First World War Soldiers` Medical Records - "43 CCS"?

[janek]

I have found my grandfather E L Howell in these records on Findmypast.  In the final  column headed "Observations" it says 43 CCS.  Any ideas? 

 

He had been badly wounded and taken to 14th Field Ambulance before being transferred to another hospital the following day (10 May 1916)

[ss002d6252]

It means #43 Casualty Clearing Station. It would be a stage along the casualty route where he could be given initial treatment, and then it would be decided where to send him on to for further treatment.

Craig

[ss002d6252]

More information here - https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/locations-of-british-casualty-clearing-stations/

Craig

[janek]

Many thanks.

[janek]

Further to this - does anyone know if it is possible to access the records for 43 Casualty Clearing Station?  The Long Trail refers to some records but not for that particular number

[Roger H]

The National Archives have the war diaries for 43 CCS under the following reference numbers:

February 1916 to November 1916: WO 95/416/3

December 1917 to August 1919: WO 95/416/4

If you register with TNA I think it is still free to download war diaries.

Roger

[TEW]

CCS diaries vary a lot. There's no requirement for them to keep names & numbers etc. as those would be recorded in the admission & discharge book for the CCS. Unfortunately, for 44 CCS (and us) that book was destroyed in the 1970s. The book for 14 field ambulance is one of the small sample that was retained.

44 CCS may have details of those that died up to July 1916 and officers after that. More often than not they just state a total number of ordinary ranks admitted.

You say he was admitted to 14 FA and then sent to another hospital the following day.

Surely 14 FA sent him to 43 CCS the following day. He may have been evacuated further back to a hospital by the CCS. Or, they use the term hospital to mean 43 CCS.

The entries in the columns of these books varies a bit and it's not unusual to see information in the wrong column.

TEW

[janek]

3 hours ago, TEW said:

CCS diaries vary a lot. There's no requirement for them to keep names & numbers etc. as those would be recorded in the admission & discharge book for the CCS. Unfortunately, for 44 CCS (and us) that book was destroyed in the 1970s. The book for 14 field ambulance is one of the small sample that was retained.

44 CCS may have details of those that died up to July 1916 and officers after that. More often than not they just state a total number of ordinary ranks admitted.

You say he was admitted to 14 FA and then sent to another hospital the following day.

Surely 14 FA sent him to 43 CCS the following day. He may have been evacuated further back to a hospital by the CCS. Or, they use the term hospital to mean 43 CCS.

The entries in the columns of these books varies a bit and it's not unusual to see information in the wrong column.

TEW

Yes you are correct - the form says hte date he was transferred in the column headed "other hospitals" so I originally assumed that meant an actual hospital.  The final column headed "observations" says  43CCS so now I know what that means I`m sure he was transferred there from 14FA

I was hoping to find out where he went after 43CCS and will see if I can find more from  the National Archives (I was able to download his Battalion war diary for free recently)