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An interesting Medic's collection of World War II Diaries, the…
Sale Title:
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Auckland
Date:
9-May-2011
Lot No.
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Description:
An interesting Medic's collection of World War II Diaries, the owner, Doug Venz, was a member of the New Zealand medical Corps serving in Fiji, New Caledonia and also in New Zealand at a number of the hospitals established in Auckland and in Hamilton (no 3 General Hospital based in the grounds of a school in Hamilton). His training started at Trentham. He seems to have then been sent to Hamilton and thence to Fiji and New Caledonia where he served with 4th New Zealand General Hospital, the owner had initially enlisted in the Nelson Marlborough mounted Rifles however, due to his ongoing membership of the Order of St John and medical training, has been transferred to the New Zealand medical Corps. He expresses surprise at this, the diaries cover his 1942 enlistment through to the end of 1944, the 1942 diary has a number of entries through training, however, it is evident life becomes monotonous as after a while it is common to see entries covering two weeks saying 'Nothing to Report' and similar. However, the same cannot be said for the 1943 and 1944 diaries, which are packed with entries virtually daily. Presumably Venz was looking after wounded NZ, Australian and American troops as he talks of dealing with large numbers of wounded from Japanese air attacks and bombings. Included are 31 original photographs of his service in New Zealand and the islands including some of the New Zealand General Hospital established in the grounds of Hamilton school. Raymond Douglas Venz was born in Australia in 1920. He came to New Zealand and settled in Nelson where he worked as an Orchardist. He was also a keen member of the Order of St John. He enlisted in the New Zealand Forces in 1942 and was initially posted to the Nelson Marlborough mounted Rifles. Almost immediately he was transferred to the New Zealand medical Corps. He embarked for Fiji 8 March 1942 and remained there until 6 July 1942, thence he returned to New Zealand working at various New Zealand General Hospitals established to handle the large numbers of Americans brought to New Zealand having been wounded in the Pacific. Doug Venz re-embarked 30 December 1942 and remained overseas in New Caledonia and other islands until 9 July 1944. It is this period that the diaries mainly detail, after 558 days continuous overseas service he again returned to New Zealand, the relevant diary confirms that he was in Christchurch and his home town of Blenheim for a period on his return and until his final overseas deployment from 1 August 1945 until 19 December 1945 presumably working in the repatriation of wounded and liberated prisoners of war as there was a need for medical corps men in these areas at the time. Doug Venz was discharged 6 January 1946, after the war he became a private pilot an interest he held from 1948 until the 1960s. He died at Nelson in April 2010.
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Militaria & Weapons: Ephemera