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War Surgery and Medicine

2 NZ Division

2 NZ Division

Killed and Wounded by Campaigns1
Campaign Killed in Action Died of Wounds Wounded PW Died of Wounds Wounded Total
Greece 180 50 371 25 225 851
Crete 507 136 1039 31 496 2209
Libya, 1941 671 208 1699 5 201 2784
Battle for Egypt 587 313 2414 36 247 3597
Alamein-Tripoli 335 123 1527 1 5 1991
Tunisia 316 71 1297 2 9 1695
Sangro 298 101 1116 4 16 1535
Cassino 340 114 1823 2 7 2286
Florence 227 71 896 4 1198
Rimini 180 44 878 8 1110
Faenza 141 52 847 1 1041
Senio-Trieste 183 59 1145 1387
—— —— —— —— —— ——
3965 1342 15,052 107 1218 21,684
Ratios (approximate)
Killed and Died of Wounds to Wounded (incl PW) Died of Wounds to Wounded (not incl PW)
Greece 2:5 1:8
Crete 2:5 1:8
Libya, 1941 1:2 1:8
Battle for Egypt 1:3 1:8
Alamein-Tripoli 1:3 1:12
Tunisia 1:3 1:12
Sangro 1:3 1:12
Cassino 1:4 1:12
Florence 1:3 1:12
Rimini 1:4 1:20
Faenza 1:4 1:20
Senio-Trieste 1:5 1:20

The second column (died of wounds to wounded) indicates an improved recovery rate for wounded as war medical science progressed and as lines of evacuation became more favourable. (If prisoners of war are included the only changes are that Crete and Libya become 1:9 instead of 1:8.)

Analysis of the first column must take account of other complications, but severity of injury resulting in death (immediate or postponed) seems to have decreased as balance of power in armour, air force, and artillery swung from the enemy to us.

page 89
Survey of Causes of Wounds and Types of Wounds in Casualties of 2 NZ Division, 20 June to 31 July 1942

(Deaths not included)

Cause of Wound
GSW 450
SW 477
Air bomb 277
Mortar 4
Crushing 3
Bomb and shell blast 37
Mines, etc. 64
——
1312
Site of Wound
head
Concussion 39
Contusions and simple wounds, scalp 37
Fractur cranium 4
Penetrating cranium 9
Penetrating eyeball 8
Contusion, eyeball 2
Enucleation, eye 3
Ear 5
Ear, with rupture tympanic membrane 12
face
Simple flesh contusions and wounds 26
Fracture mandible 2
Fracture maxilla 1
neck
Simple flesh contusions and wounds 15
chest
Simple flesh contusions and wounds 53
Penetrating chest 37
Haemothorax 2
Pneumothorax 3
abdomen
Simple flesh contusions and wounds 7
Penetrating and perforating abdomen 8
back and spine 69
genital organs 13
upper extremities
Simple flesh contusions and wounds 280
Joint involvement 28
Compound fractures 50
Compound fractures, hand 33
Nerve injury 9
lower extremities
Simple flesh contusions and wounds 440
Joint involvement—
Hip 4
Knee 27
Foot 8
Compound fractures—
Pelvis 1
Femur 29
Patella 2
Tibia and fibula 35
Os calcis, tarsus 13
Phalanges 8
Nerve injury 7
——
1329
burns
First degree 5
First and second 5
Second 11
Second and third 1
effects bomb blast (no traumatic injury) 15
page 90
Regional Classification of 5111 Wounds
Percentage of Total Wounds
head
Fracture cranium 30 303 5.93
Penetrating cranium 43
Concussion and contusions 165
Eye 65
ear
Rupture membrana tympani 152 205 4.01
Other 53
face
Fractures 39 210 4.11
Flesh wounds 171
neck
Flesh wounds 93 93 1.82
chest
Perforating 186 344 6.73
Non-perforating 158
a bdomen
Penetrating and perforating 531 106 2.07
Fracture pelvis and lesions abdomen 18
Flesh wounds 35
back and spine
Fractures with lesions cord 5 250 4.89
Fractures without lesions cord 7
Ilium 13
Flesh wounds 225
upper extremities
Simple fractures 26 1477 28.90
Compound fractures 418
Nerve injuries 75
Flesh wounds 958
lower extremities
Simple fractures 58 2084 40.78
Compound fractures 483
Nerve injuries 35
Flesh wounds 1508
burns 39 39 0.76
—— —— ——
5111 5111 100.00

Killed in action and deaths in medical units NOT included.

Note: A survey of 4991 wounds in 2 AIF in Middle East in 1941 produced similar figures regarding the parts of the body wounded: head, 5.09 per cent; face, 4.69 per cent; neck, 0.90 per cent; chest, 5.27 per cent; abdomen, 1.84 per cent; back and spine, 4.09 per cent; upper extremities, 26.43 per cent; lower extremities, 40.93 per cent; old wounds, 9.50 per cent; others, 1.26 per cent.

page 91

1 Compiled from Statement of Strengths and Losses in the Armed Services and Mercantile Marine in the 1939–45 War, Parliamentary paper H-19B, 1948.