31 Amb Train, War Diary abbreviations

[trbl_tommy]

Can anyone help please with what the following 'casualty abbreviations' stand for in this extract from the war diary of 31 Ambulance Train?

OLW (20), OLS (1), OSW (8), OSS (1), ORLW (259), ORSS (20), ORSW (49), ORSS (22), German OLW (1), ORLW (5)

I assume they relate to casualty loading number/wound types but what do the letters stand for? 

image courtesy of FindMyPast

 

[Keith Brannen]

13 minutes ago, trbl_tommy said:

Can anyone help please with what the following 'casualty abbreviations' stand for in this extract from the war diary of 31 Ambulance Train?

OLW (20), OLS (1), OSW (8), OSS (1), ORLW (259), ORSS (20), ORSW (49), ORSS (22), German OLW (1), ORLW (5)

I assume they relate to casualty loading number/wound types but what do the letters stand for? 

 

 

NOTE:  your ORSS (20) should be ORLS (20).

 

O and OR are for officers and Other Ranks

L is for lying  and the (first) S is for sitting

W is for wounded and (second) S is for sick

 

 

Therefore:

OLW  - Officers lying wounded.  ORLW - Other Ranks lying wounded

OLS - Officers lying sick. ORLS - Other Ranks lying sick.

OSW - Officers sitting wounded. ORSW - Other ranks sitting wounded.

OSS - Officers sitting sick. ORSS - Other Ranks sitting sick.

 

[TEW]

Almost posted EG. First one 'Officers Light Wound' then severe wounds etc. Now I'd say Lying and Sitting.

 

OR = Ordinary Rank

L= Lying, more serious

S = Sitting

W = Wounded

S = Sick

 

Bit of a messy way of writing it out and I see they have ORSS twice. Could be 'Ordinary Ranks Sick' or 'Ordinary Rank Sick Sitting'.

TEW

[trbl_tommy]

many thanks for your replies Keith and TEW, 

I can understand the context much more clearly now,

 trbl_tommy