A booklet entitled, First aid in armed conflicts and other situations of violence issued by the Internationl Committee for the Red Cross, (April 2006) states that "armed conflicts and other situations of violence are common in the modern world and their characteristics are changing.
First aid remains one of the activities best suited to the nature and resources of a national society. Saving lives and providing assistance for casualties remain shared concerns of all Red Cross and Red Crescent first-aiders".
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement were created with the aim of helping people on the battlefield. This task requires:
- Access to the victims on the battlefield (protection is accorded to wounded and sick soldiers and civilians by the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols);
- Easy identification of its staff, units, establishments and material by means of a distinctive emblem; and
- Life-saving skills
The above scenario was prevalent in the Maltese Islands with all-round bombed buildings leaving many dead and severely wounded.
The most bombed place on Earth
Being the most bombed place on earth Malta suffered its fair share of dead and wounded civilians. Out of a population of 270,000, 1,581 civilians lost their lives and it is truly amazing how this figure was so low considering that over 14,000 tons of bombs were dropped on the islands of Malta and Gozo. One attributes this fact, among others, to the amount of shelters hewn in Maltese rocks to protect the population from high-explosive bombs.
Also 3,780 persons were injured in these bombings. This meant a lot of work for the first-aiders assigned with the Air Raid Precautions Units over the island.
Co-ordination work
By means of a Memorandum dated 23 April 1941 issued by the Lieutenant-Governor's Office, Valletta entitled Co-ordination of the work of the departments concerned in dealing with casualties and damage resulting from enemy action, instructions were issued to ensure the full co-ordination between all the civil defence departments. This Memorandum was to further supplement instructions that had already been issued by the respective heads of departments and not to supersede them in any way.
Four main departments
The four main departments dealing with sites where there had been casualties and damage were the following:
- The Malta Police
- The Air Raid Precautions Department (A.R.P)
- The Demolition and Clearance Department
- The District Commissioners (or Protection Officers)
The Malta Police
Where it came to the discovery of dead bodies, the Police were to take charge of these and arrange for their removal to the mortuary. An "undertakers" gang was called on site to remove to the mortuary any corpses that would be discovered while the Demolition and Clearing Department was clearing debris.
The Police were also duty bound to inform the local A.R.P Centre as quickly as possible as to the sites where it was suspected damage had been done and casualties inflicted. Among other duties the Police were to arrange for the transport of homeless and shocked people to a hostel.
The A.R.P
The A.R.P held squads in readiness at all times to proceed rapidly if asked to do so by the A.R.P. Office. Another important duty of the local A.R.P was to proceed to the scene (accompanied by a Medical officer) to render first aid to the injured and arrange for their quick removal to the nearest hospital (if serious) and to the Centre or District Dispensary, as the case may be, (if injuries were slight).
First-aider card R.A.M.C. (Malta)
On arrival on the bombed site, silence was to be observed by all on the scene of casualties so far as practicable. In this manner cries for help would be heard. Ambulances and hearses were to be drawn up as near as possible to the scene in an orderly manner. The public were to be prevented from seeing casualties, either dead or wounded, which were to be kept as far away as possible.
Model of a typical Second World War Ambulance
Second World War first-aider
The A.R.P. had a number of centres around Malta as follows:
- Valletta
- Birkirkara
- Mosta
- Sliema
- Żabbar
- Żurrieq
The above list has been extracted from a telephone directory for Malta Government Departments dated December 1943, issued by the government Printing Office.
Typical first-aid kit
A typical A.R.P first-aid kit contained the following:
- 1 Rubber tourniquet
- Iodine
- Methylated spirit
- String
- Safety pins
- White absorbent gauzes
- Field dressings (similar to those used by the military)
- Different sized bandages
- Elastoplast rolls
- 4 scissors of different sizes
- Bandages of different sizes
- Absorbent Cotton
The above items were issued by the Medical and Health Department.
The Medical and Health Department
The Medical and Health Department held hospitals in readiness to receive the more serious casualties and did not usually proceed to the scene. It was possible, however, that in certain circumstances, such as if casualties were very severe, it would be called upon to reinforce the doctors on the spot and this contingency was to be borne in mind.
If such a situation arose, the senior A.R.P officer on the spot was to obtain a local doctor but failing this, he was to ask the Chief Government medical officer to arrange for one. Any doctor called on the scene was to ask the first-aid doctor on the spot for information as to where his services were needed.
Interestingly, the Medical and Health Department had telephone numbers for normal and emergency situations. Emergency telephones were to be called only between the Air Raid Warning and the Raiders Passed Signal.
It is noted that the Army had its own medical staff, including first-aiders in what is known as the Royal Army Medical Corps (R.A.M.C). This catered exclusively for military personnel.
Commendations
The personal sacrifice and bravery of the Maltese first-aiders and other civil defence personnel are listed and duly commended or mentioned for their meritorious service or work of a humanitarian nature under war conditions.
Another separate list is for individuals who were decorated for gallantry or worked under difficult and hazardous conditions, even under aerial attacks while providing their services, mainly in Cottonera, Paola and Luqa.
These lists may be viewed in the book It-Tlitt ibliet matul l-aħħar gwerra 1940-44 (Dr Charles J. Boffa).