31 March, 2021
By Lieut. Col. J. N. Gunn, D.S.O.
The meeting of the Alberta Military Institute on April 7th, was addressed by Lieut.-Col. J. N. Gunn, D.S.O., who gave an interesting lecture on the work of a field ambulance in France during the late war. Col. Gunn was in command of the 8th Field Ambulance after the death of Lieut.-Col. S. W. Hewetson.
Col. Gunn commenced his lecture with a few introductory remarks regarding the recruiting and organization of the 8th Field Ambulance. On Saturday, March 25th, 1916, the unit left Calgary to proceed overseas, together with the 82nd and 89th Battalions. After preliminary training in first aid work, in which the members of Canadian units showed up splendidly particularly in adjusting the "Thomas splint," the unit proceeded to France.
The duties of a field ambulance, as outlined by the speaker. are many and varied and the unit has also to be flexible in the widest sense of the word, moving rapidly from place to place as needed. That the medical units do a great service is seen by the fact that in the South African war losses from typhoid fever were severe, but in this last war such losses were nil.
Another duty which a field ambulance performs is the supply-ing of medical officers to units in the field. Shortly after arrival in France, to quote Col. Gunn's words, "Capt. C. G. Gunn went to Poperinghe as a medical officer of the Lahore Battery", Capt. J. A. Reid was attached to the 1st C.M.R.'s and Capt. H. G. Chisholm went to the 43rd Canadian Battalion, being coolly informed that the officer he was to replace had been killed shortly after arrival at the battalion. To supply constantly medical officers for units and other duties means that at times a field ambulance is almost depleted of its M.O.'s.
Speaking of their times when "at rest" the Colonel stated: "There is no rest for a field ambulance, often our hardest time is when out of the line. Then the care of the sick of the division has to be undertaken and countless other duties of a medical nature. It is easier in the line when no action is in progress."
One field ambulance is responsible for clearing the front line. Wounded are carried back to the regimental aid post by the battalion stretcher bearers, after which they are taken in charge by the field ambulance and transported to the advanced dressing station, thence to the main dressing station and casualty clearing station. When no action is in progress the only excitement is the occasional raids. When such occur full preparations have to be made to care for the wounded that may occur. Such a raid took place on the night of July 23-24, 1917. It was very successful, although there were many casualties and the stretcher bearers had to go forward into the advanced new position with the medical officer of the 116th Bn. (Canadian). The letter sent by that M.O. may be of interest.
"I desire to express the appreciation of the officers and men of the 116th Canadian Bn. for the splendid support given to us in the evacuation of the wounded of this unit during the raid on the night of July 28-24, by the staff and personnel of the 8th Field Ambulance. To Capt. Marshall, N.C.O.'s and men we extend our warmest congratulations for the prompt and untiring efforts continued until the last man was taken from the advanced regimental aid post, which was shelled heavily for the last hour of our work, and it was owing to them that myself and staff were able to get away safely."
During active operations the work of the ambulance is, of course, much heavier. Preparations have to be made to handle casualties on a large scale. The work of clearing the line is indeed heavy and although all preparations are made and plans conceived, it may happen that the most elaborate scheme may have to be abandoned owing to unforeseen circumstances that arise. The regimental aid post had to be prepared and stocked with all necessities, the advanced dressing station had to have full supplies of drugs needed. The method of evacuation had to be arranged as much as possible in detail. At Vimy arrangements were made for the use of a light railway to carry out the wounded, but this was blown up and it became necessary to revert to hand carrying of the wounded. It was at Vimy, name of priceless value and memories to Canada, that Calgary's own ambulance had the honour of distinguishing itself. Hitherto the 8th Field Ambulance had been split UP when clearing the line in an attack, and attached to other units. But at Vimy Ridge the ambulance was absolutely responsible for the clearing of the whole of the battlefield of the Third Canadian Division frontage. In this action the German prisoners were used for assisting in evacuating the wounded, the casualties being very heavy. The work of clearing the wounded was very rapidly accomplished. The strain on the men of the ambulance at this time was exceedingly severe, many of them working forty-eight hours without rest. Altogether in the Vimy attack, Easter 1917, about 2,000 casualties passed through the hands of the 8th F. A.
It was after Vimy had been cleared that the Huns were suspected of having poisoned the wells as they retreated. This gave an additional duty to the field ambulances, as the water had to be analyzed before troops were permitted to drink the water they contained. Wells were labelled "Unfit for Drinking" in order that troops should not use them until a complete analysis had been made.
On the Hill 70 front somewhat different conditions were met with, the worst feature here being the use of "mustard gas" by the Germans. It affected very badly the eyes of those "gassed," inflicting temporary blindness and also caused severe blistering to all parts of the body. A special dug out was prepared for such cases at the dressing station in Loos. All cases were taken there when brought in by the stretcher bearers, all clothing taken from the patients and a treatment of bicarbonate of soda prepared and applied freely to eyes and body. This gave great relief to the sufferers. Oxygen was administered to those in need of air.
At Passchaendaele the work of the ambulance was heavy, as it must necessarily have been, that place being one of the hardest in which Canadians ever found themselves. The hardships there were great and the task extremely heavy, in fact, it was a veritable death-trap. All preparations were made that the work of caring for the wounded might be carried out with dispatch and efficiency. "Complete attention to the alleviation of pain" is the watchword of the medical services, and at Passchaendaele as elsewhere, every effort was made to carry this out. During the short time that the 8th F. A. was at this point a total of 3,270 wounded men were bandied, this including over 100 German prisoners of war. "While there is life there is hope" was the motto of the workers and many apparently hopeless cases were tended and watched until a sign of life appeared.
It was at Passchaendaele that the 8th F. A. lost more heavily than at any other point, its total casualties being about forty per cent. For the work that this unit had done at this point they were congratulated by General Porter, the director of medical services of the First Army, who also gave them a message from the army commander regarding the good work they had accomplished.