SOLDIERS AND OFFICERS MEDICAL RECORDS

[padrenick]

My great uncles who served with the South African forces have their full medical records preserved in Pretoria.  Were the medical records of British soldiers and officers preserved or were  they destroyed over years? If they are preserved are they accessible ?

Edited 14 December , 2021 by padrenick

[Coldstreamer]

It depends. Some papers are weeded more than others so can be pot luck sometimes how much you find

[TEW]

Medical aspects of a man's service is included in their service file WO363 (WO339 & 374 for officers). An existing pension record in WO364 for ordinary ranks normally have more in the way of medical sheets but these exist for pension purposes.

Then there are Pin26 records which are an expanded version of the WO364 or equivalent for officers. There's only about 23,000 Pin26 records.

MH106 is 3% or 5% retained sample of various medical records. There are admission & discharge books, operation books, x-ray books. Then medical cards & sheets retained for specific army units and for specific injury types.

There are WWI medical records spread around different county archives or still retained by institutions.

It's very much a hit and miss situation. Most ordinary ranks simply have no records beyond medal details.

There's no one stop shop that has a man's medical record.

Canadian, Australian, NZ & Newfoundland records seem to have much more.

Interesting to see a sample of what's in a SA record?

TEW

[padrenick]

Thanks TEW I have temporary mislaid my great uncles medical records from South Africa but from memory very comprehensive even to mentioning venereal disease and circumcision status 

[TEW]

Yes, they can vary depending on condition, treatment etc. I've seen some with comprehensive temperature charts and tables of bowel movements!

TEW