8th Field Ambulance
From Our Contribution
Stretcher bearers from the 8th Field Ambulance during the final Allied offensive of World War I, August 1918 AWM EO 2843A | |
Shoulder patch |
Contents
Brief History
The 8th Field Ambulance was formed in Egypt in January 1916, when the AIF was expanded following the unsuccessful Gallipoli Campaign. Assigned to the 8th Brigade, 5th Division, the 8th Field Ambulance was subsequently deployed to the Western Front. Responsible for providing second line evacuation from regimental aid posts that were deployed forward with the attacking troops, to casualty clearing stations. Australian field ambulances at the time consisted of 10 officers and 224 other ranks and were organised into a headquarters and two company-sized sub-divisions known as the "tent sub-division" and the "bearer sub-division".
Their baptism of fire took place in the "nursery Sector" near Fleurbaix and Fromelles in the lead up to the battle of the same name. The battle itself overwhelmed all of the medical assets of the 5th Division. Many soldiers were killed in the process of trying to retrieve casualties from the battlefield. The field ambulance served throughout the remainder of the war supporting the 8th Brigade's operations in France and Belgium. The unit's last war diary entry was made in March 1919, after which it was disbanded. Twenty four men died while posted to this unit.
Unit Personnel
- Francis William Singleton 4 - 13 Nov 1916
- Albert Bishop 27 Oct - 2 Nov 1917 (WIA gas)
Patients
- John Edward Thomson 25 Feb 1916
- William Harold Raynor 3 - 16 Dec 1916
- † Felix Edmund John Sainsbury April 1917
- George Henry Aspinall 1 - 2 Jun 1917
- Percy Fleming 4 - 23 Oct 1917
- † Alfred Charles Newman 22 - 23 Oct 1917
- Thomas Henry William Denny 2 - 7 Nov 1917
- George Wistlecraft 8 - 9 Nov 1917 & 5 Nov 1918
- George Bett 22 Aug 1918
Individual Honours
- 1 Distinguished Service Order
- 1 Military Cross
- 2 Distinguished Conduct Medals
- 47 Military Medals with 3 Bars
- 2 Meritorious Service Medals
- 8 Mentioned in Despatches
- 3 Foreign awards
Notes
Content for the history and honours sections has come from a combination of Wikipedia and the Australian War Memorial websites.