Jack Hyde, war doctor and hero

• Published date: 25 April 2024
• Publication title: Central Otago News

John Mickle Hyde (‘‘Jack’’) was born in 1887 at Clyde. His father, Dr John Galbraith Hyde, was the Medical Superintendent at Clyde (Dunstan) Hospital for many years. The family lived in the doctor’s house that was attached to the hospital

Jack attended Clyde School and Waitaki Boys’ High School, then Otago Medical School. He graduated in 1910 with bachelors of medicine and surgery degrees. After that he worked in New Zealand hospitals for about six years.

In World War 1, Jack was a surgeon on the hospital ship Maheno. The ship took on board large groups of wounded men from the battlefields of the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Many had severe injuries, including multiple wounds from shell explosions or machine gun bullets. Tropical diseases such as malaria were also common. Needless to say, the medical staff worked incredibly hard. The patients were disembarked at hospitals in Egypt, France and England, and New Zealand servicemen who were unlikely to be combat-ready within a short time were onboarded and taken home. Most improved significantly during their voyage, with a large number of former ‘‘cot cases’’ able to walk ashore.

The hospital ships were always under threat from floating mines and early in 1917 the German army declared unrestricted submarine warfare. Hospital ships were not exempt. Patients had to have their lifejackets beside them at all times and censorship became very strict.

Between sailings of the Maheno Jack was sent to...