CASUALTY TRANSFER 9th CFA - 13th BFA - 6CCS

[Mike Leishman]

Hello, 

 

I've been trying to pin down my Gt. Uncle's casualty 'movements'.

 

I've read the diaries and (if I've understood any of it) it looks like a SW injury received on 18th April while on staff at 8th Brigade Canadian Field Artillery HQ (Berthonval Farm?), to 9th Canadian Field Ambulance (Villers au Bois?) on the 19th, then passing through 13th British Field Ambulance, (at Maisnil? - their diary entry 21st April says at 'Quatre Vents, acting as relay front on long journey from the Canadian Dressing Station to Casualty Clearing Station'), on the 19th,  to 6 Casualty Clearing Station (Barlin?), also on the 19th. Looking on Google maps, though, that is one heck of a long journey. Maybe possible if he started moving on the 18th April. Have I misunderstood/misread something? (another part of his record also says admitted to 9CFA on the 19th April)

 

Also, what is happening on the 21st April? I keep reading it as a transfer from 6CCS to '1 Train'. 

 

Have I got it right? I know he rejoined his unit on 26th April.

 

Mike

 

 

 

[TEW]

Doesn't help that the entries are not in sequence but from 6CCS to 1 Train makes sense if it's an Ambulance Train. Check their diary to see where they were?

TEW

[Mike Leishman]

Thank you, TEW,

 

So you read '1Train' too? I wasn't sure. I just had a look and, on 21st April, it was at Barlin and picked some up some people. Then it went off 'west' to Boulogne, the same day. I've just found out that the 3rd Canadian General Hospital was based at Boulogne, so that could be the reason for a train transfer. The next page on his Casualty Form just says 'Rejoined Unit / Field / 26.04.17'. I wonder how he got back. 1 Ambulance Train went Boulogne (25th) to Aubigny (26th), but that seems too far away from Vimy (if that's really where 8th Brigade CFA HQ was). I don't think/know if it would have operated a 'drop off' service.

 

Thanks again for the 'nudge' though. It helps join things up.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

[RussT]

13 minutes ago, Mike Leishman said:

his Casualty Form just says 'Rejoined Unit / Field / 26.04.17'. I wonder how he got back. 1 Ambulance Train went Boulogne (25th) to Aubigny (26th), but that seems too far away from Vimy (if that's really where 8th Brigade CFA HQ was). I don't think/know if it would have operated a 'drop off' service.

 

I've never come across an instance where a solider returning to duty did so via an ambulance train - in other words I don't believe they operated a "drop off" service.

 

Regards

 

Russ

[Mike Leishman]

It did seem a bit of a wild idea as I wrote it!

 

Thanks for the confirmation

 

Mike

[Mike Leishman]

Russ,

I don't know if you're still there, but I can't seem to find anything that says exactly how  a soldier returned to their unit after release from hospital. Was it 'organised' in some way, or was it more a case of trying to cadge a lift from someone who happened to be going the right way? (I know that sounds a bit weird as I write, and maybe I've seen too many films on television!).

 

Mike

[RussT]

I don't recall seeing anything official on this but I sort of assumed men would be gathered together who served in the same Division and/or Brigade and then made their way initially to the relevant reserve unit under official orders down the relevant line of communication using whatever combination of transport was being made available with appropriate travel passes issued if needed. So trains (not of the ambulance variety), busses, trucks, by foot)

 

So I understand it was properly organised rather than it being everyman for himself using his own initiative and basing things on luck etc. I would think in any given week there must have been 1000s of men returning as well as new drafts from the IBDs etc - returning wounded/sick etc could well have travelled with men in the new drafts - i.e. whatever made sense and helped with efficiency of the overall process.

 

Regards

 

Russ

 

 

[exXIX]

On 15/03/2021 at 20:40, RussT said:

I don't recall seeing anything official on this but I sort of assumed men would be gathered together who served in the same Division and/or Brigade and then made their way initially to the relevant reserve unit under official orders down the relevant line of communication using whatever combination of transport was being made available with appropriate travel passes issued if needed. So trains (not of the ambulance variety), busses, trucks, by foot)

 

So I understand it was properly organised rather than it being everyman for himself using his own initiative and basing things on luck etc. I would think in any given week there must have been 1000s of men returning as well as new drafts from the IBDs etc - returning wounded/sick etc could well have travelled with men in the new drafts - i.e. whatever made sense and helped with efficiency of the overall process.

 

Regards

 

Russ

 

 

From reading my grandfathers wounding reports, the journey as per normal SOP's was Regimental Aid Post-Field Ambulance Advance Dressing Station-Divisional Main Dressing Sstation-Casualty Clearing Station-Ambulance Train-Base Hospital or UK Hospital. The return I have sort of worked out was back to the Regimental Base Depot in the UK then onto the Divisional Base Depot in France/Belgium. Travel would then be via local railway systems with reporting points along the route to enable the Transport Officers of the 'Movement Units' to receive the returning soldier and then arrange transportation back to his Unit using their own ASC vehicles or on foot. The returning soldiers orders must have been transmitted to his Unit, from how I logically thought it, they would then know which Rail Station or Transport Head to collect returning soldiers, in much the same way as those going and coming back from Leave. I remember during my TA service that there was a 'Movement' arm of HQ UK Land forces that co-ordinated and despatched troops reinforcing BAOR Germany, for the Main Theatre Exercises, I went from Friday 19:30 Report at TA Centre, then coach to Airport (Newcastle or Manchester usually) then to Gutersloh-Corps Reinforcement area in Paderborn-Heli to Location....all within about 24-36hrs. Presumably this was how it was for 'Tommy Atkins' in 1914-18 too....

[Mike Leishman]

Thanks for that exXIX. That helped fill in a few more gaps in my knowledge/understanding of how things worked. 

 

I wasn't thinking about the whole picture when I asked the question and, in my naivety, I had imagined him standing all alone, outside of town, waiting for the once-a-week bus going in his direction!! Now I see, with the numbers involved in the war effort (reinforcements, returnees from hospital etc) and them being concentrated in particular areas of the country, that there must have been a well organised system to take care of the huge number of soldiers involved.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

[exXIX]

2 hours ago, Mike Leishman said:

Thanks for that exXIX. That helped fill in a few more gaps in my knowledge/understanding of how things worked. 

 

I wasn't thinking about the whole picture when I asked the question and, in my naivety, I had imagined him standing all alone, outside of town, waiting for the once-a-week bus going in his direction!! Now I see, with the numbers involved in the war effort (reinforcements, returnees from hospital etc) and them being concentrated in particular areas of the country, that there must have been a well organised system to take care of the huge number of soldiers involved.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

No problem, some of what I said is supposition on my part but is still fairly logical I believe...