General Hospitals and Casualty Clearing Stations.

General Hospitals

Nurses gowned for the Influenza Ward.

Bernie spent time in the No.30 General Hospital with influenza.  Nurses, as mentioned in my previous post worked in difficult and dangerous conditions, as did their patients. Despite the markings of the Red Cross on tents and buildings, hospitals were not immune from aircraft attacks or shelling.
As mentioned before being sick with the Flu was not a minor illness.




Iso Rae an Australian Artist living in France when the war broke out was one of only two Australian female artists. Her work has only recently been recognize. Her artwork includes 23rd General Hospital in Etaples where her sister worked as a nurse.

Bernie was in number 30 General Hospital from 8/5/17-30/5/17. In Calais , at that time is was reported "there have been air-raids almost every night but fortunately no damages has been done to the hospitals in the area, with the exception of the Belgium hospital where some bombs fell on the huts".

Hospitals were large, 1000-2000 beds, some hospitals dealt for specific injuries, e.g. amputees and another The Other Anzacs" is probably the best book written on this subject. There was a separate hospital for ill nurses and Voluntary Aid Detachment's (VAD's). Fully qualified Nurses were called Sister's and VAD's were Nurse.
for gas victims. Peter Rees book "

Sister Alice Ross-King ARRC, MM recalled one such bombardment

(Photograph courtesy Mark Appleford)

Though I shouted nobody answered me or I could hear nothing for the roar of planes and Archies[artillery]. I seemed to be the only living thing about ... I kept calling for Wilson to help me and thought he was funking, but the poor boy had been blown to bits.

Men who were discharged from hospital would be sent on to an Australian Convalescent Depot. Bernie was sent to Le Havre. There, through sport and physical fitness programs, the men were built up in strength again. Once determined fit they were sent back to their Unit. Bernie returned to his Unit in a month.

Three months later he was on leave to the UK. Apparently he traveled quite a bit, going as far as Ireland.

What about James?

James served with the 31st Battalion, and from time to time in the thick of it. He arrived in England and went straight to  hospital with the Mumps. Apparently there was an epidemic of mumps that swept through the training camps. On the 18/12/1916 he was admitted to the 18th General Hospital with the Mumps, he was discharged 6/1/17.

The Army system was that men would go from the hospital to a Depot Unit before rejoining his Company. James stayed in Etaples with the 5th DUS until the 13/1/17. The next entry into his Service Record says that he returns to the Field.

Casualty Clearing Stations.

Casualty Clearing Station.

James spent a lot of time in and out of hospital with a variety of illnesses, scabies, trench foot, cellulitus (infected hand). From the 4/6/4/17 - 12/10/17 he was with his Battalion. His Battalion was at Bancourt and Baupaume Station. April and May saw him at the Front, where the Battalion received heavy shelling after relieving a British force.

For most minor ailments soldiers, like James, were referred to the Casualty Clearing Stations. These were closer to the front line and were often under attack.   Many of the Nurses and VAD's who worked in this dangerous area received the Military Medal for their calmness and dedication to their patients. If the illness or injury was more serious the men were sent back to the General Hospital for further surgery or treatment.


James returned to hospital 17/10/17 and returned to his Unit before Christmas in 1917. James, the quiet one, saw more of the Front than his brother Bernie. After being evacuated to England with an infected hand, he went AWOL and had a merry old time of it.