While this section is mainly about No1 (NZ) General Hospital during World War I, during WWII the Hospital was again mobilised and with other units it set off in May 1940 for what was thought at the time would be the Middle East.

However when off of Freemantle, Western Australia a message was received diverting it to the UK via Capetown, the reason being is that Italy had entered the way and it was believed to be best to avoid the Middle East.

ANZAC day 2005 the local council erected this plaque to mark the site where the hospital once stood, as can be seen 21,000 wounded members of the NZ Expeditionary Force in France were treated here

No1 (Gen) Hospital was back in the UK for its second visit along with 5 Field Ambulance and No1 1 NZ Convalescent Depot. On first arriving in the UK they were stationed at Ewshot Camp Surrey. Here was the base for the NZ Medical Corps during WWI and all the ex-servicemen will remember this camp with great delight. A lot of the medical staff from the WWI NZMC Depot underwent extra and extremely intensive training at the old Cambridge Military Hospital at Aldershot.

No1 (Gen) Hospital again moved, this time about 10 miles up to road to the Pinewood Sanatorium  near Wokingham. It remained here until being shipped out to its original destination, the Middle East in October 1940 and during this time it was visited by King George and later by Queen Elizabeth. The king attended a review parade given by the nursing staff at Mytchet.

It was during the height of the Battle of Britain that one of the many tasks carried out by No1 (NZ) Gen Hosp, was the dispatching of a mobile surgical team on 4th Sept 1940 to the nearby Vickers Aircraft Factory at Weybridge, which had suffered serious damage during an air raid.

At this time Winston Churchill had requested that the New Zealand authorities keep the Medical Units in the UK until the threat of the Battle of Britain had passed.

Some of the senior staff of the hospital had been with the unit when it was located at Brockenhurst.

Army Medical Services Museum, Keogh Barracks, Mytchet Place Rd., MYTCHET, Surrey
This Museum, which is free to visitors, holds an extensive collection of historical items of the Royal Army Medical Corps, Queen Alexandra's Royal Arrmy Nursing Corps, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps and the Royal Army Dental Corps. It has many items of interest for the genealogist and the general visitor alike.