119th Australian General Hospital
From Our Contribution
Ward at Berrimah following the bombing of Darwin | |
History | |
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Name | 119th Australian General Hospital |
Where formed | Darwin |
Date formed | April 1941 |
Capacity | 1,200 beds |
Locations | Adelaide River, Darwin & Katherine |
General Information
On arrival in Darwin they were established in huts and canvas at Bagot. A new hospital was built for the unit at Berrimah, 15 miles (25Km) south of Darwin and by Dec 1941 they were established there. During the first air raid on Darwin the new hospital was attacked with one patient killed. They played a key role in treating the injured and displaced population following the attack. Every ward had wounded in every available bed, and also on the verandahs. The Sisters worked without a break for thirty-six hours.[1]
Following the raid, the hospital was moved to Adelaide River, 113 km south of Darwin to service units in the Northern Territory. To help service the 107th and 119th Australian General Hospitals, rail sidings were built at the town station to serve ambulance or "hospital" trains that brought wounded personnel to them. The town also had a nearby operational airfield, and a War Cemetery.
Staff
Patients
Adelaide River
- Herbert Bunney 19 - 24 Apr 1943
- Geoffrey Gordon Benson 3 - 9 May 1943
- ↑ Reminiscences of an Australian Army Nurse (1952, 1992), Edith Alexandra White.