MEDICAL SERVICES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 October 1941, Page 6

MEDICAL SERVICES

GENERAL HOSPITAL UNIT RE-EQUIPPED. PART IN GREEK CAMPAIGN.' (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service). CAIRO, September 8. Reconstructed and re-equipped, a New Zealand general hospital unit which played an admirable part in the campaign in Greece paraded this morning before the chief of New Zealand’s medical services overseas. With that smartness and precision that one has come to expect of men of the medical corps, the unit gave a display that spoke of thorough training and keen discipline. The men looked, as indeed they are, ready for instant action.

Headed by a southern training battalion’s Highland pipe band, they marched across their desert parade-ground and swung smartly past the saluting base, where the salute was taken by their brigadier. With him were the matron-in-chief of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service, overseas, several other members of the nursing service, and a number of senior medical officers.

“I should like to express my appreciation and pleasure at the bearing of all ranks of this hospital,” said the brigadier, addressing the unit after the march-past. “The occasion is a particularly pleasing one as it marks a definite stage in the reconstruction of a valued unit of the New Zealand medical services. , This unit has already a record of which it can well be proud, not only in the United Kingdom, but also in Egypt where they established one of the most modern hospitals in the country.”

Then had come Greece, continued the brigadier, and again in that next stage of its chequered career the unit had given of its best, though it had suffered grave losses in personnel and equipment. For a time it had been doubtful if the unit could be reformed. The original members of the hospital, however, had left no doubt about their desire in the matter. The work of the quartermaster sergeant, Staff-Sergeant Rhind, in particular in collecting up the equipment had gone a long way towards rendering re-establishmeht of the unit possible. Meanwhile the gaps in the ranks had been filled by welltrained reinforcements.

“The work which the unit may be called Upon to perform in the future may not be so full of incident,” concluded the officer, “but will, none the less, call for enduring and faithful service. The keenness and zeal displayed by all ranks since reorganisation is an augury that the unit is prepared to make a record that shall be second to none in the story of the care of sick and wounded in the N.Z.E.F.”