Accidental death rates.

Discussion in 'General' started by von Poop, Feb 11, 2019.

  1. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    For Army Home Casualties see WO162/182. A3 sheets since folded, which makes them not lie flat. Between September 1939 and 1st May 1944. Not easy to photo, but grim reading:

    Cumulative total from Sept 39 to 1/5/44 for HOME:

    Non-Battle Died of Disease Officers 873, Other Ranks 7940

    Non-Battle Died of Injury Officers 564, Other Ranks 7035

    See photo ( removed last right-hand columns since no figures )

    Format changes over the years but a page a month with "units" on left of page in general terms, e.g., RAMC, Veterinary Corps, etc.



    WO162:182 page 1.jpg
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2019
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  2. redtop

    redtop Well-Known Member

    Just posted this on Town Mayor thread.( Amin please move if you think it should be a separate topic)

    Not an accident I know wonder what this would be listed under
    Not KIA, or accidental I guess but if tried by Military Gov. Judges is it a Military or Civil offence?

    12-13 Sept 45
    Nicolia Kowziga a Russian displaced person was tried and convicted of shooting and causing death of Capt HX Dixon 1/4 KOYLI
    sentenced to death.
     
  3. noggin1969

    noggin1969 Well-Known Member

    The thing is with the illness statistics would be removing the causes due to military activity against would that person have become ill as a civilian. Arguments for TB and Meningitis ie due to conditions and grouping lots of young people together against the prevalence in civilian life. Whereas cancers , stomach ulcers ( which seemed to be quite common ) or peritonitis may have happened anyway. Same with accidents was some one more likely to die driving in a army truck or a civilian truck in his line of work
     
  4. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    The pages will not lie flat now that the Archivists have taken them from the proprietary binder and folded the sheets, but here are examples from WO 162/182 of the statistics for HOME casualties. Here are photos of Form S.6, 1939 and 1944 editions There is a Form S.6A and other forms but Form S.6, which grows with the months to include new definitions and units, is the main one. The file begins with September 1939 and ends with April 1944, so these are photos of the top and bottom sheets on the file.

    There is a running total ( and a corrections line ) but the return for April 1944 showed that Non-Battle Died of Injury totals were reckoned to have been :

    Officers: 574

    Other Ranks: 7192

    R.I.P.
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    This young man was a victim of the blackout when returning to RAF Hemswell by motor cycle from his home in Scunthorpe in August 1940.

    Casualty

    The circumstances were that he ran into the back of a vehicle parked close to the airfield at the side of Middle Street,now the B 1398, a rural road even now, which runs on the Lincoln escarpment from Lincoln to Scunthorpe passing RAF stations, Scampton,Ingham,Hemswell, Kirton Lindsey and the Great War Kirton Lindsey airfield at Manton

    In the car were a Sergeant and a WAAF. At the inquest, LAC Douglas's father was very scathing of the sergeant for parking the vehicle as he did in the blackout.

    LAC Douglas was member of No 61 Squadron based at Hemswell equipped with the Hampden...probably groundcrew since the minimum rank for aircrew was sergeant from June 1940.
     
  6. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Those cumulative totals are remarkable, aren't they.
    Don't think I'd ever really thought properly about the increased dangers of just being part of a large army, never mind the fighting.
    Agreed as per Noggin's comment that the rates would need comparing with civilian disease/accident stuff to have real meaning, but would be very surprised if an active 1940s army (or Navy, or Air Force) didn't involve far greater accidental loss (We certainly know Air Force training was dangerous. Maybe the most-mentioned accidental losses there).
    Have a friend that deals professionally with the CO of a modern 'elite' Army group. Says every meeting is constantly interrupted by calls about car crashes, skiing accidents, sports injuries, etc. etc. Safety not always first when things getting done...
     
  7. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    I recently read an interesting article which asserted that the fear of the RAF's severe LMF policy forced aircrew suffering from neuroses to stay in the air well beyond the point at which they should have received medical treatment. That is believed to have contributed to the RAF’s inexplicably high level of air accidents during the Second World War, which led to 8,705 deaths.

    Squadron Leader Reid, in 1942, maintained that the inherent ‘harshness of the policy was keeping crews operational when they were undergoing serious neurotic trauma. These fliers were causing numerous forms of operational inefficiency such as air accidents, early returns from action, reporting sick on ops, etc.
    Reid wrote, "the employment of air crew suffering from psychological disorders may conceivably be the cause of much operational inefficiency and avoidable casualties. 70-80% of accidents are due to the psychological or physical failure of the crew in a critical situation."
     

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