No. 1 Medical Receiving Station RAAF

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Brief History

The mobile surgical unit, presented to the RAAF by the Prahran patriotic Society in August 1941 and detached from No. 1 RAAF Hospital at Laverton, formed the nucleus of No. 1 Medical Receiving Station (1 MRS) when it was formed at Daly Waters on 23 March 1942. The field hospital was constructed at 5 Mile Water Hole. Admissions in the first month totaled 131, comprising RAAF and US personnel, and civilians.

At the beginning of September, 1 MRS moved to a new site at Coomalie Creek and 271 patients were admitted during the month. Many air raids occurred at Coomalie strip, and on several occasions bombs fell within the boundaries of 1 MRS. Wards were rebuilt during May 1943. During the unit's operation patients were airlifted to southern hospital facilities, with a Hudson aircraft used as an air ambulance for the first time in November 1944.

1 Medical Receiving Station moved to Nightcliff, Northern Territory, on 16 February 1945 and continued functioning until the beginning of December that year, when it was reduced to a 45-bed hospital. The unit was disbanded on 6 Apr 1946.

Unit Personnel

Patients

5 Mile Water Hole, Daly Waters, Northern Territory

• John Harold Garnett 19 Jun - 28 Jul 1942

Coomalie, Northern Territory

• Avon William Mills 11 Jan - 2 Feb 1945

Notes

Source of information - Units of the Royal Australian Airforce - A Concise History - Vol 9 Ancillary Units, Australian Government Publishing Service, 1995