CASUALTIES IN ITALY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25372, 2 November 1943, Page 3

CASUALTIES IN ITALY

EVACUATED BY AIR TRANSPORT

HIGHLY ORGANISED SERVICE

RUGBY, Oct. 31.

Several thousand sick and wounded—a high proportion of the total casualties—have been evacuated by air from the Italian mainland since the, first landings. This continues the work initiated in tne Western Desert, developed on the long road to Tunisia, and brought to the present pitch of organised efficiency in Sicily. The casualties are picked up from various points in Italy and flown to Sicily, from where the majority are flown to North Africa. The service came into operation within a week of the first landing. At first most of the work was done by air ambulances, but transports which have taken stores forward and would otherwise return empty are being used, and have made possible the extensive scheme now in operation. No matter where the transports may land at the forward aerodromes, all available casualties are waiting ready to be despatched to base. The gain in time by this method, states the Air Ministry news service, is almost incredible. In one case casualties were removed in two hours, where land and sea transport would have taken three days. Many of the wounded undoubtedly owe their lives to their removal from the line by air.