Title: New Zealand Medical Services in Middle East and Italy

Author: Stout, T. Duncan M.

Publication details: Historical Publications Branch, 1956, Wellington

Part of: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945

This text is the subject of: ‘Something of Them Is Here Recorded’: Official History in New Zealand

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Messages of Appreciation

When the New Zealand Division withdrew for a spell from the Alamein line the DDMS 13 Corps, Brigadier E. Phillips, took the opportunity of sending the following message of appreciation to ADMS 2 NZ Division, Colonel Ardagh, on 10 September:

The New Zealand Division has been now in this Corps for some three months; during this time we have been through some arduous times together which have entailed much hard work, accompanied by no little danger. The three NZ Field Ambulances under your command have nearly all the time been the nodal point of evacuation and through the Main Dressing Stations have passed United Kingdom and Indian troops in addition to your own. Throughout all this time there never has been one other word than that of praise from the patients for the sympathetic care and attention they have received, while the Casualty Clearing Stations and General Hospitals have expressed over and over again their admiration page 375 at the way in which patients from the New Zealand Field Ambulances had been treated and the excellent state in which they arrived at these Hospitals.

Sickness Figures, Alamein, 1942

	Eighth Army (Admissions to Field Medical Units)			Panzerarmee Afrika (Admissions to Army Medical Stations)
	Sep	Oct	Nov	Sep	Oct	Nov
Dysentery/Diarrhoea	1,793	1,391	1,293	4,832	4,014	1,508
Digestive	933	816	517
Skin diseases	927	944	622	1,516	1,048	701
Infective hepatitis	449	1,438	1,861	799	957	505
Pyrexia not yet diagnosed	1,073	847	591
Diphtheria and tonsils				679	424	206
Accidental injuries	858	825	736	489	611	489
Other diseases	4,384	4,883	3,078	2,739	2,900	1,659
	——	——	——	——	——	——
Total	10,417	11,144	8,698	11,054	9,954	5,068
	——	——	——	——	——	——
Strength of Army	177,000			52,000?
Sick rate per 1000	59	63	48	200	191	97