Built during WWII by the Public Works Department. Unwanted by the Auckland Hospital Board.

From small beginnings and numerous problems, it became one of the largest hospitals in this country.

The initial purpose of writing this book was to disprove the repeated myth that the Americans built, staffed, and treated their war casualties at Middlemore. While the American soldiers were in New Zealand during World War II, they had access to three large temporary hospitals in Auckland, with accommodation for 4,500 sick and wounded Americans.

The New Zealand Government War Cabinet's policy was to have all Kiwi sick and wounded service personnel treated by New Zealand staff in New Zealand-operated hospitals. Middlemore Hospital was a result of this policy for expected casualties in the Pacific war. It was initially built as a 300-bed military hospital with plans to convert it to a civilian hospital following the cessation of wartime hostilities.

The authors spent much of their professional working lives at Middlemore. They wish to dispel the American myth and record the many problems faced during the building and functioning of this hospital.