In addition to the hazards of being shelled and shot at, many soldiers also siffered from various illnesses while on active service. Many of these cases related to the unhealthy trench life. There were 41 incidences where Papanui men reported sick to the extent that they were withdrawn from front line service. The most common forms of illness were diarrhoea, dysentery or enteritis, followed by scabies and influenza or bronchitis. Measles and mumps also occurred to some extent, with ear problems, miscellaneous injuries and venereal disease occurring very occasionally. Ten men died of illness, some back in Papanui.