TRANSPORT OF WOUNDED

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23949, 17 May 1943, Page 3

TRANSPORT OF WOUNDED

WORK IN RUGGED COUNTRY

FIELD AMBULANCE TRAINING Transporting “wounded” men across a river on a raft made of stretchers and tarpaulin, carrying them over rugged country, and finally hauling a “casualty” up the face of a 30ft concrete wall, are among the arduous tasks that Army stretcher-bearers are likely to encounter on active service. How they train for active operations was demonstrated near Christchurch recently, when a field ambulance unit established itself in difficult country to test its skill. In modern mobile warfare the scene of operations shifts so rapidly that the task of removing casualties from the combat area through the regimental aid post, advanced dressing station, main dressing station, casualty clearing station, and on to the base hospital, often presents transport difficulties calling for a standard of skill and fitness on the part of the stretcherbearers equal to that of the toughest front line troops. For the field ambulance unit’s first exercise it was assumed that after receiving immediate treatment at the regimental aid post, the “casualty” had to be taken up a rugged hillside to a spot some 250 ft above, where on more or less level ground an advanced dressing station had been established with adquate cover.

For this operation the “wounded” man was strapped securely and comfortably to a stretcher, to the head of which was attached a strong leading rope, 50ft long. The sergeant in charge then took up his position a short distance up the hill, and, taking the strain on the rope, gave his four bearers the word to lift. The climb was a difficult one, but perfect teamwork made it easy for the "casualty” and the bearers. To show that a downhill journey was just as easy, the bearers returned to their starting point. The next operation involved carrying a "casualty” up the face of the 30ft concrete wall. The “wounded” man was'at the base of the wall, and a stretcher-bearer had to be lowered by a rope to give him immediate first aid. Then a Curtis jacket, which is made of cane strips and canvas, and can be strapped right round a patient, was lowered down. The “casualty” was placed in the jacket, which protected him from head to foot, and three bearers hauled him easily up the wall. The final operation showed how wounded men can be taken across rivers even if bridges have been destroyed by enemy fire, and there are no boats or rafts available. A team of stretcher-bearers assembled a raft from seven stretchers and a tarpaulin, which was strong enough to carry 12 men, including two stretcher cases, walking wounded, and ambulance attendants. For the demonstration two stretcher cases were taken over a water cross of 128 yds, the raft being hauled along a rope attached to a point on shore.