A Western Command Ramc Staff Tour
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J R Army Med Corps: first published as 10.1136/jramc-47-01-04 on 1 July 1926. Downloaded from ·37 A WESTERN COMMAND R.A.M.C. STAFF TOUR. By COLONEL H. ENSOR, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. THIS Staff Tour, of which I was the Director, was held on ·January 9 and 10 at Shrewsbury as part of the winter training of the R.A.M.C. officers of the 42nd, 53rd and 55th Divisions of the Territorial Army. Excluding the Director, twenty-seven officers attended, which number included four regular majors, R.A.M.C., from the Northern Command, and the· Colonel on the Staff in Charge of Administration and A.Q.M.G. Western Command. Some time previously the Director had given instruCtion in map reading to the R.A.M.C. officers of the above-mentioned divisions, and particular attention had been paid to the method now in use of identifying points on a map. Protected by copyright. The Tour began at 6.30 p.m. January 9, when, all the officers having· assembled in the Conference Room, the corrected appreciations were given out to the officers who had sent them in. The Director then read out the appreciation he had written, which is given below, and gave his views as to how medical appreciations should be written. The officers were then formed into syndicates, and at 9 p.m. the same evening they again assembled, and a series of "tasks" were given to them, which, with the exception of Task No. 5, were based on the Narratives given out. Each syndicate having written out its solution of .the task set, handed http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/ itin for correction, and when all had been handed in, the Director stated what in his opinion was the correct solution . The work done on the following day, January 10, is described later. The units given in the order of battle as mobilized for each corps of the Westland Army have been taken from the papers of the 1925 Western Command Staff To~r.. It will be observed that a field ambulance is given as one of the medical units of each corps. Unfortunately time did not permit of any discussion as to what the role of this field ambulance would be in battle. on October 2, 2021 by guest. The tasks s~t and the solutions made by the Director are given below, as is also a resume of the discussion which took place as to what disposi tions the officers commanding field ambulances of the 1st Division, West land Army, should make for the attack on the enemy position on January 10. At the close of this discussion the Director read out the R.A.M.C. Order for this attack, which he had written, and the Tour was at an end. The work handed in by syndicates was corrected and returned a few J R Army Med Corps: first published as 10.1136/jramc-47-01-04 on 1 July 1926. Downloaded from 38 A Western Command B.A.M.C.'- Staff Tour days later to the headquarters of the field ambulances of the 42nd, 53rd and 55th Divisions for the information of the officers concerned. My best thanks are due to my Chief Clerk, Qrmr. Serjt. P. J.Martin, R.A.M.C., and CpI. A. G. 'l'urner, R.A.M.C., for the very larg~ amount of work they carried out 'in typing and duplicating all the papers used in this Tour. WESTERN COMMAND R.A.M.C. STAFF TOUR, 1926. Reference O.S. Maps 6, 1 inch, Sheets 60 and 70. PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS. An appreciation of the medical situation from the point of -view of D.M.S., West land Army, is to be written by, you and forwarded to D.D.M.S., Western Command, Chester, under confidential cover, by December 20, 1925. This appreciation is to be written on the supposi tion that the D.M.S., Westland Army, has been directed to forward one to the Westland Army Headquarters on mobilization being ordered on Protected by copyright. December 9, the date on which hostilities commenced between the North land and Southland Armies. It is to be understood that armed interven tion on the part of West land in aid of Southland is imininent. Line of communication medical units are to be considered as about to be mobilized on the scale given in R.A.M.C. training, except that in the place of the two stationary hospitals, two general hospitals, each of 600 beds, will be mobilized for each division of the West land Army, and, also, two general hospitals, each -of 1,200 beds, in place of the two general hospitals mentioned in R.A.M.C. training. It may also be taken for granted that a convalescent depot (2,000 http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/ men) will be mobilized, if considered necessary, for each corps of the Westland Army. The question of transport of sick and wounded by hospital ships does not apply to this scheme, and the requirements of the two defence divisions of the Westland Army are not to be _considered. - It is to be understood that all sick and wounded of Westland Army are to be evacuated to selected places in Westland. The appreciation should be short and concise. Nothing should be mentioned in it except such matters as the WestlandArmy Command will wish to know concerning the medical problem. The character of the country in which operations on October 2, 2021 by guest. are expected to take place, and its resources, roads and railway communica tions are, for instance, already known to Army Headquarters, and need not be mentioned. Th~ hospital requirements for sick and wounded of the Westland Divisions and corps troops are to be carefully estimated, the .information given on these points in R.A.M.C. training being taken as a guide. J R Army Med Corps: first published as 10.1136/jramc-47-01-04 on 1 July 1926. Downloaded from H. Ensor 39 GENERAL IDEA. (1) Northland (capital York) and Southland (capital London)" two powerful countries, are at war, hostilities having commenced on Decem ber, 9, 1925. The southern boundaries of the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire represent the frontier between these two countries. Westland (Wales and Monmouthshire, capital Swansea), mobilized her army when hostili ties commenced between Northland and Southland, ostensibly with the object of maintaining her neutrality. (2) The initial fighting between N orthland and Southland has gone much in favour of Northland, whose troops advanced into Southland across the Lancashire-Cheshire frontier and, by January 5, had succeeded in forcing the Southland forces to retire on Whitchurch-Stoke-on-Trent. The wi~hdrawal of the Southland forces was an orderly one and nothing approaching a decision has been obtained by Northland. (3) The Northland Army consists of six corps, each of two divisions, and a cavalry division. Of these forces, three corps are on the Yorkshire Protected by copyright. frontier, and two corps, and the cavalry division, engaged in the advance into Southland over the Lancashire-Cheshire frontier. The remaining corps is in reserve in the Chester-Tarporley areas. Southland's Army is made up of five corps, each of two divisions, and a cavalry division. Of these forces, two corps, and the cavalry division (less one brigade) are opposed to the three N orthland Corps on the frontier of Yorkshire; two corps, fI, division, and a cavalry brigade are holding the line· Whitchurch-Stoke-on-Trent. The remaining' corps (less one division) is in reserve about Lichfield.Westland's Army con sists of two corps, each cif two divisiops, and of two defence divisions. http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/ which are poorly equipped as regards artillery and transport. Westland is weak in cavalry, only possessing two cavalry regiments whose role iR i that b£corps cavalry. (4) On January 3, 1926, Westland"declared war on N orthland, In alliance with Southland, and on that date her Army was disposed as follows:- Army Headquarters Cardiff. 1st Corp~. Headquarters Builth. 1st and 2nd Divisions Radnorshire. on October 2, 2021 by guest. 2nd Corps. Headquarters Newport. ord and 4th Divisions Monmouthshire. Defence Divisions. 1st Defence Division ;Denbighshire and Flintshire. 2nd Defence Division Montgomeryshire. J R Army Med Corps: first published as 10.1136/jramc-47-01-04 on 1 July 1926. Downloaded from 40 A WesteTn .Oommand, B.A.M.C. Staff Tour (5) It was decided as a result of a conference between the Southland and Westland commands to employ the 2nd Westland Corps in support of the left of the Southland Army, and the 1st Corps in an attempt to envelop the right flank of the N orthland forces. (6) The forces of Northland, Southland and Westland, with the exception of the two Defence DivIsions of Westland, are to be considered as organized and equipped in accordance with British War Establishments, Small Wars, Parts XXIIIA, XXIVA, XXVA, and XXVIA, so far as lines of communication and base medical ,units are concerned. The sole object of the tour is to .consider the medical arrangements of, an army on active service" and in consequence the scheme has been arranged with that object, and no other. The order of battle of the Westiand Army, which is the Army whose medical arrangements will be considered, is attached, the compo'sition of the 1st Division is also given ,in detail. The medical arrangements for the two Defence Divisions·of Westland's Army will not be considered. It, is to be imagined that they will be Protected by copyright.