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Remembered Today:

L/Cpl MacGregor's evacuation by air


michaeldr

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from Dekenai's post No. 66 here

Gammage
"At Hassana in Sinai, men were sent out to round up Bedouins who had fired on Camel Corps Patrols"'
Frank Reid pte ICC
"but when they approached...a bedouin fired at close range, and LCpl MacGregor fell badly wounded..


This incident deserves to be better known for the manner of the wounded man's evacuation; this was the first recorded example of a British battlefield evacuation by air
A fascinating article by the former IDF Surgeon General, Professor Eran Dolev can be seen here http://jramc.bmj.com/content/jramc/132/1/34.full.pdf

 

regards

Michael

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You're welcome Alan, 

 

In other threads here

 

MacGregor Walter WA. 3919, 7th Co, 
Ex Scottish Horse (3919) and Royal Highlanders (316093) 
shot by Arabs at Hassana 
WIA 18-1-17 

 

 

edit to add: Walter W A MacGregor's MiC [WO/372/13; image ref.629]

shows that he was entitled to the Victory & BWM and that he was also awarded the SWB, list ref: G/A/537 

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Mates,

 

Since that date I have gone over many of these men, the lastest details on Mac Gregor is;

 

MacGregor    Walter WA.    3919    Pte    Tos 7Co 7-16 WIA 18-2-17 R/ankle shot reported shot by arabs during operation by 2Bn under Maj Bassett at Hassana Post Ex Scottish Horse (3919) and Royal Highlanders (316093) 
 

I record;

 

16-2-17  Hassana operation by Maj Bassett's 2Bn ICC (5Co 6Co 7Co) + sect 14Co + sect HK&SMB + Scottish FAmb & 2/1 Field Troop RE att Maj Greenwood & Lt Herbert (DMC Intell) to Hassana *captured 3 officers & 20 men rtn  21-2-17

 

A number of reports give the details of the action at Hassana, a small outpost.

 

S.B

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Further information on the wounded man kindly supplied by Mark [see post No. 2 here

 

Enlisted 29/8/1914. Discharged 16/11/1918.

Silver War Badge B44031. Discharged para 392 xvi(B1). W (for Wounds).

 

There is a Walter WA MacGregor in the 1901 Scottish census. 6. Born and living in Little Dunkeld, Perthshire.

A Walter WA MacGregor married Lily Flock in 2Q in 1918 in Bristol.

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This AirMed & Rescue magazine page has a photograph of the incident showing L/Cpl MacGregor on a stretcher being loaded into the BE2c
see https://www.airmedandrescue.com/story/1862

 

Or does it?

 

Any comments on the photograph anyone?

 

I leave it to others to say if they aeroplane is of the correct BE2c design, but I wonder, would Major Bassett's ICC column have carried with them to Bir el Hassana the wheeled device (I presume this is for carrying the stretcher) which is seen in the right fore ground?

It would have been more reassuring if the photograph had been given a proper attribution to some collection: “RAF / © MOD Crown Copyright 2017” tells us nothing

 

edit quote - Lance Corporal MacGregor being strapped into the bi-plane - is not more likely to be showing MacGregor's exit from the plane?

Note also the third person from the left and their flapping white gown, which suggests to me that this is the arrival at the medical facility

rather than the beginning of an evacuation from the middle of the desert 

 

See Stuart's post No.9 below 

 

 

Edited by michaeldr
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Mate,

 

Records show that the 1/1 Scottish Horse FAmb had taken over from the Cheshires Field Amb on the force list.

 

That means the A sect would have had carqouts but carrying one man on these things was not the best way to travel, without some one on the other side to balence the camel.

 

I would say by the photo that this maybe the unloading of the L/Cpl at the hosp, not the loading in the field?

 

Cheers

 

S.B

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The article  mentioned by Michael in post 1, refers to a photograph of the plane which may be seen

page 130, With the R.A.M.C. in Egypt by Serjeant-Major, R.A.M.C

https://archive.org/stream/withramcinegypt00serjuoft#page/130/mode/2up

This probably indicates that at least one person was taking photographs at the hospital end. I would agree that the photograph discussed above from the  AirMed & Rescue magazine is much more likely to have been taken at the hospital end.

 

This book With the R.A.M.C. in Egypt also has  photographs of cacolets etc

 

Cheers

Maureen

 

 

 

 

Edited by Maureene
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  • 2 months later...

Hi all,

 

Sorry, bit late coming to this thread, but the photo shown in the Air Med & Rescue article is not L/Cpl MacGregor being evacuated.  He was flown out in the observer's seat of a BE2.  That photo is of a DH9 that was specially modified for casualty evacuation in 1920 in Somaliland, part of 'Z Force'.  A hinged compartment was added to the rear fuselage to lay patients in.

 

All the best

Stuart

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So, it's not even MacGregor's exit from the plane 

[wrong plane, wrong war & wrong casualty]

Many thanks for clearing that up Stuart

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  • 2 weeks later...

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