PRICE OF VICTORY

Taranaki Daily News, 19 September 1931, Page 14

PRICE OF VICTORY

HOW THE WAR WAS WOK SACRIFICES BY BRITAIN. In the latest volume of the “Official History ot the' War” is told the tale, . ftt once terrible and glorious, of the sacrifices made in blood by Great Bri- > tain in order to win the war. Side by side With that record is explained the wonderful contribution made by medical science to victory. ■ Major T. J. Mitchell, D. 5.0., of the IJtoyal Array Medical Corps, with Miss Kx. M. Smith, has prepared in this volume on “Medical Service' a statistical analysis of casualties on a vast scale. It is, indeed, the most complete work Of its kind ever attempted. It shows how the problem of the conservation of man-power can be acutely affected by the success or failure of the efforts yiade behind- the lines to. return the «ick and wounded to the effective forces. * In the case of the British Forces, it is calculated that 82 per cent, of the wounded and 93 per cent, of the sick or injured' were ultimately returned to some form of duty. Of the wounded who returned, 64 per cent, went again to the front line and the rest to the lines of communication, garrison duty or the like. The value of this achievement in a prolonged war, where vast forces have to be kept up to strength, is emphasised. / The approximate total casualties in (the British Expeditionary Force are returned at 11,096,338. For every casualty inflicted by the visible enemy (in battle) the invisible enemy (disease) Claimed two. ; Both the percentage of deaths from 'disease and the percentage of deaths from wounds are .lower than that recorded in the South African War. Another vast improvement is noted With pride—the prevention of the enteric group of fevers. In the- South African War the’ number of admissions was 103.8 per 1000 of strength, and the deaths 14.45 per 1000. ’ln France the respective figures for 1015 were only 5.86 and .26, and they z Jad fallen by 1918 to .20 and .01. Only jn the Dardanelles, with 80.49 per 1000 admissions and 2.82 deaths, were the figures comparable. . According to official records, 86.07 per Ipent. of the total casualties to the fighting arms were suffered by the infantry. 7.58 per cent/ by the Royal Artillery, 257 by the Royal Engineers, 2.46 by the Machine Gun Corps, 1.08 by the Cavalry and 0.24 per cent, by the Tanks Corps. According to large-scale analyses, 58.8 per cent, of wounds were caused by shells, 39 by bullets, 2.1 by bombs, and -, J3'2 by bayonets. Exclusive of the Dominion Forces, 2,414,000 individuals or 40 per cent, of those who served suffered death or disablement for which State compensation •Was given. The following list shows Britain’s toll In blood, ships and treasure:—Men raisby Britain for land service, 8,654,000; {or naval service, 600,000, loss of life, ,089,919; wounded, 2,121,000; tonnage destroyed, 9,031,000; cost of war to Britain, £9,500,000,000. r ■.