In 1908, the decision was made by the New Zealand Defence Council to commission a shield that would be competed for by the medical units of the New Zealand Volunteers to “encourage efficiency in first aid work”. A grant of 2 pounds and 2 shillings (roughly $450 in today’s money) was provided to come up with a design. The making of the shield was put to Tender and the council decided on Mr S G Ross, a jeweller and engraver who had a business on Lambton Quay, in Wellington, and who would make the shield for 21 pounds (roughly $4,500 in today’s money).
The ornate shield features a plaque of silver relief work mounted on ebony and tōtara. The detailed scene depicts members of the New Zealand Medical Corps (the precursor to our modern Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps) attending to a wounded comrade, surrounded by New Zealand flora. Out in a bay a warship is anchored in front of a background of mountains. Above the scene are two scrolls with the words “New Zealand Medical Corps” and “Challenge Shield”. Below the two stretcher bearers is a scroll inscribed with the Latin “caritas in bello” which means “charity in war”. Surrounding the silver relief are mini-shields engraved with the details of the winning teams.
Initially, it was a team competition involving a written exam with the team averaging the highest score being the winners. However, any absentees resulted in deductions from their total score. This was to try and encourage as many active members in a unit as possible, and discourage those who would not participate. For example, in 1908, the team of 24 members from Nelson averaged a high 129.50. Their team may have been 24, but their unit numbered 56, therefore due to the 32 members of their unit who were absent, this score was reduced to 92. A very blunt reference to the “absentee evil” appeared in the Nelson Evening Mail on 15 September 1908 (Volume XLII, Issue XLII).
“This method of deducting 10 marks for each absentee is drastic, but it should have the good effect of driving the companies to get rid of the dummies of whom there are too many in the average volunteer corps. In a highly specialised branch such as the ambulance, incompetency is a criminal fault, and it is a very good sign that the Medical Corps is freezing out the “wasters”……It must be a grateful and comforting thing to the absentees to know that they have done their corps so much damage!”
That year it was won by No. 5 Company Field Ambulance, Wellington. The shield was again competed for in 1909 and 1910. The abolition of the Volunteer Corps in 1911 and the start of WWI meant that the competition was put on hold, to be competed for again in 1925. From then on it became an annual event for Territorial personnel, held at Trentham. Instead of the original written exam, it involved stretcher squads, made up of officers and non-commissioned officers, from the three New Zealand Medical Corps Training Depots (Northern, Central, and Southern). Each squad was marked on practical tasks such as bandaging, splinting, stoppage of bleeding, and the carriage of patients. The general appearance and turn-out of the squad was also marked. In 1931, the Medical Corps Depots were re-organised as Field Ambulances; 1st Field Ambulance – Auckland, 2nd Field Ambulance – Wellington, 3rd Field Ambulance – Christchurch, and the Otago University Medical Company – Dunedin.
Again, there was a hiatus in the competition from 1936. At this time, New Zealand was in the grips of the Great Depression. There had already been a drop in Territorial numbers, and due to the scarcity of work, any Territorial soldier who did have employment may have been very hesitant in taking time off work to attend camps and competitions for fear of losing their job. The start of WWII lengthened the break between competitions and it was not until 1958 that the shield was again competed for.
The last winning team of the New Zealand Medical Corps Challenge Shield was in 1967, and this is where our mystery comes in. It was won by 7 & 8 FTTs. Do you know anything about this team? If so, get in touch!
2019.129.1 New Zealand Medical Corps Challenge Shield. National Army Museum Te Mata Toa.
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