187 Field Ambulance - War Diary April 1941
5th April 1941 HARLEY STREET CAMP.
10:00 hours. Weather has been extremely fine and has enabled some Route Marches to be done, the length of these Marches is being increased and all ranks have been lectured on the importance of marching.
The football team has also been doing well and we beat the West Yorks 9 to 1.
Duties are very numerous and we are lucky to be able to keep a Company going.
14th March 1941
07:00 hours. Arrived back in Camp after an interesting search for Corporal Edwards and Private Butcher RASC, these men went out to gain experience in motor cycle work. Private Butcher is an expert rider and has taken part in many competitions at home. They took the GEITHALS road towards PINGVELLIR which was in a very muddy state. As they had not returned by 20:00 hours Officer Commanding, Captain Smith, and Lieutenant Greenhill RASC took out three 30cwt Lorries to find them. After a terrific journey over the worst road the Officer Commanding had seen anywhere, the two bicycles were found at about 100 yards interval six miles up the GEITHALS road but with no sign of the men. The journey was continued to PINGVELLIR, on arrival there at 03:00 hours got in touch with the Unit by ‘phone and found that Corporal Edwards had got in by car and that an ambulance was being sent for Private Butcher. Both men had found the conditions terrible and after pushing their bicycles for miles had abandoned them and walked to the junction of the GEITHALS-PINGVELLIR road with the main REYKJAVIK–PINGVELLIR road when, at about 21:00 hours, Corporal Edwards got a lift in a civilian car, which fortunately was passing. The Lorries brought in the bicycles which were only slightly damaged.
Lessons :-
Never under-estimate conditions in this country.
Always bring food on any journey off the beaten track.
The tremendous work that a Bedford lorry can do over the most appalling roads.
24th April 1941
11:00 hours. A message received that an aeroplane had crashed near GRINDAVIK on the West coast. There were two fatalities and ten injured – mostly burns. Sent out Major Briscoe and Captain Mashiter, three ambulances, one stretcher squad, blankets, food, hot drinks, Thomas splints.
Team arranged to meet guide on the REYKJAVIK-KEFLAVIK road.
Transport – three ambulances, one Despatch Rider on a 3-ton lorry on full scale.
At 14:30 hours heard that six casualties had come in. No more news here till 22:00 hours when Major Briscoe returned, and briefed me, that three wounded still out and that one dead man was in the plane, that the wounded lay approximately 7 miles from a road over the most appalling country, that the DLI were sending sixty men and food.
25th March 1941
09:00 hours. Party arrived back after bringing in wounded. ???? 11th DLI and party had gone out before 187 Field Ambulance and reached wounded about 14:30 hours. Field Ambulance party with Major Briscoe had reached wounded at about 15:00 hours and started to carry them back but going was so bad that only a short distance had been covered by 21:00 hours also tea ration had run out.
Our bearers did not arrive at the wounded till about 23:59 hours and at 03:00 hours thirty more men were sent out and wounded reached the road at 06:00 hours.
A surgical team went out from 50th General Hospital but returned. The ADMS went out but returned at 18:00 hours.
Mistakes and lessons :-
The information given was too scant and was never reinforced by any further news, thus on the Officer Commanding the Field Ambulance hearing that six casualties had been brought in at 14:30 hours he thought that the matter would be over very shortly, but not that these were wounded who had walked the whole way.
The ADMS should never have left his office but should have remained and kept in close touch with the force and got more information.
The Officer Commanding the Field Ambulance failed to visualise the possibility of the wounded lying away from the road and did not send nearly enough food or stretcher bearers.
The worst mistake of all – no Medical Officer, including the ADMS who went out from 13:00 hours to 18:00 hours - ever sent back a word or in any way realised that immediately on arrival the Despatch Rider should have at once been sent back with following message – “Wounded are very far off over heavy ground. Send out a Company and lots of hot drinks and food”. These could have arrived by 15:30 hours.
Instead, the Officer in charge took the Despatch Rider off as an extra stretcher bearer.
The Officer in charge did not ? of bearers who were allowed to straggle while the Officer rushed ahead in order to get to the wounded, who as they had already been six hours would not be saved by this rush.
27th April 1941
10:00 hours. On Saturday 27th, the ADMS asked if 187 Field Ambulance would collect the body of the dead airman who was still in the plane.
Got in touch with Air Force and arranged for guide to meet party at ?(meeting location) at 08:30 hours on 28th April 1941. Took out whole of B Company and eight additional men from HQ etc.
Major Briscoe and Lt McGowan, one ambulance, four 30cwts, one Despatch Rider, one Humber, plenty of tea, haversack lunch, pennants, water bottles, haversack surgical two, Thomas splint.
Arrangements made to send dinner out to ?(meeting location) for four o’clock in the afternoon.
Arrived at ?(meeting location) at 08:15 hours – Air Force arrived at 08:45, went to destination on the GRINDAVIK road and started out at 09:30 hours.
The following system was adopted – a stretcher squad was dropped off every 15 minutes on a prominent ?feature and every second squad had a pennant. Six squads were used up and eventually the party arrived at the aeroplane with six squads at 13:00 hours.
The aeroplane was lying just below the top of an extremely steep hill with very soft clay. The country over which the party crossed consisted of lava beds and was the most terrible going the Officer Commanding the Field Ambulance had experienced – many steep hills had to be climbed. Haversack ration was taken on the hill and at 14:00 hours the party started to get the ? body which was in a frightfully burnt condition.
Relay posts could be easily seen and thus direction back could be kept, and all men arrived back at 17:30 hours and had a good meal which had been sent out.
The day taught everybody a good lesson on what we do next time. The men of B Company did magnificently on a really terrific carry.
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