BATTLE PRACTICE

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19220, 28 January 1928, Page 11

BATTLE PRACTICE

N.Z. MEDICAL CORPS

GOOD WORK AT CASHMERE,

Reminiscences of the Great War would have been vividly recalled yesterday by any returned soldier who chanced to be walking along the Hoon Hay road, for wounded men were to be seen in charge of members of the Medical Corps, who carried them on stretchers from the scene of action on the Hoon Hay ridge, Cashmere Hills, to a Regimental Aid Post and thence to an advanced station. The occasion was the annual battle practice of the Southern Depot of the N.Z. Medical Corps, who break camp to-day. Tne idea carried out was that a battle was in progress on the ridge, the home troops being entrenched and putting up a strong defence. As the defenders were wounded they either dropped where they were in action, or crawled to a position which promised them some shelter from while others who were less seriously wounded walked to the Regimental Aid Post, which was a scene of activity. Each man on arrival had his wounds examined by the Regimental Medical Officer, who saw that the injury was treated satisfactorily, the nature of the "wound and other particulars being marked on a card, which was attached to his tunic, the man being then sent further back. It is usual in modern warfare to send bad cases from the R.A.P. to the Advanced Station on wheeled stretchers or light motor-cars so as to cause them as little pain as possible, hut on the present occasion all such cases were carried on man-borne stretchers. At the Advanced Station the wounded were more carefully examined and if their injuries were serious enough were given morphia and other attention by two medical officers. This station in active service conditions is part of the Field Ambulance. Mail Van as Ambulance. The next step takes the wounded to the Main Station, to which it is usual to transport them in motor-ambulances, but yesterday's operations were carried under difficulties, as neither motorambulances nor horse-drawn vehicles were available. A substitute, however, was found in a Royal mail van, on which the casualties were carried to the Main Station, where it is customary to perform operations, and provide other attentions, after which the men are sent back to rejoin their respective units or are conveyed to the Casualty Clearing Station, which is usually situated at a railhead or as near thereto as possible, generally in a building, such as a church, which is considered unlikely to attract the attention of the enemy. As the name indicates, the station is the base from which the wounded are all cleared, some being sent back to the line and others to the base hospitals. Medical eases such as influenza and scabies are sent from here to stationary hospitals. Except in exceptional circumstances women nurses are not allowed to go closer to the front than the casualty clearing stations, which, unlike the other stations, contain beds.At the two last stations books are kept in which are entered such details as the name, regimental number, rank, unit, length of service, nature of wound and other particulars regarding everv case that is treated in them. In the closer stations ii is of course impossible to make such records owing to the necessity of hasty treatment and transfer to the stations further back. The operations yesterday were naturally not carried out exactly as under real active service conditions. At the front for instance, the R.A.P. would be situated quite close to the line, the advance station perhaps two miles further back, the main station some miles further back again, with the casualty clearing station, as stated previously, as near as possible to a railhead whereas the corps yesterday had their stations placed much closer together, the work, however, being none the less valuable, and providing an appropriate culmination to the year's training. Officers in Charge. Major Gibbs was in charge of the practice, which was participated in by about 130 officers and men, Captain D. Anderson being O.C casualty clearing station, Captain M. r. Louisson of the main station, an<i Captain W. H. Simpson of the advanced station, while Sergeant Sibley exercised control of the R.A.P., Lieutenant-r )lonel N. W. B. B. Thorns, D.5.0., C.8.. and Major Bremner, M.C., of the New Zealand Headquarters Staff, were also present in an advisory capacity. Mrs Peak, who had experience on active service, rendered valuable assistance at the C.C.S., and a number of young nurses from the Public Hospital were in attendance as lookers-on. " , The practice was somewhat restricted owing to the participants being all from the Medical Corps. It is understood, however, that next year's practice will take place at the Burnham Camp in.conjunction with other units. One of -the objections to this proposal is that it is likely to make a serious encroachment into the time of the medical officers concerned with it owing to the camp being such an inconvenient distance away from the city, but the practice should be a much more comprehensive one than that of yesterday. A New Departure. An arrangement was recently entered into between the military authorities and Dr. Fox, Medical Superintendent of the Public Hospital, whereby ten members of the corps were allowed to gain experience in the institution, their duties consisting of making up beds, taking temperatures and pulse beats, and washing patients. It is stated that the men selected did their work surprisingly well after the first day, their places being taken by a further party at the conclusion of their period of training