STRETCHER-BEARERS on the WESTERN FRONT, 1914-1918. Liana Markovich a Thesis in Fulfilmen
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‘NO TIME FOR TEARS FOR THE DYING’: STRETCHER-BEARERS ON THE WESTERN FRONT, 1914-1918. Liana Markovich A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of New South Wales, Canberra School of Humanities and Social Sciences November 2015 ABSTRACT : ‘NO TIME FOR TEARS FOR THE DYING’: STRETCHER- BEARERS ON THE WESTERN FRONT, 1914-1918. In the century since the Great War began there has been little research into the war experience of British, Indian and Dominion stretcher-bearers that served the Western Front. The unarmed regimental and medical corps stretcher-bearers provided a key role in the provision of health care on the Western Front and carried out their duties in the same conditions faced by combatant personnel. Yet the stretcher-bearers are largely absent from the common military narrative of ‘fighter and gallant hero’; the study of military medicine, the Army Medical Service and its Corps has subsumed their wartime experience. Stretcher-bearers dealt with sick, badly wounded, horribly maimed and dying men on a daily basis. Charged with the task of removing the sick and wounded from the battlefields, they saved the lives of countless men. What we do know of these men, is generally found in the narratives of the wounded; as very few stretcher-bearers have told their own story. This thesis significantly adds to the knowledge of this group of non-combatants. An examination of the problems and challenges faced by this group of non-combatants, which negatively affected their work, is given. These problems derived from either internal Army issues, from external forces or a combination of both. This thesis significantly contributes to the knowledge of the Great War by providing a human dimension to the work and place of these non-combatants. The stretcher-bearers assessed by this thesis are from Australia, Britain, Canada, India, New Zealand and Newfoundland. i Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... iii TEXT NOTE ........................................................................................................................... v ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ...................................................................................... v LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS, TABLES AND CHARTS ...................................................... vii INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1 – 1873 – 1914: THE ARMY MEDICAL CORPS .................................................. 31 CHAPTER 2 – THE STRETCHER-BEARERS ........................................................................... 70 CHAPTER 3 – 1914 ............................................................................................................. 96 CHAPTER 4 – 1915 ........................................................................................................... 131 CHAPTER 5 – 1916 ........................................................................................................... 167 CHAPTER 6 – 1917 ........................................................................................................... 206 CHAPTER 7 – 1918 ........................................................................................................... 246 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................... 281 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................ 292 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS So many people have guided and assisted me through this journey. Dr John Connor was my immediate supervisor and must, of course, be the first of many to receive my sincere thanks. His expertise and guidance shown to me is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks also to my second supervisor, Professor Peter Stanley, for his honest critique of draft chapters and his advice regarding the thesis direction. I would also like to acknowledge the assistance and guidance of the following academics at the University of New South Wales, Canberra. These are Emeritus Professor Peter Dennis for allowing access to the AIF database, also Dr Craig Stockings (Postgraduate Co-ordinator), Professor Jeffrey Grey, Dr Eleanor Hancock and Dr Christina Spittel all who offered insight into the process. Encouragement from Head of School Professor David Lovell is much appreciated, as is the guidance and advice from the Graduate Research Unit. The work and dedication of the administrative staff at ADFA is also acknowledged, in particular Bernadette, Marilyn, Shirley and Vera. International academics also have helped and encouraged my research. My thanks go to Dr Jessica Meyer of Leeds University, Dr Leo van Bergen of Univesiteit Leiden, Dr Tim Cook of the Canadian War Museum, Dr Damien Fenton of Massey University and Ministry for Culture and Heritage, New Zealand. Particular thanks go to Dr David Parsons of St. John’s, Newfoundland, who divulged much pertinent information about the medical service of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (RNR) and kindly also played host and tour guide during my brief visit to his beautiful island. iii The assistance of many of the international institutions and their staff is acknowledged. The staff of The Rooms, Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador and Dolores Ho at the National Army Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand warrant special mention. Thanks go to Captain Peter Starling, RAMC and his staff at the Army Medical Services Museum, Keogh Barracks, United Kingdom. The staff in the archives at the Australian War Memorial, The Library and Archives of New Zealand, Canadian War Museum, Library and Archives Canada, Hamilton and Toronto, (Ontario) libraries, British Library, Imperial War Museum, National Army Museum, The Wellcome Library and Archives and the National Archives, Kew. Without the financial support and funding from the Australian Postgraduate Association, ASCANZ and UNSW this project would not have been possible. My fellow PhD candidates Miesje de Vogel, Umut Ozguc and her partner Sarp, Kerry Neale, Emily Robertson, and Kelly Frame at ADFA are acknowledged for their input and emotional support. Thank you to all the dear friends who generously gave their time to read and comment on my very rough chapters. Paul, Lesley, Liz, Heather, David, Rachael, Tim, Bess and Lachlan all contributed in some manner to the final product. In this regard, extra thanks must go to Greg Daly who read, re-read and read everything again just when I really needed the support and to Sharon Milton for her expert and detailed critique of the entire thesis. Thank you to my mother-in-law Yvonne Vesel who has passed to me the Walsh/Bennett family history, I promise to take good care of these histories. Also thanks to friends who have put up with me during the process. My greatest and warmest thanks are reserved for my husband Peter Vesel. Without his emotional support and encouragement, this work could not have been completed. Peter has spent much of his free time, reading drafts, discussing, assessing the work and the lives of these men. His time and patience can never be repaid and I am grateful for his continued love and commitment. iv TEXT NOTE Where possible, little has been altered in the direct quotations. Some words have been added to improve the flow of the comment or to correct details. Australian English has been adopted throughout. Place names are taken from the Australian and British Official Histories; where these differ however, the Australian usage prevails. The use of Imperial measurement as used by the sources has been maintained with an approximation in metric given. In order to maintain a similarity in style, all field ambulances referred to will be recorded as thus; ‘5th Canadian Field Ambulance’ or ‘1st New Zealand Field Ambulance. ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AIF Australian Imperial Force AAMC Australian Army Medical Corps ADMS Assistant Director of Medical Services ADS Advanced Dressing Station AMS Army Medical Service AMC Army Medical Corps ANZAC Australian and New Zealand Army Corps ASC Army Service Corps BEF British Expeditionary Force CAMC Canadian Army Medical Corps CCS Casualty Clearing Station CEF Canadian Expeditionary Force C-in-C Commander-in-Chief DAG Deputy Adjutant-General v DADMS Deputy Assistant Director of Medical Services DDMS Deputy Director of Medical Services DGAMS Director General of the Army Medical Service DMS Director of Medical Services FAU Friends Ambulance Unit GHQ General Head Quarters G-o-C General Officer Commanding GOI Government of India HQ Headquarters IEF ‘A’ Indian Expeditionary Force (A) IMS Indian Medical Service MAC Motor Ambulance Convoy MDS Main Dressing Station MO Medical Officer NZEF New Zealand Expeditionary Force NZMC New Zealand Medical Corps PMO Principal Medical Officer POW Prisoner of War QMG Quarter Master General RAP Regimental Aid Post RAMC Royal Army Medical Corps RASC Royal Army Service Corps RMO Regimental Medical Officer TF Territorial Force VAD Voluntary Aid Detachment VD Venereal Disease vi LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS, TABLES AND CHARTS 1.1 - Medical Administration on the Western Front ............................................. 43 1.2 - RAMC scheme of evacuation on the Western Front, 1915 .......................... 46 1.3 - Regimental stretcher-bearer brassard .......................................................... 47 1.4 - Collecting