23 NZ Field Ambulance

Maadi Camp Hospital had persisted since the days of the First Echelon and had never been given an adequate establishment as it was felt that it could carry on with reinforcement personnel. Now that reinforcements were no longer forthcoming it was felt that it would be reasonable to set up a proper establishment, even if it was unlikely that it could be maintained at full strength. This was done in September and the unit became 23 NZ Field Ambulance, which designation it had originally been given at the end of June as part of the reserve formation organised in Maadi Camp. In October the unit expanded to 400 beds to take convalescent infective hepatitis cases from 1 General Hospital and so make room for battle casualties from the big offensive at El Alamein.