Guest dwedsmum Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 I am new to this forum and wondered if anyone can help with this topic. I am researching Percy McQuone who was killed in Novermber 1917. He was in the 1st/1st Field Ambulance Territorial Force and I have heard they were one of the first to go over there. On his death certificate it was stated he was with the RAMC but I was told he was attached to a regiment. I cannot find much written about stretcher bearers and would like to know more about them. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 Pat Welcome to the GWF, not specifically about stretcher bearers but the link Here will take you to the LLT mother site's description on the constitution and duties of the Field Ambulances as a starting point. Hope this helps Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 The Medal Index Card for Percy McQuone can be found Here He was originally numbered 1975 before a renumbering to 417077 in January 1917. His new number indicates that he belonged to the 1st North Midland Field Ambulance. 1st North Midland Field Ambulance was part of the 46th (North Midland) Division which, according to the LLT Mother Site, moved to France 23rd-28th February 1915. Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 If he was RAMC he was NOT a stretcher bearer, but more highly trained. Stretcher bearers were provided at unit level, initially from bandsmen. Brassard SB. RAMC brassard Red cross on white. The best oversight of Stretcher bearers per se is 'The Long Carry' by Frank Dunham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 If he was RAMC he was NOT a stretcher bearer, but more highly trained. Stretcher bearers were provided at unit level, initially from bandsmen. Brassard SB. RAMC brassard Red cross on white. What is being described here is the first stage of a wounded soldier's treatment i.e. the Regimental Aid Post where, I agree, the RAMC wouldn't have supplied men to act as stretcher bearers but would have been more qualified personnel. However, the soldier in question was with a Field Ambulance, stage two of the treatment once the Regimental Aid Post had done it's bit, and as such he would have been RAMC and he COULD have been a stretcher bearer. According to the LLT mother site (see my first post) each 'Ambulance' consisted of no less than 108 such 'bearers' across three sections. It basically boils down to being able to prove whether Percy McQuone was attached to a regiment or not. Family 'legend' is notoriously unreliable when it comes to what forebears did in the war, my own included. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dwedsmum Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 Hello Steve, Thanks for your replies. I am now more confused than ever. Percy McQuone was in the TA in Derby and was attached to the 46th Regiment as suggested and, according to unreliable family talk, was a stretcher bearer. I have his death certificate which states he was in the RAMC so he may have changed the type of duties in 1917, when he changed his number. He died November 1917 and again, family talk, was killed by a sniper. He is buried in Mazingarbe in Loos in the British Philosophe Cemetery. I have a particular interest in him as he was my grandmother's youngest, and favourite, brother and he died 3 weeks after home leave. I am really keen to learn all I can about him as all my grandmother's papers were destroyed. I also have a cap badge and am doing a cross stitch needlework of it. The only thing missing is a photograph, that would be really exciting. This is a great site. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 Pat Percy McQuone was in the TA in Derby That ties in nicely as 1st North Midland Field Ambulance was Derby based. I have his death certificate which states he was in the RAMC so he may have changed the type of duties in 1917, when he changed his number. Unlikely, the change in number wouldn't have affected his duties in any way as it was part of the renumbering of the entire territorial force and was not restricted to individual soldiers. IMHO I believe that Percy McQuone was always a "stretcher bearer" in the RAMC although this can only be proved from other sources, if they survive. Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 Pat was attached to the 46th Regiment as suggested I realise it's just a matter of terminology but the 46th wasn't a Regiment but a Division. A Division being a much larger organisation of which a regiment battalion would be but a part. The link Here will take you to the LLT details for the 46th (North Midland) Division where you will be able to see what constituted a Division and also where the Division was involved in the fighting. Hope this helps Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dwedsmum Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 I have learned more about Percy McQuone since joining this site than ever before. Thank you all very much. To the person with the name langleybaston1418 I would ask if the book mentioned is out of print or are there copies around. It would be interesting to read of the experiences of stretcher bearers. I have tried to get book on this particular subject to to no avail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummer Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 www.abebooks.com has a copy listed: (http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=dunham&y=14&tn=the+long+carry&x=19)... a bit pricey methinks, but any port in a storm... Drummer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 Wickedly over-priced, particularly in that condition. Be patient! It is good, though, and well illustrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliecoco Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 Hi Dwedsmum, As books have been mentioned I just thought I would let you know of a book I have, although I haven't read it yet. Its called "The Road to St Julien" The letters of a Stretcher-Bearer from the Great War, by William St Clair and edited by John St Clair. As I say I haven't read it yet, but I wondered if you might find it of interest and perhaps give you some insight? Alie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 From Spartacus site on WW1. A great account of just how tiring and dangerous the role of SB was. Des (1) Sergeant Robert McKay, a stretcher-bearer with the 109th Field Ambulance Unit, kept a diary during the Battle of Ypres in August, 1917. 6 August Today awful: was obliged to carry some of the wounded into the graveyard and look on helpless till they died. Sometimes we could not even obtain a drink of water for them. 7 August Bringing the wounded down from the front line today. Conditions terrible. The ground is a quagmire. It requires six men to every stretcher. The mud in some cases is up to our waists. 14 August One party of stretcher-bearers was bringing down a wounded man when an airman swooped down and dropped a bomb deliberately on them. The enemy shells the stretcher-bearers all the time. 16 August The infantry took a few pill-boxes and a line or two of trenches from the enemy in this attack but at a fearful cost. It is only murder attempting to advance against these pill-boxes over such ground. Any number of men fall down wounded and are either smothered in the mud or drowned in the holes of water before we can reach them. We have been working continuously now since the 13th. The stretcher-bearers are done up completely. 19 August I have had no sleep since I went on the 13th. The 109th Field Ambulance alone had over thirty casualties, killed, wounded and gassed - and this out of one hundred men who were doing the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhill Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 There is a photograph at the Canadian Archives (which I am attempting to affix here) which shows the typical role of stretcher bearers during an operation. The caption merely says: " Wounded Canadians on way to aid-post. Battle of Passchendaele. November, 1917 " . If true, this would be the correct time for your man's death, but farther north. I would appreciate comments from the experts, but it seems to me that the caption may be a bit misleading. There is the implication that the "aid-post" means the Regimental Aid Post. However, as was normal, the infantry had the reponsibility of clearing their casualties back to the RAP. The photo shows some bearers in greatcoats and others not, which would indicate that men from two different units were involved. This would imply that thay were clearing from the RAP back to the Advanced Dressing Station. In these operations, the infantry units in reserve contributed carrying parties to augment the combined bearer sections of the Field Ambulances. Thus I would suspect the photo shows two RAMC men (actualy CAMC) and two attached infantrymen. Stretcher bearers of the RAMC variety often became casualties, but usually because the evacuation routes were under shell fire. They would not normally have been close enough to the firing line to be actually "sniped", although I am sure it happened bytimes. I appologize for "reaching" for some of these conclusions. It is an interesting topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dwedsmum Posted 11 February , 2006 Share Posted 11 February , 2006 Again thanks to all who replied. I will keep an eye out for the book 'The Road to St. Julien' and the photograph was great. I am so glad I found this site, you are all so helpful. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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