FIELD AMBULANCE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 41, 18 January 1944, Page 2

FIELD AMBULANCE

"GREAT JOB OF WORK - '

LANDING OX MONO ISLAND

; New Caledonia. Dee. 22. "[' should like lo sec Ihc New Zealand Field Ambulance- attached to the brigade in the Treasury Group awarded full points for a great job of work," commented Anti-Aircraft Sergeant R. G. Denize, of Coromande!,. now a war Casualty in the New Zealand General Hospita 1 win n - ed lor his observations during the Mono Island campaign. Enemy mortar lire caused his knee wouu is our the patient is doing avcll. Sergeant Denize said to establish the hospital it was necessary first to tarve a "home" out of the jungle which extended almost to the water's edge. While this was being done tarpaulins swung from three provided the only available shelter, and under this meagre, shelter car'y casualties were housed. These were the conditions under which New Zealand doctors performed their first operation in the forward zone, and throughout the night additional surgical operations Ave re performed despite air raids. The erection of tents to bouse the wounded commenced the. following day, when further surgical cases arrived and were treated .mder most primitive conditions. There" were also heavy falls of rain to make matters worse,, but by- nighttime most of the tents' were crect- ! Ed and the. hospital organisation was j completed in quick time. "Doctors and ordeiies Avoiked some of whom were badly hurt," said Sergeant Denize. "Although the hospital staff lived on hard rations the patients were treated to stew which was like Christmas dinner. Another crowd which deserved credit were the American doctors and staff on a landing barge. Even while the barge was, being unloaded the Americans accepted a number of New Zealand casualties. On one craft an American doctor and his staff attended about sixty New Zea--1 antlers. They could not do enough for us, and even took care to ensure the speed of the barge was sufficient. to enable us to arrive at a time when we could be taken directly to a casualty clearing station." Sergeant Den'ize described the Japanese, as a "mongrel" fighter, who simp'y relied on infiltration at night. Unless cornered he backed away from opponent duiing daylight hours.