2/1st Casualty Clearing Station
From Our Contribution
 May 1941 Patients waiting to be seen in Syria May 1941 AWM P02212.055 | |
 Dec 1940 General view of the 2/1st CCS near Alexandria AWM P02212.035 | |
Contents
Brief History
This unit was raised in Melbourne in December 1939 to service the 6th Australian Infantry Division, and it moved to Puckapunyal in February 1940 before embarking for the Middle East in April. On arrival they were based at Gaza Ridge in Palestiune during May. They moved to Qastina in June, Kilo 89 in September, and in November moved to Amiriya in Egypt ready to support the 6th Division's participation in the desert campaign.
In December 1940 they moved to Mersa Matruh where they handled casualties from the western desert offensive. By March 1941 the Light Section had advanced to Benghazi, with the Heavy Section preparing for a move to Greece. However, German advances in North Afric and Greece caused the move to be cancelled and they then moved to Nazareh in Palestine to support the invasion of Syria by the 7th Infantry Division. Following the Armistice, the 2/1st CCS moved to Beirut, then a part of Syria. With the withdrawl of troops back to Australia as a result of Japan's entry into the war, they returned to Adelaide in March 1942, and following leave they moved to Ipswich in Queensland in May.
The 2/1 CCS was sent to Milne Bay, PNG in September and there they assisted the 10th Casualty Clearing Station in handling casualties from the Japanese attack on Milne Bay, remaining there until, with the capture of Lae, their presence in Milne Bay was no longer required. In December they returned to Australia and following leave assembled at Wongabel in Queensland. In May 1944 they moved to Ravenshoe where they became part of the 9th Infantry Division and began the long wait to re-enter the war as it moved north of Papua New Guinea. They absorbed the 22nd Hospital Laundry Service and then moved to Morotai in May 1945. From here the Heavy Section landed at Labuan in June with the 24th Infantry Brigade Group and the Light Section landed at Brunei with the 20th Infantry Brigade Group. Soon after the Light Section rejoined the main unit and they remained on Labuan until the end of the war.
One member of this unit was killed in action on 13 Feb 1941. Four were captured by the Germans, one in Crete, and three in Greece.
Staff
Patients
- John Peter Lewis Rymer 6 Apr 1944
- Mervyn Roy Drummond 7 -21 Jun 1944
- Edward Ernest Wilson 25 - 26 Jul 1944
Individual Honours
- 1 x Military Medal
- 7 x Mentioned in Despatches
Notes
Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 4 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, pages 4.099 & 4.100 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018