187th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
Unit details.
Name: 187 Field Ambulance.
Abbreviation: 187 Fd Amb.
Unit War Diary.
The War Diary for this second-line Field Ambulance Unit, which remained as part of 70th Infantry Brigade, or the 70th Brigade Group, throughout its existence, was completed personally in manuscript form by the Commanding Officers.
This meant that some of the text, especially that written by Lt Col Mcnamara, the unit's first Commanding Officer, was difficult to decipher on occasion. In addition Lt Col Mcnamara was apparently keen on the use of shorthand and some of the text appears to be shorthand script. An attempt has been made to record what is hopefully a correct version of the manuscript but there clearly may be errors in my interpretation. Question marks are used where words are not legible.
It became clear, as the months were documented, that this was much more a personal commentary on events than a conventional War Diary, and therefore this adds a distinctive flavour to the text - which I have tried faithfully to reproduce, although sometimes the lack of punctuation and capital letters caused some problems.
What was fascinating were the "Lessons Learned" from those events in which Lt Col Mcnamara was very critical - and particularly self-critical - often writing of himself in the third person. What shone through was his concern for the welfare of his men at all times - the details of the preparations for Christmas in Iceland in 1940 are very noteworthy.
187 Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, War Diary 1940.
187 Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, War Diary 1941.
187 Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, War Diary 1942.
187 Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, War Diary 1943.
187 Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, War Diary 1944.
Personnel Records for 187th Field Ambulance.
Adams CSM 0
Allison W. S/Sgt 0
Almond Lt 0
Avenell A.L.P. Captain 0
Aynsley Cyril Pte 7369522
Bain W. Lt 0
Ballantyne John Joseph Reed Pte 7365430
Barrand C.F.J. Cpl T/155656
Barrie T. Pte 7377977
Bateman H.G. Dvr T/14330036
Bateson E.S. Dvr 0
Baugh Harold Pte 7369428
Benion RSM 0
Birchall J C Lieutenant
Black Captain 0
Bradfield Sgt 0
Brighton S.J. 2/Lt 268397
Briscoe A.D. Major 0
Browne W.Lyle Major 74826
Butcher Dvr 0
Capon S.S. 2/Lt 267397
Carr Thomas Richard Pte 7369573
Carter Dvr
Cass Dvr 0
Cates R.N. Lt 0
Chapman Pte 0
Charlton Robert Cpl 7369439
Cochran Major 0
Cody John Joseph Peter Pte 7369445
Cooper S/Sgt 0
Cooper William Pte 14224472
Corr Lt 0
Coupe William Captain Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class 246436
Cowan W. Dvr T/10697952
Dale Cpl 7361119
Davies Rees Griffith Pte 7373749
Delgreco Silvio Pte 14297940
Dixon Ernest Pte 7369539
Dobbin Harry Pte 7369454
Dowling Lt 0
Dunn Frederick James Pte 7369541
Dunn Ralph Crosby Henderson Pte 7369577
Durbridge George Raymond Pte 7369447
Dutton Captain 0
Early Joseph Pte 7369578
Edwards Cpl 0
Farrow Sgt 0
Fidler George Marshall Pte 7369580
Finegan J.A. Major 110062
Finlayson J.A. Major 0
Garraway Thomas Pte 7369581
Gilfillan R. Sgt 7261229
Gillespie (?Gilhespy) Kenneth Pte 7369546
Gray Sgt 0
Greenhill P.A.N. 2/Lt 0
Grounsell Norman Cpl 7365423
Hamill Henry Benedict Driver RASC T/10695341
Hamilton Alexander McCaughie Pte 14233189
Hanlan E.R. Lt 104440
Harris Charles Captain 241074
Heatherington N. Lt (QM) 0
Hill R.H. Lt 226990
Hoad D.J. Captain 199856
Howe Albert Edward Lance Corporal RASC T/191718
Hughes John Victor Pte 7362744
Jackson L. Cpl 0
King Cpl 0
Knowles James Pte 7365414
Lamb T. Dvr T/1978??2
Lawson R. 2/Lt 317421
Lee L/Cpl 0
Leslie Captain 0
Lewis Michael Peebles Lt 254088
Lintott Lt 157934
London Captain 0
Longbotham B.F. Major 65307
Lyell Alan Lt 254619
Macnamara John Philip Lt Col 5347
Mair T. Dvr T/16886
Mashiter W.E. Lt 0
McGowan G.K. Lt 161922
McKane T.O. Major 89978
Mason William McLaren Captain 211833
McPartland J. Captain 123688
Mesher H. Dvr T/16181
Milne R. Dvr T/197968
Mintz Mark Cpl 7367896
Mordica George Herbert Pte 7369591
Mullen Joseph Pte 7369515
Napthine Dennis Lawrence Pte
Needham E.J.A. Lt 0
Neil John Elliott Pte 7362005
Newby George Thomas Pte 7369520
O'Kane J. Major 92343
Orr James Wilson Major 67847
O'Tully Lt 0
Peters Robert Adam Pte 7378785
Philippson R. Major 0
Phillips Phillip Charles Pte 14296744
Pickard J.E.H. Pte 7377532
Pickering Cpl 0
Pollard James Private 7365448
Poole Sgt 0
Prince K.N. Captain 0
Robinson Captain 0
Robinson Gordon Wallace Mercelle Pte 7365418
Rogerson H. L/Cpl 14309723
Salthouse E. Dvr T/10695313
Sheppard Pte 0
Slater Sgt 0
Slater J. Lt 225235
Smith Horace Private 3782857
Smith W.D.L. Lt 0
Struthers David Lt 254133
Tattersall J. Lt (QM) 237149
Thompson S. Pte 0
Tiplady George Pte 11417154
Trewick Thomas Pte 7365447
Vaughan S/Sgt 0
Wilkins S.W. 2/Lt 318714
Woolley R.E. Pte 5443276
Young Sgt 0