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War Surgery and Medicine

Down-gradings

Down-gradings

Other wastage occurred with troops who had to be downgraded, although many did useful work as graded men. The causes for down-grading at 31 December 1944 (Table X) show that functional nervous disorders, pes planus, and hallux valgus predominated (a large proportion of the foot disabilities was mainly psychoneurotic in origin). Battle wounds and accidental injuries caused a number of down-gradings, but many of these were only temporary. Debility and various diseases of bones, joints, and muscles came in the next large group. Each month a number of men who had further deteriorated in condition were boarded for return to New Zealand. Their places in the ranks of graded men were usually more than filled by new down-gradings, so that the number of graded men was a steadily mounting total. Thus the number in 1944 is larger than it was in the earlier years of the war, although the causes of down-grading varied little.