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Medical Services The health of the troops in New Zealand during the year was very good. Apart from a few sporadic cases of measles, mumps, &c., there have been no outbreaks of epidemic disease. The total deaths from all causes during the year were 51, of which 43 were the result of sickness and 8 the result of accidents or other causes. During the year 421 cases of malaria were reported, almost entirely among personnel who had been serving in the Pacific theatre of war. With the number of cases reporting each month showing a progressive decrease —from 94 in July, 1944, to 7in March, 1945 —it is anticipated that very few cases of malaria will be encountered from now on. As at 31st May, 237 medical officers were serving in the Army, of whom 196 were overseas. There were 284 Nursing Sisters and 244 W.A.A.C. Voluntary Aids overseas at the same time. Medical units and establishments in New Zealand have been reduced in number in line with the reduction in the Forces generally. The Army Optician Service has 14 Optician Units in operation—ll in New Zealand, 2 in the Pacific, and lin the Middle East. The Army serves the Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New Zealand Air Force, and during the year has carried out 9,553 full visual examinations and prescribed for 6,168 pairs of service-pattern spectacles. Since the inception of the service in August, 1942, approximately 30,000 full visual examinations have been made, and 18,500 pairs of service-pattern spectacles prescribed. Dental The New Zealand Dental Corps serves the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force as well as the Army, co-ordinating the work of all Dental Sections. It has contributed materially to the general standard of dental fitness and health of members of the Forces, and this will undoubtedly have a beneficial effect on the post-war dental health of the community. The following summary shows the dental treatments rendered to Navy, Army, and Air Force personel in New Zealand and overseas for the year (corresponding figures for the previous twelve months being given in parentheses) Surgical Operations Artificial Dentures Fillings .. .. 251,951 (283,653). Full dentures .. .. 7,782 (10,895). Teeth extracted .. 44,555 (61,583). Partial dentures .. 4,049 (5,940). Prophylactic treatments 38,839 (43,419). Dentures remodelled .. 12,460 (14,854). Dentures repaired .. 18,877 (19,597). Where practicable, all personnel, whether from overseas, returned prisoners of war, or on home service, are certified dentally fit before discharge to civil life. The further disbandment of Army units and the withdrawal of the 3rd Division from the Pacific have led to corresponding reductions in the New Zealand Dental Corps establishments, thus enabling a redistribution to be made of dental personnel with the Forces, and the return of several long-service and medically unfit personnel to civil life. Women's Army Auxiliary Corps During the year the strength of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in New Zealand decreased by 1,003, and now stands at 1,766. Embarkations for overseas were 348, and 354 returned to this country. The present strength of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps overseas is 439. Repatriation op Wives, Dependants, and Fiancees Under the provisions made by the Government for granting free passages and defraying reasonable incidental travelling-expenses, many wives, dependants, and fiancees of New Zealand servicemen have already been brought to the Dominion, and others are ready to embark at overseas ports when the requisite shipping accommodation becomes available. In addition, other servicemen and their dependants who have established that they were permanently domiciled in another part of the British Empire before enlistment have been granted free passages and expenses to enable them to proceed to their places of intended residence. Honours and Awards Up to 31st May, 1945, His Majesty the King had approved the undermentioned honours and awards to members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces for gallant and distinguished service in the field :— Victoria Cross .. .. .. 5 A.R.R.C. .. .. .. 16 K.C.B. 1 M.C. 214 KBE. .. .. .. 1 Bar to M.C. .. .. .. 41 C.B. .. .. .. 6 D.C.M. .. .. .. 95 C.B.E. .. .. A- 25 Bar to D.C.M. .. .. 1 D.S.O. .. .. ..87 M.M. .. .. .. 488 Bar to D.S.O. .. .. .. 15 Bar to M.M. .. .. 4 0.8. E. .. .. .. 63 George Medal .. .. 1 M.B.E. .. .. .. 106 B.E.M. .. .. .. 59 R.R.C. .. .. 8 Mentioned in Despatches .. 1,488

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