The Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps (RNZAMC) is a corps of the New Zealand Army, the land branch of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). The Medical Corps provides for the medical needs of soldiers, such as diagnosing and treating diseases and injuries. Medical personnel are part of almost all Army exercises and operations, and personnel work in conjunction with personnel from the Royal New Zealand Dental Corps and the Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps.

History The New Zealand Medical Corps (NZMC) was established in May 1908 to provide a reserve of medical personnel should that be required in the event of war.National Library, First World War Medical Services, accessed November 2019.See Lt Col A.R.D. Carberry, The New Zealand Medical Service in the Great War, Whitcomb and Tombs, Auckland 1924, now digitized. After the declaration of war in August 1914, the New Zealand government sent a small contingent of medical staff to Samoa to take over the hospital at Apia. The contingent was made up of four medical officers, two dental surgeons, 67 non-commissioned officers and seven nurses.

Training for medics was initially undertaken at the Trentham Military Camp but from 1915 to 1919 medics trained at a camp set up at the Awapuni Racecourse in Palmerston North. The full range of medical personnel were trained, over a 16 week period, from Field Ambulance stretcher-bearers, hospital orderlies and medical staff for hospital ships. In 1929 a memorial to the medics killed in the war was unveiled at the racecourse; it was restored and rededicated in 2016 and is a Heritage New Zealand historic site.

As the war progressed and the number of casualties increased, it became apparent that more medical personnel were required to treat them. James Allen, Minister of Defence, offered to send medical personnel to a stationary hospital in Egypt, including eight officers and 50 nurses. New Zealand medical personnel went on to serve in Samoa, Egypt, Palestine, Gallipoli, France, Belgium, Serbia and Great Britain. Among the hospitals serving New Zealand personnel in Great Britain were No. 1 General Hospital, located at Brockenhurst in Hampshire; No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital in Walton-on-Thames; and No. 3 General Hospital at Codford. No. 2 General Hospital came under the control of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in April 1916, and was located in the requisitioned 15th century Mount Felix estate until mid-1919. and There were also another seven military hospitals of various types serving the Expeditionary Force in the UK, France, and Egypt.

As part of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, three General Hospitals, three Field Ambulances, and a Convalescent Depot were dispatched to the Middle East (and 1 General Hospital and 5 Field Ambulance to the United Kingdom with the Second Echelon, temporarily) along with the remainder of the force.

On 12 July 1947 (Gazette No. 39/1947) the NZMC was granted a Royal Warrant and became the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps (RNZAMC).Army Medics to Receive Royal Banner, 18 May 2010. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was the Colonel-in-Chief from 1977 to 2002. Later Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester was appointed the Royal Colonel-in-Chief and presented the RNZAMC with the 'Prince Richard Banner'.

During the Cold War, the Army maintained hospitals and field ambulances. In 1991, 2 (GH) Field Hospital, tracing its descent from No. 2 General Hospital originally formed at Walton-on-Thames, celebrated its 75th anniversary. The Forward Surgical Team was deployed to East Timor while serving with INTERFET from 1999.'Operation East Timor' The last Field Hospital was reorganised into 2nd Health Support Battalion in the mid-2000s, following an Australian example. The Battalion was located at Linton Military Camp. In 2015 the 2nd NZ Health Support Battalion was superseded by the Joint Operational Health Group (JOHG). JOHG, in turn, in 2017 was superseded and the Deployable Health Organisation (DHO) was formed and its Headquarters is based in Linton Camp. The DHO forms an integral part of the Joint Services Group (JSG) which is Headquartered in Trentham Camp.

Director of Medical Services 1st NZEF 1914–1915 Col W. J. Will VD 5 June 1914 – 27 August 1914 Col James R. Purdy CBE, TD 27 August 1914 – 24 July 1915

Director General of Medical Services 1st NZEF 1915–1919 Col (Later Maj Gen) Sir Robert. S. F. Henderson KCMG, CB 24 July 1915 – 28 March 1919 Maj Gen Sir Donald T. McGavin CMG, DSO, CBE 28 March 1919 – 30 November 1924

Director General of Medical Services Col Russell Tracey-Inglis CBE, VD 1 December 1924 – 30 November 1929 Col Joseph L. Frazerhurst VD 1 December 1929 – 30 November 1934 Col (Later Maj Gen) Fred T. Bowerbank OBE, ED 1 December 1934 – 31 March 1947

Director of Medical Services 2nd NZEF Brig Kenneth MacCormick CB, CBE, DSO, ED 1 October 1940 – 10 May 1942 Brig Harry S. Kenrick CBE, DSO, ED 10 May 1942 – 18 September 1942 Brig Kenneth MacCormick CB, CBE, DSO, ED 18 September 1942 – 17 April 1943 Brig Harry S. Kenrick CBE, DSO, ED 17 April 1943 – 22 May 1945 Brig George W. Gower CBE, ED 22 May 1945 – 11 October 1945

Deputy Director of Medical Services 2nd NZEF Col Francis B. Edmundson OBE 11 October 1945 – 10 February 1946

Assistant Director of Medical Services 2nd NZEF Col Harry S. Kenrick CBE, DSO, ED 1 October 1940 – 9 May 1942 Col Patrick A. Ardagh CBE, DSO, MC 10 May 1942 – 16 February 1943 Col Frederick P. Furkert CMG 16 February 1943 – 15 June 1943 Col Russell D. King CBE, DSO 15 June 1943 – 3 December 1944 Col Russell A. Elliot OBE, ED 3 December 1944 – 11 October 1945

Senior Medical Officer 2nd NZEF Lt Col Victor T. Pearse 11 October 1945 – 31 December 1945

Consultant Physician 2nd NZEF Col James R. Boyd CBE, MC 10 February 1941 – 22 February 1945 Col Jack D. Cottrell OBE 22 February 1945 – 26 May 1945

Consultant Surgeon 2nd NZEF Col Sir Thomas D. M. Stout KT, CBE, DSO, ED 10 February 1941 – 13 August 1945

No. 1 NZ General Hospital was originally established in Egypt as the No. 2 NZ Stationary Hospital. Late it was moved to England on the New Zealand Hospital Ship Marama, in June 1916. After the unit has disembarked, it was deployed to Brockenhurst in the New Forest where it took over a hospital originally built for an Indian Division.

Commanding Officers of No. 1 NZ General Hospital Brockenhurst 31 July 1916–1919 Lt Col E. J. O'Neil CMG, DSO, VD 1916–1918

(Still researching this section)

Commanding Officers of 1 NZ General Hospital 1940–1945 Col A. C. McKillop 12 June 1940 – 10 June 1941 Lt Col T. D. M. Stout (Later Colonel Sir T. D. M. Stout KT, CBE, DSO, ED) 10 June 1941 – 10 August 1941– Acting Col D. Pottinger MC 10 August 1941 – 11 August 1944 Col W. B. Fisher 11 August 1944 – 24 February 1945 Col D. G. Radcliffe 24 February 1945 – 3 November 1945

No. 2 NZ General Hospital started its life, in New Zealand, as the New Zealand War Contingent Hospital. It opened its doors at Mount Felix, Walton-on-Thames on the 31st of July 1915.

Commanding Officers of No. 2 NZ General Hospital Walton-upon-Thames 31 July 1915–1919 Lt Col T. Mill CMG, CBE 1916–1917 Lt Col E. J. O'Neil, CMG, DSO, VD 1918–1919

No. 2 NZ General Hospital was dis-established in 1919

Commanding Officers of 2nd NZ General Hospital 1940–1945 Lt Col F. M Spencer OBE, ED 1940–1943 Col H. K. Christie CBE, ED 1943–1944 Col I. S. Wilson OBE, MC and Bar, ED 1944–1945 Col H. D. Robertson MBE 1945-1945 Lt Col A. W. Owen-Johnston ED 1945-1945

2nd NZ General Hospital was dis-established in 1945

Commanding Officers of 3rd NZ General Hospital 1940–1946 Col G. W. Gower CBE, ED 24 October 1940 – 22 May 1945 Col J. E. Caughey 22 May 1945 – 17 October 1945 Lt Col C. R. Burns 17 October 1945 – 9 January 1946

Commanding Officers of 4th NZ General Hospital 1940-1940 Lt Col E. L. Button 31 July 1940 – 9 September 1940 Lt Col H. S. Kenrick 9 September 1940 – 1 October 1940

Commanding Officers of 5th NZ General Hospital 1944–1945 Lt Col D. G. Radcliffe 1 April 1944 – 20 February 1945 Lt Col H. D. Robertson 20 February 1945 – 11 July 1945

Commanding Officers of 5th NZ General Hospital 1945-1945 Lt Col K. B. Bridge 23 October 1945 – 12 December 1945

Commanding Officers of the Convalescent Depot 1945-1945 Lt Col N. F. Boag 13 March 1940 – 27 December 1940 Lt Col A. A. Tennent 27 December 1940 – 13 October 1941 Lt Col A. L. de B. Noakes 13 October 1941 – 26 August 1945 Maj J. W. Bartrum 26 August 1945 – 15 January 1945

Commanding Officers of the Haine Hospital (UK) 1945-1945 Lt Col A. A. Lovell 9 April 1945 – 9 October 1945

Commanding Officers of the 4th Field Ambulance 1939–1945 Lt Col J. H. Will 4 October 1939 – 3 September 1940 Lt Col P. V. Graves 3 September 1940 – 13 October 1941 Lt Col A. A. Tennent 13 October 1941 – 2 December 1941 Lt Col R. D. King 8 January 1942 – 12 June 1943 Lt Col J. K. Elliott 12 June 1943 – 30 April 1944 Lt Col F. B. Edmundson 30 April 1944 – 8 December 1944 Lt Col A. W. Owen-Johnston 8 December 1944 – 16 August 1945

Commanding Officers of the 5th Field Ambulance 1940–1945 Lt Col H. S. Kenrick 10 June 1940 – 26 May 1940 Lt Col J. M. Twhigg 26 May 1940 – 2 December 1941 Lt Col J. D. Cottrell 12 December 1941 – 12 January 1942 Lt Col J. P. McQuilkin 12 January 1942 – 15 December 1943 Lt Col R. A. Elliott 15 December 1943 – 23 June 1944 Lt Col J. M. Coutts 2 July 1944 – 31 May 1945 Lt Col D. P. Kennedy 5 June 1945 – 8 October 1945

Commanding Officers of the 6th Field Ambulance 1940–1945 Lt Col W. H. B. Bull 14 May 1940 – 6 May 1941 A/Lt Col J. L. R. Plimmer 6 May 1941 – 20 May 1941 Maj W. B. Fishing (Acting) 22 May 1941 – 16 June 1941 Lt Col N. C. Speight 16 June 1941 – 2 December 1941 Maj R. A. Elliott (Acting) 15 December 1941 – 24 January 1942 Lt Col F. P. Furkert 24 January 1942 – 16 February 1943 Lt Col W. B. Fisher 22 February 1943 – 31 July 1944 Lt Col W. Hawksworth 31 July 1944 – 18 June 1945 Lt Col F. B. Edmundson 18 June 1945 – 8 October 1945

Commanding Officers of the Mobile Surgical Unit 1941–1942 Maj F. P. Furkert 2 June 1941 – 17 January 1942 Lt Col P. A. Ardagh 18 January 1942 – 27 February 1942

Commanding Officers of the 1st Mobile Casualty Clearing Station 1942–1945 Lt Col P. A. Ardagh 27 February 1942 – 10 May 1942 Lt Col L. J. Hunter 10 May 1945 – 8 October 1943 Lt Col E. L. Button 8 October 1943 – 29 June 1944 Lt Col A. G. Clark 29 June 1944 – 6 August 1945 Lt Col A. W. Owen-Johnton 6 August 1945 – 13 October 1945

Commanding Officers of 2nd NZ General Hospital 1948–1975 Lt Col E. L. Button OBE, ED 1948–1953 Lt Col M. Williams ED 1953–1955 Lt Col D. A. Ballantyne 1955–1958 Lt Col R. C. S. Dick 1958–1962 Maj G. P. Hallwright 1962–1963 Lt Col C. M. Luke 1964–1965 Lt Col A. W. Beasley CNZM, OBE 1965–1969 Lt Col R. T. Aldrige 1969–1971 Lt Col P. N. Leslie OBE, ED 1971–1975

2nd NZ General Hospital was renamed

Commanding Officers of 2nd NZ (GH) Field Hospital 1975–1990 Lt Col P. N. Leslie OBE, ED 1975–1977 Lt Col R. B. W. Smith 1977–1980 Lt Col M. A. B. Allan 1980–1983 Lt Col G. T. Martin 1983–1986 Lt Col D. M. A. Thurston 1986–1990

The 1st Medical Support Team transitioned into 2nd NZ Field Hospital.

Commanding Officers of the 1st Medical Support Team 1987–1990 Lt Col D. Roseveare 1987–1989 Lt Col J. R. Gardner 1989–1990

Commanding Officers of 2nd NZ (GH) Field Hospital 1990–2004 Lt Col D. M. A. Thurston 1990–1991 Lt Col G. H. Jull ED RNZDC 1991–1994 Lt Col D. LePage 1994–1998 Lt Col Ma. Shaab RNZNC 1998–1999 Lt Col B. Hewson 1999–2001 Lt Col P. Curran 2001 – Dec 2003 Lt Col E. Williams 2003–2004

2nd NZ (GH) Field Hospital was dis-established and renamed

Commanding Officers of 2nd NZ Health Support Battalion 2004–2015 Lt Col E. Williams 2004–2005 Lt Col O. Kaihu 2005–2008 Lt Col P. Hanrahan 2008–2011 Lt Col W. (B.) Twiss 2011–2013 Lt Col D. Beck 2013–2015

Commanding Officers of Joint Operation Health Group 2015–2017 Lt Col S. Halligan, RNZAMC-December 2015 – December 2016