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 |