They Came Home from WW1 - Pukekohe

Other Hospitals Rouen General Hospital tents 1916
Many other hospitals and convalescent -Wellcome Collection
depots were used throughtout France and
Belgium. Rouen was frequently used for New
Zealand soldiers.

Field Ambulance
A Field Ambulance was not a vehicle but a
front-line unit of around 250 personnel which
treated men injured in battle. Stretcher
bearers (including bandsmen) collected men
from the battlefield and carried them to first-
aid posts near the front lines, where they were treated by regimental medical officers. Those
requiring further treatment were transported via casualty clearing stations to hospitals behind the
lines. A Field Ambulance company was attached to each New Zealand infantry brigade and
the Mounted Rifles Brigade throughout the war. – natlib.govt.nz

Casualty Clearing Stations (CCS)
The Casualty Clearing Station was part of the casualty evacuation chain, further back from the front
line than the Aid Posts and Field Ambulances. The job of the CCS was to treat a man sufficiently for
his return to duty or, in most cases, to enable him to be evacuated to a Base Hospital. It was not a
place for a long-term stay. CCS’s were generally located on or near railway lines, to facilitate
movement of casualties from the battlefield and on to the hospitals. Although they were quite
large, CCS’s moved quite frequently, especially in the wake of the great German attacks in the spring
of 1918 and the victorious Allied advance in the summer and autumn of that year. – Longlongtrail.co.uk

Hospital Ships
The Maheno and Marama were the “poster” ships of New Zealand’s First World War effort. These
ships transported the wounded, sick and injured back to England or back to New Zealand, delivering
care and treatment through-out the journey. By the end of the war, New Zealand’s “white ships”
had transported 47,000 patients and made 17 charter voyages.
SS Maheno – first sailing 10 July 1915, last sailing 14 December 1918 and SS Marama first sailing
4 December 1915 and last sailing 28 Febraury 1919.

SS Maheno Port Chalmers 1915

New Zealand Camps and Hospitals
in Egypt

In December 1914 the Main Body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) disembarked at
Alexandria and travelled by train to Cairo. Here they were based at Zeitoun Camp and trained in the
surrounding area before embarking for the Gallipoli Peninsula.
2,279 New Zealand soldiers lost their lives in the Gallipoli campaign which lasted over eight months
and many thousand were wounded and bought back to Egypt for treatment and rest.
Later, from 1916 to 1918, New Zealanders fought in the Middle East. They fought on horse and
camel as part of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigades. 640 men lost their lives in the Middle
East campaign and many hundreds were wounded or fell ill.
New Zealand’s sick and wounded soldiers were admitted to British and Australian hospitals until
April 1915 when a dedicated hospital was opened for the New Zealand troops.
In March 1915 there were 21,000 troops in Egypt, 10,000 less than first landed.
Field ambulances and Casualty Clearing Stations were dotted through-out the area to initially treat
the wounded and assess their hospital needs and Convalescent Homes were establised to care for
men before they went back to the front.

Zeitoun Camp
This camp was 9kms north east of Cairo
and was a bare site when the New Zealand
troops arrived. At first the men had to
sleep in the open before a settlement of
bell tents sprang up.
Training consisted of marching in full kit
through miles of sandy desert, target
practise shooting, formation drills and
large scale field exercises.
However, the men did have time to visit
tourist sites, shop and partake in personal
activities.
Troops left from here to the Dardanelles and returned after battle for treatment or rest. Initially the
men were treated in British or Australian hospitals but it soon became obvious that New Zealand
needed its own hospital and convalescent homes to care for their troops.

Moascar Camp
The New Zealand Infantry Brigade, part of
the Australian & New Zealand Division
arrived to set up here in January 1916.
The camp was about a mile from the town
Ismailia, in the north east of Egypt, on the
western bank of the Suez Canal. Initial
conditions were tough. There was a
shortage of tents, blankets and
equipment, even at times, rations.
This became an isolation camp and
provided the final preparation for the men
going to Alexandria and the Western
Front. They were screened for two weeks, checking for illnesses like measles which had spread
through the camp earlier.
In later days the New Zealand Mounted Rifles moved here to prepare for the Sinai Campaign.

Alexandria Camp
Alexandria, a Mediterranean port city in
Egypt, became a camp, depot and hospital
for New Zealand troops. The port, 183kms
northwest of Cairo, was used by hospital
ships and troopships bringing
reinforcements and taking away the sick
and wounded.
The first New Zealanders landed on
3 December 1914 and travelled by train to
their training camp near Cairo.
Ten thousand horses and their equipment
also arrived with the troops. (pictured here)

New Zealand General Hospital The entrance to New Zealand General
The New Zealand General Hospital was Hospital Pont de Koubbeh, Cairo
opened in Cairo in April 1915, in what
was the Egyptian Army Hospital at Pont
de Koubbeh.
It was a large stone building, two stories
high, with deep verandahs and held 250
beds but in the large quadrangle the
No 2 Stationary Hospital was set up in
marquees.
The number of beds grew as the casualty
numbers mounted from the battlefields
of Gallipoli, eventually reaching more
than 1,000.
In March 1916, there were 800 beds
occupied but on 9 June 1916, the
hospital closed and relocated to England to become the
No 1 New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst.

Convalescent Homes Aotea Convalescent Hospital at Heliopolis
The first convalescent home was a house in
Zeitoun, opened in May 1915, but this
proved totally inadequate and the next one
was opened by Lady Godley in Alexandria,
soon after.
In October 1915, the Aotea Convalescent
Hospital was opened at Heliopolis, a suburb
of Cairo. This hospital could hold 100 men
and was equipped by the residents of
Wanganui.
This hospital remained opened until
Armistice, largely for the New Zealand
Mounted Rifle Brigade, after the closure of
the New Zealand general Hospital and other convalescent
homes.

Sources

NZ History online – nzhistory.govt.nz – includes map.

Photographs

Zeitoun. – Journey of the Otagos.wordpress.com
Moascar Camp. - Photographed by JD Graham, Welcome Collection
Alexandria Camp Depot and Hospital – nzhistory.govt.nz
New Zealand General Hospital Cairo – national library NZ Ref 1/2 – 147599-F
Aotea Convalescent Hospital – Google Images

Index

Name Service No Name Service No

ABRAHAM, Joseph 31924 FARR, Edgar 7007
ADAMS, John Mortimore 44672 FIELD, Percy Thomas 1/164
ADAMS, Joseph MM 23/2143 FINDLAY, John Alexander 10802
BAGNELL, Frederick William Cecil 7/934 FLETCHER, George Philip 209279
BALLE, Benjamin 12/3936 FOSTER, John William 2775
BARR, Percy Robert 65651 FRASER, Leslie Alexander 12/3642
BARRETT, William MM 7/1590 GIBBS, James Claude 14252
BASTINGS, Sydney 47301 GILLON, Francis Henry 58206
BEALE, Harold 31162 GILMOUR, George 2/1784
BEAUFOY, Wilfred Charles 57007 GODKIN, Oscar Joseph 70269
BELOE, Charles George 56235 GOLDING, George 74179
BILKEY, Edward John 25331 GOTHARD, Karl Basil 26/75
BILKEY, William Overend 13/2719 GRINLINTON, Vesey Gore 36267
BIRD, Kenneth Charles 6/191 GROWDEN, Lewis 54873
BLENNHASSETT, Brian 13/665 GUEST, Edward P/127302
BOOTH, Norman Douglas 35728 GWILLIAM, George William Albert MM 2/2139
BOWERS, William George DCM MM 12/3257 HALL, Charles Henry 203202
BRADSTREET, Jack Hunter 16505 HANNAH, George Harold 75861
BROOKE, Conrad Charles 2754 HARPER, Henry William J 19689
BROOKS, Frederick George 13/1011 HARRISON, William 22199
BROWN, Cyril 20222 HART, George Edward 280991
BURR, James Alexander 23/87 HAYDEN, Clarence Wilfred 38912
CAMPBELL, Edward James 23-700 HINTON, Percy Alfred 50916
CARTER, Frank Newman 78190 HOE, Joseph James 70051
CASWELL, Walter James 17/380 HOLLIDGE, James 46346
CHARLESWORTH, Harold Hubert 620 HORNE, Thomas Henry 73260
CLARIDGE, Herbert William 41486 HORWELL, Walter Waddell MM ED 3/89A
CLARKE, George William Albert 12/715 HOW CHOW, George Eng King MID 54750
CLIFFORD, Norman Hooper 17484 HUDSON, William George 70286
COLGAN, Daniel Patrick 76418 HUME, Alexander 59651
CONWAY, Albert Edward 64623 HUTCHINSON, Robert Denwood 4/1671
CRONIN, William 12/521 INGPEN, Frank George 24/1396
DAVIES, Walter Ernest 46442 JACKSON, Walter Frederick 33886
DELL, Henry Herbert 43195 JAFFRAY, Charles 12/3694
DeVRIES, Barend Alexander 12/926 JOHNSON, Charles Gordon 10714
DOBBS, Herbert Edward SA 8945 JONES, Ernest Bernard 31654
DOUGLAS, James Thomas 55209 JONES, James 50446
DOUGLAS, William Robert DCM 53765 KIRK, George Harold 38545
DUNCAN, Frederick James 67964 KNIGHT, Thomas 38410
ELKINGTON, Arthur Fredrick 13/136 LANCASTER, Joseph Stanley 61470
ESTALL, Henry Wilson 3/3562 LAUER, George 13/379
EVISON, Wilfred T4/252488 LEWIS, Larcy 5/790
FAHEY, Edward SA 2364 LIDDIMENT, Frederick 2/1285

Name Service No Name Service No

LITTLE, Gordon Seabright 26/833 PRATTEN, Arthur Farnham 28793
LITTLEWOOD, Horace Binder 28738 PRINCE, George Joseph 38583
LODGE, Clifford Norburt 10785 PRITCHARD, Percy Stanford 14145
LOGAN, Robert MID 11/700 PULMAN, Arthur Richard 66068
LOUGHRIN, Samuel 76979 RAWLINGS, Burford Henry Noel 15967
LUCAS, Henry George 13/1061 REAY, James Loch 48568
MALIN, Sidney Gilbert 57562 REID, Thomas Robinson 22989
MARSHALL, Wilson Burns 11496 REVELL, Ernest William 81826
MARTIN, Albert MM 44756 REVELL, George Charles 46391
MAYHEW, Ambrose 17521 ROBERTSON, James 13/126
McAUSLIN, William Graham 41345 ROOK, Ernest John 58278
McDOUGALL, Malcolm 34396 ROSS, Robert John 78125
McGURK, James 13/2353 RUSSELL, John Williamson 25/907
McLACHLAN, Lewis Dawson MM 10/1301 SCHLAEPFER, Arnold 74229
McMILLAN, Samuel 23415 SCHLAEPFER, Robert 17587
MEREMERE, Wikitera Hohera SCHOFIELD, Samuel Charles 13/636
MILLER, Robert 82015 SCOBIE, William 2/291
MITCHELL, Herbert Henry 23/2518 SHADBOLT, Charles Henry 41896
MOLONEY, John 42362 SHARP, Herman Henry 13366
MONCRIEF, Ernest George MC 12/67 SHIPHERD, Charles Francis 52292
MORRIS, Frederick Arthur Vivian 33112 SHIPHERD, Thomas Stanley 3/1796
MURRAY, John 20201 SHORT, Philip Lawrence 44793
NEILSON, Cecil 23/1765 SHORT, William Joseph MBE 64365
NGAWAKA, Tamaho 19558 SIMPSON, James Ford 12/1504
NIGHTINGALE, George Richard 47601 SPENCE, George S/18808
OATES, Hedley 11/1358 STEWART, Ivie Edgar 3/450
ORR, Elizabeth SA/36 STUART, Noel 24933
ORR, Kenneth David 17720 SWEARS, Williams James 34437
PACEY, James 13/2356 TAYLOR, George 27668
PAGE, Bert Cyril 7/1503 TAYLOR, Percy Harold 44424
PARKER, Ernest Edward 25304 THOMPSON, Dugald 11/152
PARKER, Francis Archibald 26446 THOMPSON, George 43907
PARKINSON, Harold George 31789 TIBBS, Hugh Wilfrid 28602
PARVIN, George Testro 46484 TINDLE, Richard Francis 44241
PATON, James Francis 8/3034 TORKAR, George 12/3173
PAYNE, George C/1437 TREGOWETH, William 48587
PEARSALL, William Thomas 283651 TRELOAR, William Ernest 1147
PELLOW, William Henry 64776 TUITE, James 10/2343
PENNY, Cuthbert 34426 TWIDLE, David Arthur Norman 17454
PERRY, James 33656 UNDERHILL, Robert Victor 145124
PERRY, Lawrence George 29471 URQUHART, Frederick Ernest SA 1892
PETERSON, Peter William Alfred 20935 WALKER, Ernest 21823
PETTIT, Leonard Lovelace 35342 WALKER, Fred 56117
PHILLIPS, Clyde Ingram 12/4246 WILCOX, John Stewart 13/2955
PORTER, Ivan Norman 60199 WILCOX, Robert 54720
POTTER, Robert Cecil DCM 10/902 WILLIAMS, Arthur 14520

Name Service No Name Service No

WILLIS, George Richard 38859 WRAY, Archibald 13/1124
WILSON, Joseph Henry DCM MM 34458 WRIGHT, Arthur Roper 13/255
WILSON, Kenneth Sydney 13/587 WRIGLEY, Roger 42265
WILSON, William James 40417 YOUNG, Arthur David SA 29470
WOODS, Thomas George 23465

Ancestry SOURCES
Archives New Zealand
Auckland Museum Cenotaph www.ancestry.com
Billion graves https://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/
Digital New Zealand https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph
Fair Dinkum Onward Books www.billiongraves.com
Family Search https://digitalnz.org/
Find a Grave https://www.fairdinkumbooks.com/
Find My Past https://www.familysearch.org/search/location/
Flotilla https://www.findagrave.com/memorial
My Heritage https://www.findmypast.com
National Army Museum flotilla-australia.com/hmnzt.htm
New Zealand BDM https://www.myheritage.com/
NZ History https://www.armymuseum.co.nz/
NZ History memorials https://www.bdmhistorical.dia.govt.nz
NZSG Franklin Branch https://nzhistory.govt.nz
Papers Past https://nzhistory.govt.nz/map/memorials
South Canterbury Museum http://anyflip.com/bookcase/udte
The Wilson Collection https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers
War Forces https://museum.timaru.govt.nz/
The Great War Forum https://wilsoncollection.co.nz/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
https://www.greatwarforum.org/

NZ Electoral Rolls On Ancestry
NZ Post Office Directories On Ancestry
Wises Directories On Ancestry