MOTOR AMBULANCES AT THE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2845, 9 August 1916, Page 6

MOTOR AMBULANCES AT THE FRONT

WHAT IS NEEDED

LORD RANFURLY EXPLAINS

Interesting information on ambulance needs at the front is given in a letter received from Lord Hanfurly (a former Governor of New Zealand) by Mr. J. IJ. Finlay, secretary of the Wellington. Centre of St. John Ambulance Association. The letter reads as ■under

"As regards the supply of ambulances) it is obvious that until it is possible to definitely foresee the' termination of the war, new ambulances will constantly be required to replace damaged and worn-out vehicles, and to maintain an adequate number to meet all eventualities.

"Hence we are always willing to accept gifts of such cars, but inasmuch as evidently tho gift of a car involves a certain amount of expenditure on garage,_ petrol, oil, tyj-gs and repairs, and driver's pay, it has been decided to ask that each gift of a car should be accompanied by a further 6iim which is calculated to defray running expenses for about six.months.

"The cost of an ambulance which complies with the War Office requirements is £450. and as a rule *ive ask for £200 to defray running expenses as sot forth above, for about six months. This policy lias become an absolute necessity, as tho joint' motor ambulance committee of the Order of St. Jolrn and the British. Red Cross Society would otherwise* find themselves sooner or later in possession of a largo number of ambulances without any funds to run them.

1 "Indeed, in tho early days of the •war," a large number of cars wero given without any provision for maintenance ; and in many other cases jho cars have been so long'in uso that the amount provided has already been expended, though the car is still Tunning, and likely to run for an indefinite period. Also, tho maintenance of 60 large a number of cars —exposed as they are to attacks by tho enemy, and to wind and weather, and driven over appalliug roads often riven with shell' holes—inocessitatea a lairge amunt of repair work, which has■very frequently to bo done 011 tho sjx>t where the car met with its injuries, as it is impossible to get it to a town or a permanent repair shop. Hcnco the necessity for ' travelling repair shops (which also are expensive to provide), each one costing about £1200, but which save their cost many times over in a short time. "Then again there is an immense amount of material connected with our work which has to be ca.rtcd from place to placo, from base to hospital, and so forth. This involves tho use of lorries, and it is no use having a lorry that will mot carry at : least' two tons. These cost £600, and a supply of these is as neccssary to tho effioieni working of tho ambulance and, Red Cross system generally, as fuel is to a steam engine. Motor kitchens, on the other hand though I by no mea.ns desire to throw cold water on tho idea—are not absolute necessities, exoept perhaps in the winter; and there are jiractical difficulties in the use of them which militate against tho provision of any great number of them. They are not Red Cross, as they aro for tho whole chiefly, and not alone the wounded. In tho first place, under the Geneva Convention (by which Red Cross work is governed), they must only be used to feed sick and wounded troops, and not for giving'food to fighting men.' "Now the difficulty of giving food to the wounded from a motor kitchen is that the kitchen cannot possibly get near eiiougluto' the fighting lino for its supplies' to bo available in tho trenches; and that by the time the men have been picked up and attended to at a dressing' station, and put into ail ambulance, they have generally been given something to keep them going, and the ambulances cannot stop for men. to be fed from a travelling kitchen. Once in hospital or on the ambulance tram there is ample provision of food for the wounded, and the kitchen is not wanted. • The cost of a kitchen is £900, fully equipped with stoves and all. necessaries. "But there are other branches of the work which entail expenditure—such as the movement of wounded soldiers after they have been brought to England—which, as you can imagine, involves an: immense amount of organisation and a large number of motors and a largo personnel—happily, fotf the most part, voluntary workers. - 1 "To meet all these calls there has been opened a fund called 'The Trainsport of Wounded Fund,' to the credit of which are placed all contributions not definitely earmarked for a special purpose, such as an ambulance or repair shop. Contributions to the fund are especially valuable, and especially welcome, .as the fund places the committee in a position to direct its expenditure into those channels where it is most needed at any given moment and also to relieve, it of anxiety as to its ability to keep its work going to tho end of the struggle. "I have now (I fear at great length) put before you a few of tho considerations which are likely to bo of interest to you ajid tho subscribers to the collcction, of whose generosity wo liavo just had such striking testimony. "Personally, I immediately appreciate tho great help and support we have had throughout from the Dominion, in which I spent seven happy years." .