HOME HOSPITALS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 882, 7 December 1916, Page 9

HOME HOSPITALS.

OUR WOUNDED IN ENGLAND. Press Association. WELLINGTON, December C. In view of the fact that inquiries are continually being received as to the procedure followed in the treatment of our wounded soldiers in England, the Minister of Defence has issued the following statement for general uiformation: — Whenever possible, casualties among'the New Zealand Expeditionary Force are transferred from the front lo England, and it frequently happens that our soldiers are comfortably settled in English hospitals within 2-1 hours of their being wounded in Fiance. Upon their arrival in England, New Zealand soldiers arc sent—

(1) To the New Zealand General Hospital, No. 1, Rrockenhurst, in which there are 1500 beds, with a separate building and 150 beds for oilicers: or

(2) To the New Zealand General Hospital, No. 2, Walton-on-Thames. in which there are 520 beds; or (3) To one of the many British military hosp'lals situated through* out the United Kingdom. Regulations have been issued by ihe War Office that New 'Zealand soldiers should be concentrated in as few hospitals as possible, so it is the exception for New Zealanders to be located in hospital without any fel-low-countrymen.

From the hospitals many of our j soldiers are drafted to the New Zealand Convalescent Hospital at Horri- | church, where there are 1025 beds. i Here the patients arc divided into three classes—(a) Fit for service, (b) | likely to be fit for service within six I months, (c) nol likely to be lit within j six months. Soldiers in Glass G are I returned direct to New Zealand as : opportunity offers. Those in Glasses '. A and B are transferred to Command Depot, Godl'ord, where they are divided into five different squads. I The first of these contains only men who are lit for general service, and •who after 14 days' trial are sent to I join Ihe reserve group at Sling Gamp, I situated on Salisbury Plain. The | other soldiers are detailed to other squads, according to Iheir physical fitness, until they are eventually passed as til through Squad 1. At the reserve group at Sling Camp I are located Ihe reinforcements as they arrive from New Zealand, and i from here Ihe New Zealanders cross lo Ihe New Zealand Infantry Base : Depot in France, en route to the New Zealand Division and the trenches.

Soldiers who require hospital treatment while al Sling Camp or Codford Command Depot arc treated in No. 3 New Zealand Hospital, Codford, in which, there are 350 beds. The .above figures are not exactly correct, as Ihe hospital accommodation has recently been increased, but il is anticipated that this statement will supply general information of much interest lo those who have relatives at the front.