RAMC & FANY: The Stages of Treatment (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Author
Joel DavisExpertise
History
The Chain of Evacuation in WWI - Summary
The stages of treatment and chain of evacuation on the Western Front
Soldiers injured in the British Sector of the Western Front often needed transporting to better-equipped facilities. Many men were also sent back to Britain to receive further treatment in British hospitals. This system became known as the chain of evacuation. It has two sections, the system of transport and the stages of treatment. To treat the large number of British casualties, there needed to be an efficient system. This system moved the wounded away from the frontlines to areas where they could receive treatment. There were four main stages of treatment:
It was the responsibility of the RAMC and other medical groups to transport the wounded between these stages. Medical developments were often perfected in the Base Hospitals. They were then used in the Casualty Clearing Stations. It was the stages closer to the frontlines that carried out minor treatment for soldiers to return immediately to the fight in the trenches. The aim of this system was to get as many soldiers back to frontline fighting as possible. The war effort depended on this system working effectively. |
Regimental Aid Post
The Regimental Aid Post (RAP) was around 200 metres from the frontline
Located in communication trenches or deserted buildings
Wounded soldiers arrived by walking or from stretchers
Staffed by a Regimental Medical Officer and stretcher-bearers with first-aid knowledge
The purpose was to give immediate first aid:
Soldiers with more serious injuries were transported to Dressing Stations
Field Ambulance & Dressing Station
Field Ambulance
A mobile medical unit of the RAMC which treated around 150 wounded soldiers at a time:
It was a group of RAMC medical staff, not a vehicle
The Field Ambulance at Hooge in the Ypres Salient helped 1,000 soldiers from 10-11 August 1917
They were also responsible for establishing Dressing Stations
Exam Tip
Don’t confuse the Field Ambulance with ambulance wagons:
The Field Ambulance was the unit of RAMC which set up Dressing Stations.
Ambulance wagons were the vehicles used to transport the sick and wounded.
Dressing Stations (ADS and MDS)
There were two types of Dressing Station:
The Advanced Dressing Station (ADS) was around 400 metres behind the RAP
The Main Dressing Station (MDS) was around a mile behind the RAP
Located in dug-outs or abandoned buildings to stay protected from artillery
Wounded soldiers arrived by walking or on stretchers
Staffed by ten medical officers, along with stretcher-bearers from the RAMC. From 1915 there were also nurses
The purpose was to give emergency first aid to the wounded:
Those who required further treatment were transported to Casualty Clearing Stations (CCS)
Worked Example
Describe two features of the Dressing Stations where injured soldiers might be taken to receive treatment
4 marks
Answers:
Dressing Stations were around a mile behind the frontlines (1); this made it less likely for them to be hit by artillery fire (1)
They were run by members of the RAMC called the Field Ambulance (1); this treated around 150 soldiers at a time (1)
This answer would receive full marks because it identifies two main features or characteristics of Dressing Stations. Each feature is supported by a relevant piece of knowledge.
Exam Tip
Remember to use separate sentences to identify the feature and to provide additional information.
This is so the examiner can clearly see why two marks should be awarded for each feature.
Casualty Clearing Station
The Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) was a few miles from the frontline
They were located in permanent structures like factories or schools, close to a railway line. This allowed rapid transport of the seriously wounded
Wounded soldiers arrived by ambulance
Staffed by doctors and nurses who treated life-threatening injuries like limb amputations
The purpose was to divide the wounded using a system called triage:
Walking wounded returned to the fighting after minor treatment
Those who needed hospital treatment were sent to base hospitals
Those who were so severely wounded that they were not going to survive. These soldiers were made as comfortable as possible until they died
The CCSs during the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917 were responsible for treating many wounded:
24 CCSs in total
379 doctors and 502 nurses
200,000 casualties treated
Only 3.7% of casualties died
Base Hospital
Base Hospitals were near the French and Belgian coasts
The Base Hospital:
Was usually a civilian hospital or large building
Wounded soldiers arrived by train or canal barge (which was more comfortable for travel)
Was staffed by many medical staff including doctors and nurses
Reliance on Base Hospitals increased towards the end of the war when the German Army launched the Spring Offensive, meaning CCSs were more vulnerable to attack
The purpose was to give specialised treatment to wounded soldiers:
Most base hospitals had operating theatres, x-ray departments, and treatment areas for gas poisoning
Casualty Clearing Stations then used the techniques perfected in Base Hospitals
Hospital ships transported soldiers back to Britain for further treatment
The Underground Hospital at Arras
The Battle of Arras 1917 was a major event during the First World War
The ground around the town of Arras is very chalky and suitable for digging:
In 1916, Tunnelling Companies from Britain and New Zealand linked together 2.5 miles of tunnels in five months
The tunnels were home to 25,000 men by 1917
Within the 800 metres of tunnels there was a fully functioning underground hospital:
Nicknamed Thompson’s Cave - Thompson was the name of the RAMC officer who equipped the hospital
There were 700 spaces for stretchers or waiting areas
Electricity and piped water were available
In 1917 an artillery shell destroyed the water supply and the hospital was no longer used
Worked Example
Describe two features of the underground hospital at Arras
4 marks
Answers:
It was well staffed and equipped (1); it had electricity and piped water (1)
There was space for 700 stretchers (1); these were used as beds and as a waiting room for the sick (1)
This answer would receive full marks because it identifies two main features or characteristics of the underground hospital at Arras.
Each feature is supported by a relevant piece of knowledge. The supporting information is short, but precise.
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