Title: War Surgery and Medicine

Author: Stout, T. Duncan M.

Publication details: Historical Publications Branch, 1954, 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

Conditions of use

Share:

War Disablement Pensions

War disablement pensions granted up to 31 March 1950 are shown in Table XII. The statistics apply to all three services. The number of servicemen demobilised from overseas service up to 31 March 1951 was 145,054, and from home service 66,734, and the pensions granted at least temporarily to these groups were 43,087 and 10,551 respectively. It will be noted that service within New Zealand alone gave rise to nearly one-fifth of the pensions. The generous outlook as regards pension administration means that some pensions have been paid for pre-enlistment disabilities not detected at the enlistment of recruits, and to some extent explains why nervous disabilities constitute the most numerous group.

Some claims for pensions were coming in seven years after the end of the war, but their numbers were more than offset by the steady reduction in the number of temporary pensions paid. At 31 March 1950 the temporary pensions for Second World War service were 13,011, and the permanent pensions 10,065. Over 76 per cent of all the pensions were assessed at less than 40 per cent disability. Unfortunately, details of the disabilities of these groups are not available. It is of interest to note that 13,585 permanent pensions and 230 temporary pensions were being paid at 31 March 1950 for ex-servicemen of the First World War, and that 49 per cent of these were assessed at less than 40 per cent disability.

page 753

Table I
2 NZEF, MEF AND CMF
Morbidity: Admissions to Medical Units for Disease July 1941 to December 1945

Disease	No. of Cases, July 1941 to December 1945	Percentage of all Sick Admissions
Dysentery	5846	7.29
Diarrhoea	3926	4.90
Infective hepatitis	7051	8.79
PUO	2848	3.55
Malaria	2065	2.57
Pneumonia	2594	3.22
Bronchitis	1417	1.77
Influenza	1305	1.65
Common cold	1036	1.29
Sandfly fever	1053	1.31
Anxiety neurosis	1696	2.11
Nervous and physical exhaustion	1013	1.26
Otitis media and externa	1959	2.44
Sinusitis	1330	1.66
Tonsillitis—catarrhal	1519	1.89
follicular	1756	2.19
Venereal disease	4477	5.58
Skin diseases	4774	5.95
IAT	5903	7.36
Scabies	1450	1.81
Fibrositis	1188	1.48
	——	——
	56206	70.07
Total sick admissions	80215

Wastage is related to duration of stay, and figures for the British Army MEF in 1943, for Hospital and Convalescent Depot combined, were (in days): Dysentery, 17; infective hepatitis, 40; PUO, 11.8; malaria, 24.4; pneumonia, 42.2; bronchitis, 24.6; common cold, 10.2; sandfly fever, 10.6; psychiatric disorders, 36; otitis media and externa, 24.5; tonsillitis, 14.3; venereal disease, 19.2; dermatitis, 32; boils and carbuncles, 24.3; scabies, 10.5; rheumatic conditions, 24.3.

Average: 24.7 days.

Table II
Infectious Diseases, 2 NZEF and 2 AIF Compared

	1940				1941				1942
—-	Admissions		Rate/1000		Admissions		Rate/1000		Admissions		Rate/1000
	Aust	NZ	Aust	NZ	Aust	NZ	Aust	NZ	Aust	NZ	Aust	NZ
Dysentery	298	399	21	45	2561	1136	34	40	1330	935	32	31
Malaria	131	73	9	8	2312	323	30	11	932	728	10	24
Venereal disease	502	448	36	50	3704	745	48	26	1964	654	47	22
Average strengths for	Aust		NZ		Aust		NZ		Aust		NZ
year	14258		8875		76440		28308		41594		30151

page 754

Table III
2 NZEF, MEF AND CMF
Morbidity: Admissions to Medical Units, 1943-45

	1943	1944	1945
Injuries—battle casualties	2681	4209	1384
accidental	3440	3738	2668
self-inflicted	5	2	2
Hepatitis and catarrhal jaundice	545	2990	647
Dysentery	1673	875	628
Malaria	452	292	197
Pneumonia	516	750	363
Pleurisy	142	123	91
Influenza	285	333	143
Typhoid fever	145	34	9
Paratyphoid fever	5	2
Smallpox	2	3
Typhus	10
Poliomyelitis	8	3	6
Tuberculosis	23	15	9
Cerebrospinal meningitis	2	14	6
Mumps	6	11	13
Measles	23	11	6
Diphtheria	66	73	167
Chickenpox	19	11	21
Sandfly fever	358	144	27
Diarrhoea	973	1297	691
Anxiety neurosis	471	658	176
Mental cases	188	275	146
Nervous and physical exhaustion	329	558	114
Nervous	314	344	278
Eye	231	347	223
Otitis media	553	380	230
Otitis externa	139	210	118
Ear, other	56	89	65
Nose	540	508	306
Respiratory	167	211	176
Asthma and bronchitis	437	557	223
Circulation	210	194	130
Blood and blood-forming	103	100	78
Glands	93	119	102
Breast	3	16	4
Teeth and gums	125	209	241
Digestive	2768	3155	2707
Nutrition and metabolism	16	12	6
Bones, joints, muscles, etc.	961	1201	558
Areolar	1314	1862	1363
Skin	1174	1328	1236
Erysipelas	8	5
Infection and infestation	2133	3353	3484
Generative—venereal	373	1361	3075
non-venereal	447	415	952
Urinary	302	271	213
Other causes	792	836	961
	——	——	——
	25626	33504	24243
Average strength of 2 NZEF	31554	32538	26557

page 755

In the Statistical Report on the Health of the British Army, issued by War Office, it is reported that in Italy in 1944 the mean duration of stay in hospital and convalescent depot was slightly less than 3½ weeks for disease, 4 weeks for accidental injuries, and nearly 7 weeks for battle casualties. A much higher proportion of the last-mentioned went to convalescent depot than of either of the other two classes.

In the table above most of the cases in 1943 were from the Middle East and most of those for 1944 and 1945 from Italy.

Table IV
2 NZ Division
Cases Admitted to Medical Units, Italy

	18 Nov 1943 to 17 Nov 1944	18 Nov 1944 to 30 Sep 1945
Dysentery	272	53
Diarrhoea	750	234
Infective hepatitis	1924	494
Malaria	60	47
NYD fever	2039	949
Respiratory	439	175
Pneumonia	32	38
ENT	892	797
Scabies	228	847
Pediculosis	186	356
VD	1028	1428
Physical exhaustion	603	160
Accidental injuries	1933	1507
Other diseases	86	50	(estimated)
	——	——
	10472	7135
Discharged to unit from Field Ambulances	3740	2500	(estimated)
	——	——
	14212	9635
Battle casualties	4833	2441	(war ended May 1945)
	——	——
	19045	12076
	——	——
Average strength of Division	20,500	18,000	(approx)

The number of first attendances at RAPs (incl BCs) averaged 4405 for the months December 1944 to September 1945. With BCs excluded the average was 4205 per month.

Table VA
2 NZEF, MEF AND CMF
Average Daily Sickness Rate (Fresh Cases) per 1000 per Month

	1941		1942		1943		1944		1945
	Offrs	ORs	Offrs	ORs	Offrs	ORs	Offrs	ORs	Offrs	ORs
Jan			1.35	1.35	1.1	1.3	1.28	1.29	1.89	2.2
Feb			1.56	1.53	1.1	1.3	2.1	2.08.	1.73	2.05
Mar			0.75	0.92	1.5	1.49	2.2	2.2	1.69	2.13
Apr			0.98	1.53	1.96	2.35	1.4	1.35	2.07	3.25
May			1.37	1.39	1.5	1.49	2.2	2.2	1.69	2.13
Jun			1.5	2.2	1.9	1.95	1.46	1.73	1.87	2.79
Jul					1.87	2.43	2.2	2.04	1.79	2.24
Aug	2.4	2.03			1.84	2.09	1.96	2.17	2.05	2.41
Sep	1.9	1.6	2.2	2.2	1.46	1.95	2.33	2.55
Oct	2.0	2.2	3.62	3.57	0.84	1.12	2.74	3.16
Nov	1.9	2.0	2.2	2.3	1.09	1.19	2.84	2.84
Dec	1.4	1.4	1.9	1.76	1.85	1.85	1.94	2.94

page 756

Table VB
Percentage of 2 NZEF, MEF and CMF in Medical Units at End of Each Month

	1942		1943		1944		1945
	Sick &		Sick &		Sick &		Sick &
	BC	Sick	BC	Sick	BC	Sick	BC	Sick
Jan			5.62	4.4	5.89	4.55	7.36	5.91
					9.60	5.82	3.28	3.28	Egypt
Feb			5.52	4.86	7.77	6.13	5.77	4.67
					7.17	4.01	2.7	2.7	Egypt
Mar			6.61	4.74	9.05	5.74	5.78	5.0
					4.67	3.21	4.2	4.2	Egypt
Apr			7.97	4.98	7.71	5.46	9.18	4.77
					4.7	2.97	5.1	5.1
May	5.45		5.88	4.02	7.49	5.79	4.69	3.43
					3.93	3.73	5.3	5.3	Egypt
Jun	6.57	6.32	5.25	4.43	5.96	5.08	4.38	3.58
					3.26	3.16	4.48	4.48	Egypt
Jul	12.03	7.83	5.26	5.03	8.25	5.98	3.04	2.97
					3.08	3.08			Egypt
Aug		13.48	8.49	4.47	4.39	7.69	5.64	3.56	3.52
					3.79	3.79			Egypt
Sep	12.3	9.1	4.59	4.54	10.62	7.84	4.67	4.64
					3.8	3.8			Egypt
Oct	13.02	11.2	3.97	3.93	9.96	7.84	4.44	4.43
					4.94	4.94			Egypt
Nov	13.41	8.96	3.29	3.14	9.81	8.38	3.79	3.77
					4.3	4.3			Egypt
Dec	9.32	6.84	6.00	3.74	9.75	6.98	5.03	4.97
					5.4	5.4			Egypt

In 1944 and 1945 the first figures for each month refer to Italy only.

The only two large epidemics (those of infective hepatitis) are reflected in the high figures for autumn 1942 and autumn 1944.

Table Vc 2 NZEF MEF Bed States Base Medical Units

	All Hospitals	Convalescent Depot and Rest Homes
1 May 1942	1386	256
1 Jun	1357	479
1 Jul	2674	822
1 Aug	2434	1500
1 Sep	2784	1283
1 Oct	2637	974
1 Nov	2904	1179
1 Dec	2773	1051
1 Jan 1943	2067	688
1 Feb	1964	524
1 Mar	1655	359
1 Apr	1635	280
	——	——
Average over twelve months	2189.2	782.9

An estimate in May 1945 gave the average number held in all base medical units at any one time as 2100. Of these, it was estimated that 1500 would be sick, 300 accidental injuries, and 300 battle casualties. The average monthly addition of invalids for evacuation to New Zealand by hospital ship was judged to be 120, of whom 90 would be sick and 30 battle casualties.

page 757

Table VI
2 NZEF 1940–45
Invalids Evacuated to New Zealand
Sickness And Accidental Injuries (See also Table VIA)—

Respiratory disease	747
Infectious disease	366
Nervous disease	1927
Digestive disease	412
Ear disease	274
Eye disease	255
Nose disease	74
Circulatory	217
Blood and glands	65
Metabolic	35
Malignant	25
Debility	172
Skin	321
Genito-urinary	208
Hernia	36
Bones, joints, and muscles	908
	——
	6042
Accidental injuries	767

Average strength of 2 NZEF, 30,000 (approx.).

Table VI A
Invalids (Sick) Evacuated to New Zealand from 2 NZEF, MEF and CMF, 1940–45

INFECTIOUS DISEASE—
Infective hepatitis	124
Dysentery	86
Rheumatic fever	51
Poliomyelitis	30
Typhoid fever	17
Malaria	16
Venereal disease	12
Other	30
	——
	366
RESPIRATORY DISEASE—
Asthma	239
Bronchitis	173
Pleurisy	117
Tuberculosis	127
Pneumonia	27
Other	64
	——
	747
NERVOUS—
Anxiety neurosis	692
Nervous exhaustion	163
Schizophrenia	84
Psychopathic personality	72
Depression	94
Other	822
	——
	1927
DIGESTIVE—
Duodenal ulcer	163
Dyspepsia	83
Gastric and peptic ulcer	51
Other	115
	——
	412
EAR DISEASE—
Otitis media	190
Other	84
	——
	274
EYE DISEASE	255
NASAL DISEASE	74
CIRCULATORY DISEASE	217
BLOOD AND GLANDS	65
METABOLIC	35
MALIGNANT DISEASE	25
DEBILITY	172
SKIN DISEASE—
Eczema	171
Dermatitis	72
Other	78
	——
	321
GENITO-URINARY	208
HERNIA	36
BONES, JOINTS, AND MUSCLES—
Arthritis	196
Osteo-arthritis	112
Fibrositis	106
Pes planus and cavus	70
Sciatica	37
Other	387
	——
	908
	——
Total	6042

page 758

Table VII
1 NZEF: Evacuations to New Zealand and Discharges in United Kingdom, May 1916 to December 1918
SICKNESS AND ACCIDENTAL INJURIES—

Tubercle of the lung	960
Other tuberculous disease	125
Venereal	81
Carriers	12
Other general diseases	1753
Mental	175
Nervous system and shell shock	1370
Eye, ear, and nose	1012
Circulatory system	1713
CPDI (pulmonary, indeterminate)	283
Other respiratory diseases	1293
Digestive system	719
Urogenital system and suprarenals	448
Organs of locomotion	1874
Skin	26
Effects of gas	567
Other general injuries and trench foot	80
Local injuries	1092
Tubercle of lung and amputation of leg	3
CPDI and amputation of leg	1
	——
	13587

Table VIII
Deaths from Disease

	2 NZEF, MEF and CMF, 1940–45	1 NZEF, 1914–12 Nov 1918 (Carbery)
Meningitis—
Pneumococcal	14
Follg otitis media	5
Meningococcal	2	109
Other	8	6
Heart—
Heart failure	7	51
Myocarditis	6
Other	5
Pneumonia, lobar	14	578
Appendicitis and peritonitis	15	40
Generalised infection—
Septicaemia	8	7
Other	4	15
Haemorrhage—
Cerebral	8	5
Other	2	6
Acute abdominal conditions	8	14
Dysentery—
Bacillary	7	81
Amoebic	1
Poliomyelitis	8
Typhoid fever	8	126
Neoplasms	8	17
Infective hepatitis	6	10
Nephritis	6	30
Typhus fever	6
Anaemia	6	4
Diphtheria	4	9
Tuberculosis	4	149
Duodenal ulcer	3	2
PUO	2	5
Malaria	2	61
Influenza	152
Others	13	102
	——	——
	190	1579

page 759

Table IX
2 NZEF Prisoners of War. Deaths from Sickness

Pneumonia	12
Dysentery	12
Meningitis	8
Heart	6
Neoplasms	5
Tuberculosis, pulmonary	4
Diphtheria	4
Toxaemia	4
Nephritis	3
Peritonitis	3
Enterocolitis	3
Malaria	2
Cachexy	2
Other	25
Unknown	12
	——
	105

Table X
2 NZEF, MEF AND CMF
Graded Personnel at 31 December 1944

		Grade
	B	C	D	To
Officers—CMF	7	37	7	51
MEF	2	13	16	31
Other ranks—CMF	105	787	301	1193
MEF	76	451	287	814
	——	——	——	——
	190	1288	611	2089

Analysis by Disabilities

Nervous diseases, functional	751
Injuries—
Battle casualties	236
Accidental	147
Pes planus, hallux valgus, etc.	178
Debility	90
Arthritis, etc.	64
Deafness	60
Eye	59
Hernia	56
Knee disorders	53
Other diseases bone and muscle	49
Fibrositis	43
Skin	40
Otitis media and externa	39
Mental dullness	32
Respiratory	27
Nervous diseases, organic	25
Gastro-intestinal disorders	23
Cardio-vascular	15
Rheumatism	14
Asthma	13
Congenital defects	10
Varicose veins	9
Tumours and cysts	9
Sinusitis	8
Hepatitis	7
Other	32
	——
	2089

page 760

Table XIA
2 NZEF IP
Admissions to Medical Units, June 1943–July, 1944

DISEASE—
Skin disease	1930
Malaria	398
Dengue	372
Septic sore	547
Infected tonsils	331
Dysentery	281
Diarrhoea	213
PUO	241
Influenza	238
Nervous	233
Peptic conditions	210
Gasstro-enteritis	207
Appendicitis	186
Ankylostomiasis	166
Mental	160
Eye	108
Sinusitis	97
Asthma	90
Otitis media	79
Infective hepatitis	85
Gonorrhoea	44
Pneumonia	19
TB pulmonary	8
Diphtheria	5
	——
	6248
INJURIES—
Wonded	189
Accidental injuries	1291
Burns	206
Hernia	81
	——
	1767

Table XIB
2 NZEF IP
Medical Boradings to 31 May 1944

Disability	For Return to NZ	For Base Duties
Skin disease	115	250
Mental—neurosis	167	208
Mental—general	63	59
Accidental injuries	88	176
Battle casualties	32	15
Joints—diseases of	69	131
Digestive system	42	71
Asthma	85	48
Ear	27	120
Eye	12	56
Arthritis	44	68
Fibrositis	18	51
Physical exhaustion	23	50
Respiratory	32	21
Nose	17	35
Throat		8
Genito-urinary	30	30
Pes planus and cavus	13	103
Surgical history	14	29
Headaches	15	48
Varicose veins	4	23
Hernia	4	18
Malaria	3
Circulatory system	34	48
Miscellaneous	50	138
	——	——
	1001	1804

Some 60 officers are not included in the total of those graded for base duties. Some of those graded for base duties were probably reboarded later for return to New Zealand.

page 761

Table XII
War Disablement Pensions Granted to Ex-servicemen of Second World War up to 31 March 1950

		Area of Service
Class of Disability or Disease	Overseas	Japan	New Zealand	Total
Infections and infestations	1869	9	112	1990
Nervous system	9589	10	1646	11245
Ear, eye, and nose	6418	15	1317	7750
Circulatory and blood system	1925	1	985	2911
Metabolism and endocrine system	380	1	172	553
Lungs	3203	47	1077	4327
Diseases of bones, joints, muscles	5003	4	1807	6814
Digestive system	3825	7	1128	4960
Generative system	316		119	435
Gunshot wounds and accidental injuries to bones, joints, and soft tissues	5997	23	1183	7203*
Skin	2329	10	519	2858
Tumours and neoplastic growths	149		48	197
Malformations	300		131	431
Amputations	471		18	489
Urinary tract	525	2	135	662
Debility	442		109	551
	——	——	——	——
	42741	129	10506	53376

The total disablement pensions in force at 31 March 1950 for servicemen of the Second World War was 23,076, of whom 10,065 were classified as permanent and 13,011 as temporary.

The percentage of disability of these cases was:

Percentage of Disability	Permanent	Temporary	Total
100	510	946	1456
90–99	53	14	67
80–89	218	92	310
70–79	322	231	553
60–69	260	255	515
50–59	650	578	1228
40–49	606	595	1201
30–39	1135	1198	2333
20–29	3249	3739	6988
10–19	3033	5360	8393
Under 10	29	3	32
	——	——	——
	10065	13011	23076

It has not been possible to obtain an analysis of the disabilities for which pensions were still being granted at this date.

page 762

This volume was produced and published by the War History Branch of the Department of Internal Affairs

This volume was produced and published by the War History Branch of the Department of Internal Affairs

Editor-in-Chief	Sir Howard K. Kippenberger, kbe, cb, dso, ed
Medical Editor	T. D. M. Stout, cbe, dso, ed
Associate Editor	M. C. Fairbrother, dso, obe, ed
Sub-Editor	W. A. Glue
Illustrations Editor	J. D. Pascoe
Archives Officer	R. L. Kay
Draughtsman	L. D. McCormick

the author: Colonel Stout was educated at Wellington College and at Guys Hospital, London. He served overseas for the whole period of the 1914–18 War, first in the Samoan Advance Force and then in Egypt, Salonika, France, and England. He was attached to 1 NZ Stationary Hospital and was seconded with a New Zealand surgical team to British casualty clearing stations during the battles of the Somme and Vimy. He was later Surgical Divisional Officer at 1 NZ General Hospital at Brockenhurst and acted as Consultant Surgeon 1 NZEF at the later stages of the war. He was awarded the DSO and OBE and mentioned in despatches. After the war he was attached as Surgical Consultant to the Trentham Military Hospital and later acted as surgical examiner for the Pensions Department throughout the inter-war period.

Proceeding overseas with the Second Echelon in May 1940, he served with 2 NZEF in England, Egypt, Greece, North Africa and Italy, first as Surgical Divisional Officer 1 NZ General Hospital and, from May 1941 till October 1945, as Consultant Surgeon 2 NZEF. He was awarded the CBE and mentioned in despatches.

In civil life Colonel Stout held the position of Senior Surgeon to the Wellington Hospital from 1920 till 1945, since when he has been an honorary Consultant Surgeon to the hospital. For many years he was a University lecturer in surgery and also an examiner in surgery to the University of New Zealand. He has played an active part in the British Medical Association and has held the position of President and Chairman of Council of the New Zealand Branch. He was also for many years on the New Zealand Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He has been associated with the University of New Zealand as a Member of Senate and also as a member and chairman of the Victoria College Council and as a member of the Massey College Council.