How were injuries recorded?

[squirrel]

Just been thinking about how injuries, as opposed to wounds sustained in action, were classified, reported and recorded.

With the potential for slips, trips and falls, particularly in the front line and even on patrols or possibly attacks and the amount of manual work that had to be undertaken, fractures, strains, sprains, hernias, torn muscles, snapped tendons/ligaments etc., must have been very common.

Would these have been recorded/reported as sick, injured or wounded?

Edited 18 September , 2016 by squirrel

[Terry_Reeves]

The entry for these sort of injuries are often annotated  acc.

 

Tr

[johnboy]

If the man was sent to FA or CCS the injury would be described in full if on a list. 

[squirrel]

Thanks chaps, what percentage of overall casualties would these represent?

[johnboy]

I thin that is anybodies guess. A lot of minor injuries might not have been recorded as they might have been dealt with by the battalions M.O, Things like toothache, sprains, backache, heavy colds etc could have been dealt with with a couple of days off duty.

[squirrel]

Managed to get a look at the Official History of the War, Medical Services, Casualties and Medical Statistics.

 

The number of non battle casualties August 1914 - December 1918 as follows:

 

Died of disease or injury France & Flanders   Officers 1,257  OR 30,841

 

Sick or injured (less died) France & Flanders  Officers 126,046  OR 3,496,388

 

73% of sick/injured were returned to duty.

 

Whatever the timescale of treatment and eventual return to duty, this represents an enormous drain on manpower and an immense amount of work for the medical services.

And, as johnboy has pointed out, these do not include those treated at unit/battalion level.

[ss002d6252]

I suspect being treated at MO level accounts for a lot of the times we see reports that a man was injured X number of times yet can't be found on a casualty list

Craig

[johnboy]

I suppose that in serious cases of illness the MO could refer the men on. Those with minor complaints could be treated by him. Apart from seeing short notes in war diaries re men reporting to MO I have not seen any paperwork. I wonder how long an MO could sign a man off duty? 

[TEW]

I think many of those slips, trips, falls would have to be reported as a potential self-inflicted wound. There were orders that any accidental injury had to go through the process of being reported as a potential SIW. MOs were frequently informing their CO that 'under regulations this case should have been reported as a SIW'

TEW