Second World War Malta: The Advance Dressing Station in Wardija, 1942 – RAMC
Anthony Zarb Dimech
During Ancient times if a soldier was wounded, he laid in the field where he had fallen. There was no one to come to his aid. Napoleon's Army was the first to assign people to help the wounded. They were called the litter-bearers, made up mostly of inept and expendable soldiers. Using a recently unearthed photo of the Advance Dressing Station, Wardija, dated 1942, this Feature reveals interesting information about this unit that played an important part to assist casualties during the second Great Siege of Malta (1940-1943).
The British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force had their own separate medical organisations and nursing staff during World War Two.
The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) had first been formed in 1898 as the single medical corps for the British Army. Each unit in the field had its own Regimental Medical Officer (RMO), supported by stretcher-bearers and medical orderlies. Army nurses were drawn from Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS), formed in 1902, and the Territorial Army Nursing Service.
The first medical help for a battlefield casualty came from the Regimental Aid Post. The casualty was then taken to a Casualty Clearing Station and on to the Advanced Dressing Station, with the level of medical care increasing in sophistication at each stage. Once a casualty had been removed from the battlefield, treatment took place in military hospitals or in the military wings of civilian hospital
The role of the RAMC during the Great War of 1914-1918 is very well-known. As the Nurse of the Mediterranean during the First World War, in all 27 hospitals and camps were set up around the Island The peace establishment of the RAMC in Malta in 1914 was 23 officers, 150 other ranks and 12 nursing sisters of the QAIMNS.
On the declaration of war, the majority of regular RAMC officers were withdrawn from Malta for active service elsewhere as Malta was not directly involved in the war, and replaced by four RAMC Territorial Force officers, four officers and nearly two hundred men of the 1st (City of London) Field Ambulance TF.
The role of the RAMC during the Second World War took on a different twist as Malta was directly involved in the fighting. The recent discovery of a photo showing 21 men in uniform with an inscription on the reverse side elicited curiosity and interest, so much so, that certain information was unveiled about the men and also the role they played during Second World War Malta. Although, the information may be scant and does not address specifically each individual man’s story, it can stimulate more knowledge about Second World War Malta and who were the men who treated the wounded on the ground.
Annex A of Operational Order dated 11 August 1942 detailing men from ADS Wardija to establish a Medical Aid Post in the Grand Harbour region on the arrival of a convoy. It is noted that SSGt Rudd was the NCO for Wardija, LCpl Vella was the Nursing NCO. (Courtesy of the National Archives, Malta, Reference: TNA:WO 177/1360, War Diaries No 90 General Hospital April 1940 to September 1946)
The manning of ADS Mgarr in February 1941 was 1 officer RAMC, 1 corporal, 2 privates, 4 Malta Auxiliary Corps (MAC) personnel, 1 stretcher bearer. Also attached were men from the RASC consisting of 1 NCO and 5 MAC drivers. It is assumed that the manning of ADS Wardija would have been similar. At certain times there were also infantry soldiers attached to ADS.
Captain Isaac Joseph RAMC known as Ivor replaced Capt Rupert Leo Hill RAMC as officer in charge ADS Wardija on 2 Feb 1942. He was transferred in from 90 General hospital Mtarfa. In March 1943, Capt Joseph became RMO 1st/Hampshires.
The men at ADS Wardija in August 1942 according to the Medical Diaries of No 15 Field Ambulance were:
Captain I Joseph officer in charge, LCpl Vella (NCO Wardija). Pte Coleman, Pte H Hughes, Pte Zarb, Pte Allen, Pte Blancy. Pte Mawson, Pte Brown, Sgt Stead, Pte C Pace, Pte Galea, and Pte Garrett.
As the photo is not dated by month and day, one cannot be sure whether those portrayed are the same ones as on the list.
A Brief Historical research of 15 Field Ambulance traces the following time-line:
May 1941: 15 Fd Amb was formed at Malta of UK and Maltese personnel. It was initially commanded by Maj G F Edwards RAMC until the arrival on of Lt Col T F Briggs RAMC.
1 May 1941: First 12 Maltese recruits for the RAMC (Malta) Section arrived for training at the Convalescent Depot St Paul's Bay. The Convalescent Depot which opened on 17 March 1941 also carried out preliminary military training of recruits. Those found unsuitable were discharged as service no longer required under King's Regulations 1940 para 390 (xviii) (a).
13 June 1941 Surgeon-Lieut Said H A RMA was on temporary duty at ADS Wardija. Returns to MAP Mellieha on 21 June 1941.
27 July 1941 Major T F Briggs arrives and takes over command of 15 Fd Amb.
July 1941 Capt R L Hill RAMC attached to ADS Wardija which opened at Casa Sant Manduca in Feb 1941 under 90 GH.
10 Nov 1941. ADS Wardija becomes operational under 15 Fd Amb and ready to receive casualties.
2 Feb 1942 Capt Joseph takes over from Capt Hill RAMC as o i/c ADS Wardija.
23 Mar 1942: Minor blast damage to ADS Wardija.
Nov 1942: 15 Fd Amb took over the responsibility from 161 (EA) Fd Amb for the Medical Aid Posts in the Grand Harbour area during the arrival and unloading of convoys. The dockyard was excluded as this was the responsibility of the RN.
21 April 1943: 15 Fd Amb was reorganised as an Independent Brigade Group Field Ambulance. The designations ADS and MDS were discarded and replaced by Camp Reception Station (CRS) and Reception Station (RS). The former was a bedding down facility.
27 June 1943: CRS Wardija was under the command of HQ SMO (North) and included RS Ghargur, CRS Mgarr CRS St Andrew's, and CRS Rabat.
July 1943: Ambulances at CRS Wardija under command of Lt F W Brown RASC.
7 August 1943: Up to this date 15 Fd Amb with its HQ was located at Naxxar. On 8 August 15 Ind Fd Amb moved from Naxxar to Hamrun.
9 Oct 1943 Capt William Reynolds McCartney Morton given command of a Training Coy at CRS Wardija. Medical personnel arriving at Malta were sent to a training company at CRS Wardija for two months intensive training under Capt P K D Edmunds RAMC, training officer in charge.
14 Oct 1943: Reception Stations (RS), Camp Reception Stations (CRS), Area MI Rooms were manned by 15 Fd Amb and administered by the unit OC as SMO Malta. CRS unlike RS had a bedding down facility of about 60 beds. CRS Wardija becomes a holding centre for RAMC personnel prior to their embarkation.
Nov 1943 15 Independent Brigade Group Field Ambulance embarked for Syracuse.
In the compilation of this feature, I would like to thank Walter Bonnici, Colonel (Retired) L/RAMC who gave me so much information from the war diaries for the various medical units (the Medical Diaries of No 15 Field Ambulance) in Malta during the last war.
Interested readers are invited to refer to these web sites for more information:
http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/23794-royal-army-medical-corps/
http://www.maltaramc.com/ramcoff/1940_1949/ramcoff1941.html
As information on this subject is always scarce, any new information may be sent to the following:
[email protected]