Medical Officers

A well-known officer in any unit is the RMO. The 29th has seen several medical officers come and go during its existence. Lieutenant John Dickie was the battalion's first RMO, and one long remembered by the 'old hands'. His tour of duty with the unit was not very long, however, and early in the Fijian campaign he was relieved by Captain Ken Archer. Captain Archer did not escape the usual good-humoured jibe levelled at any RMO of the battalion in an inactive role—namely that he is a champion at 'spine drill'. He is said to have shared this honour with one 'Horizontal' Mac. His subsequent career shows that he was awake, however. In 1943 he was appointed DADMS of the division and the following year became second-in-command of the 24th Field Ambulance.

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He was succeeded by Captain 'Wally' Williams, who is said to have shown a morbid interest in flies, and who kept members of the battalion constantly on the lookout for 'all manner of flies and lice in all their quarters'. He returned beaten by the flies, at Nasese, and Lieutenant Don Gash joined the battalion. There may have been some truth in his contention that all sickness was 'mainly psychological'—at any rate just before route marches and manoeuvres in New Caledonia.

Dr. Gash, now Captain, departed during the Ouameni period, and Captain Alan Alexander took his place. The new MO went forward with the battalion into action in the Treasury Islands, where he did good work. From there, promoted to Major, he was transferred to the surgical staff of the 4 NZ General Hospital. Captain Denis Allen then came to the battalion after a long stay in Waiouru which no one envied him. He was a chess player and took a keen interest in any contest in the mess, pouring withering scorn on bad play. In medicine, if asked the possible beneficial action of a drug, he almost invariably concluded his opinion with the words—'Anyhow, try it; I don't suppose it will do any harm'.