from battle casualties, a remarkably small number in over 20,000 men in 2 NZEF in Italy. One of the two deaths followed an injury and the other was from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm.

NZ Other Total
Deaths in FSU 4 3 7
Deaths in CCS 16 6 22
Deaths in 1 Gen Hosp 10 4 14
Deaths in 2 Gen Hosp 3 3
Deaths in 3 Gen Hosp 1 1
—— —— ——
34 13 47
Casualty State 2 NZ Division, November 1943–November 1944 (NB: Accidental injuries are included in BC figures up to 31 January 1944.)
Sick BC Acc. Inj. Total Discharged (RTU)
1943
18–30 Nov 260 228 (not recorded) 488 43
Dec 833 1,011 (not recorded) 1,844 228
1944
Jan 693 217 910 159
Feb 813 328 166 1,307 160
Mar 922 811 222 1,955 252
Apr 695 109 216 1,020 161
May 993 272 249 1,514 305
Jun 1,099 165 172 1,436 357
Jul 1,279 593 237 2,109 415
Aug 1,264 316 181 1,761 401
Sep 1,523 451 219 2,193 382
Oct 1,495 332 153 1,980 583
1–17 Nov 781 118 899 294
—— —— —— —— ——
Totals 12,650 4,833 1,933 19,416 3,740
page 641
Casualties in 2 NZ Division During Period of One Year in Italy up Till 17 November 1944
Battle Casualties (including killed and PW) 6,094
Sick 14,583
Evacuated for medical boarding 288
——
20,965
Returned to units from MDS 3,740
——
Temporarily lost to the Division 17,225

The only permanent loss to the Division consisted of those men downgraded as unfit for further service in the Division and those evacuated to New Zealand. This would be a relatively small percentage of the total.

A total equal to the strength of the Division passed through the medical units in the year.

Main Categories Cases of Fever NYD 2,039
Cases of accidental injury 1,933
Cases of Hepatitis 1,924
Cases of VD 1,028
——
6,924
Patients in Medical Units–Percentage of Troops in 2 NZEF
Italy Egypt Total Patients
1 Oct 10·62 (excluding BCs 4·94) 4·94 2947
31 Oct 9·96 (excluding BCs 7·84) 3·8 2698
30 Nov 9·81 (excluding BCs 8·38) 4·3 2847
31 Dec 9·75 (excluding BCs 6·98) 5·4 2720

The surgical work carried out at 2 NZ General Hospital, our forward base hospital, during 1944 is well illustrated by the following statistics:

Classification of missiles causing wounds, and also regional distribution of wounds and deaths, of the 2084 battle casualties admitted to 2 General Hospital from forward areas in 1944. (Lieutenant-Colonel J. M. Clarke)

Missiles Responsible Patients Percentage
GSW 276 13·24
SW (HE) 1072 51·48
Mortar 392 18·80
Grenade 146 7·00
Mine 148 7·10
Aerial bomb 25 1·19
Bayonet 1 0·04
Various 24 1·15
—— ——
2084 100·00
page 642
Regional Distribution Wounds Percentage
Head wounds—Severe 51 123 5·9
Slight 72
Spine, involving cord 13 17 0·8
Spine, not involving cord 4
Neck, severe 3 0·1
Facio-maxillary 21 1·0
Eye 64 3·0
Blast effects—Ears 66 3·1
Other 24 1·2
Chest 53 2·5
Thoraco-abdominal 12 0·6
Abdominal 57 2·7
External genitalia 10 0·5
Major joints 117 5·6
Major nerves 103 4·9
Major vessels 52 2·5
Fractures, compound 352 16·9
Fractures, simple 8 0·4
Amputations—Major 55 2·75
Minor 15 0·75
Flesh wounds only 1153 55·3
Burns 15 0·75
Due to masonry 29 1·4
Deaths—
Due to abdominal wounds 9
Due to thoraco-abdominal wounds 1
Due to chest wounds 2
Due to uraemia 2
Due to pyaemia from infected wounds 2
——
16—0·8 per cent of total
Italy, 1944–Comparative Casualty Rates of Cases Admitted to all Medical Units (Rate per 1000 British troops per year taken as 100)
British Canadian New Zealand Indian African Total Force
Battle casualties 100 192 230 294 143 128
Accidental injuries 100 169 291 233 298 127
Burns 100 217 308 163 155 125
Diseases 100 153 161 83 110 107
All admissions 100 161 180 124 126 111
page 643
Diseases in Italy, 1944–Comparative Morbidity Rates of Cases Admitted to all Medical Units (Rate per 1000 British troops per year taken as 100)
British Canadian New Zealand Indian African Total Force
Malaria 100 76 12 29 33 88
Venereal disease 100 136 107 52 172 102
Infective hepatitis 100 353 677 59 98 142
Dysenteries 100 76 202 106 134 102
Diphtheria 100 163 135 6 34 100
Pneumonia 100 100 526 86 125 113
Influenza 100 967 354 148 235 204
Sandfly fever 100 13 68 46 94 86
Enteric fever 100 791 256 32 38 170
Tuberculosis 100 48 73 589 560 138
Helminthic diseases 100 238 1329 1757 33 267
Food poisoning 100 70 30 230 626 116
Nervous disorders (incl. exhaustion) 100 156 161 61 181 107
Skin diseases 100 132 185 108 94 106
IAT 100 130 179 114 127 107
All diseases 100 153 161 83 110 107