Private · NZ #38212 · R1 Patrol
| Rank | Private |
|---|---|
| Service number | NZ #38212 |
| Patrol | R1 Patrol |
| Regiment | New Zealand Medical Corps |
| Role | Medical Orderly |
| Born | 1915-08-21 |
| POW / KIA | PoW — Levitha, 24 Oct 1943 |
| Record | https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/125926 |
Online Cenotaph record found in August 2026 by searching the service number, and it supplies what stands behind the story already on this card: HE EMBARKED AS A PRIVATE OF THE NEW ZEALAND MEDICAL CORPS (2NZEF Nominal Roll 4, p.333). The roll knew he acted as the medical orderly on Levita; the nominal roll shows he was Medical Corps from the start rather than a man who happened to pick the job up. The record’s capture date of 25 October 1943 and Stalag VIII-B (later 344) at Lamsdorf agree with this card. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph, record 125926.
New Zealand (A) Squadron, Levitha (24 Oct 1943): prisoner of war. Source: Roll of New Zealand (A) Squadron Casualties on Levitha, Brendan O’Carroll, "The Long Range Desert Group in the Aegean".
Prisoner-of-war camp: Stalag 344 (code 344), POW No. 35797. Source: Germany & German-Occupied Territories Imperial POW Alphabetical List, Section 4 (N.Z.), 2NZEF. Transcription via Zenodo (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.3632116, CC BY 4.0).
The Kiwi Scorpions (Brendan O'Carroll): Pte B. Steedman — labourer, Auckland; born NZ, 21 Aug 1915; prisoner of war 25 Oct 1943.
Sting of the Scorpion (Brendan O'Carroll) — the assault on Levita: Levita, 23–24 Oct 1943: the medical orderly; on his own initiative arranged with the Germans, under a white flag, the surrender of the badly wounded (Haddow and Penhall), and gave himself up so he could stay with his patients.
Original member of the Long Range Patrol (LRP), 1940 — listed with the “LRP” comment in the nominal roll, The Kiwi Scorpions (Brendan O'Carroll).
The medical orderly on Levita (October 1943) who tried to save the mortally wounded Trooper Mallett; taken prisoner when the A Squadron party was overwhelmed. Source: ‘Invasion of the Dodecanese Islands’ (Battle of Leros / Assault on Levita), Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (NZ official war history).
Labourer, of Auckland; born NZ, 21 Aug 1915. Prisoner of war, 25 Oct 1943. Source: Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (biographical notes).
New Zealanders in the Levita action, 24 October 1943: taken prisoner of war. Source: Brendan O’Carroll, ‘The Kiwi Scorpions’ (Appendix IX, New Zealanders in the Levita action).
The prefix NZ has been added to his service number, on the authority of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph record already linked on this card — the Museum holds him as a New Zealand service person. The digits are unchanged. This roll formerly left the number unmarked, which made it look like a British number to anyone reading the field rather than the card.
See him in the full roll →This page is part of the Long Range Desert Group roll of members at lrdgarchive.org. If you hold rights to anything on it and would like it credited differently, or taken down, please see Sources and Copyright. It will be dealt with promptly.
Not By Strength But By Guile