WITH THE WOUNDED

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3108, 12 June 1917, Page 6

WITH THE WOUNDED

FIELD AMBULANCE MANOEUVRES,

The ambulance units in training at Awapuni Camp took part in field operations of a very interesting character at Wanganui on Saturday. The manoeuvres were designed to give the ambulance men practice under conditions approximating as nearly as possible to those of active service. Territorial companies and Cadet corps, over one thousand strong, took part in the operations, which were of a very interesting character.

Wanganui .College Cadets, representing an enemy forco, held a position five miles outside the town. They had rifles and blank cartridges, and were assumed to be of important strength. The Wanganui Garrison, detailed to capture the position, deployed when, about two miles away on a front of several hundred Tares, and made a successful attack. Meanwhile the field ambulance, mustering 180 officers and men, sent out stret-cher-bearers, established regimental aid bases, and arranged advanced dressingstations and a main dressing-station, which was near the college. ■ The umpires (Surgeon-General Henderson and Major J. L. Sleeman) went into the firing-line and served out labels to about seventy men of the attacking force. These labels were similar to those used on active service, and they stated the nature of the wound from which each man was presumed to be suffering. Then the ambulance had to take charge of the cases just as if they were aotuai casualties. The wounded were collected at the regimental bases, transferred to the advanced dressing-stations, where they, reoeived hot drinks and attention, and then sent back to the main dressing-sta-tion, where an operating theatre hadlreen established under .service conditions. The stretcher-bearers applied tourniqneTs, bandages, and splints in. the firing-line, and carried tho seriously, wounded men back to the regimental bases, where motor and horse ambulances received them. The slightly wounded men walked to the bases after receiving their field dressings. The wounded were taken in the ambulances and in motor-cars, lent by Wanganui people, to the main station. ' '

The main station, where the surgeons stood ready to do their work at the oper-ating-table, was equipped just as thousands of stations are equipped on the West front at the present time. The surgeons wore their "working clothes," instruments had been sterilised, and supplies of boiling water were ready. The instruments, in f-heir numbered bnxos were arranged in. the order that is adopted on service, and the "wpnnded" men were actually drafted through the operating theatre, so that the staff there might test its organisation. The proceedings were successful at every point. It was the first time exercises of this nature had been undertaken in New Zealand, and the umpires were satisfied that the experience gained wouW bo very valuable to tho officers and men of the ambulance.