THE CASUALTIES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2948, 7 December 1916, Page 8

THE CASUALTIES

HOW SICK AND WOUNDED FARE.

In view of tho fact that continual inquiries are being received as to the procedure followed in tho treatment of our wounded soldiers in England, the Hon. Minister of Defence has issued the following statement for general information

"Whenever possible casualties among tho' New Zealand Expeditionary Force are transferred from the 'front' to England, and it frequently happens that our soldiers are comfortably, settled in an English hospital within twenty-four hours of being wounded in France. \

"Upon arrival in England New Zealand soldiers are sent to —(1) New Zealand General Hospital No. 1 at Brockenhurst, which has 1500 beds, with a separate building containing *150 beds for officers; or (2) New Zealand General Hospital No. 2, at Walton-on-Thames, which lias 520 beds; or (3) one of the many British military hospitals situated throughout tho United Kingdom. Regulations have, however, been issued by the War Office that New Zealand soldiers should bo concentrated in as few hospitals as possible, so that it is tho exception for New Zcalanders to bo located in a hospital without fellow-countrymen. "From hospitals many of our soldiers aro drafted to the New Zealand Convalescent Hospital, Hornchurch, where there aro 1025_ beds; hero the patients are divided into three classes as foltyws: —A: Fit for service. B: Likely to be,lit for service within six months. C: Not likely to fit within six months.

"Soldiers in Class C arc returned direct to New Zealand as opportunity offers, and those in classes A and B are transferred to the Command Depot, Codford, where they are divided up into five different squads. The first of these contains only men fit for general service, who after fourteen days' trial are sent to join the Reserve Group. Sling Camp, situated on Salisbury Plain, and soldiers are detailed to the other squads, according to their physical fitness, until tliey eventually are passed fit through-Squad 1. "At the Reserve Group, Sling, are also located tlio Reinforcements as tliey arrivo from New Zealand, and from hero the New Zealanders cross to tho New Zealand infantry base depot in France, en route to the New Zealand Division and tho trenches. "Soldiers who require hospital treatment while at Sling Camp or the Codford Command Depot are treated in the No. 3 New Zealand Hospital at Codfnrd, which has 350 beds. "The above figures will not bo exactly correct, as hospital accommodation has recently been increased, but it is anticipated that this statement will supply general information of much interest to those who have relatives at tho front."