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Killed in Action
Royal Army Medical Corps
198 Field Ambulance
History
Compiled by Ron Taylor
The 18th Division
by Mary Michael
"For their country they did serve and recognition do so deserve"
On the William Sail they came
Proud and longing to fight with hearts aflame
To the Far Eastern Shores of Singapore
Where many a man would be the same no more
Oh how hard they fought
But victory was not to be bought
The Battle of Bukit Road raged
Til it was realized it just couldn't be saved
Young and brave the fear crept in
Why were we sent too late to win
For the men of the 18th this was their fame
Did they deserve to take history's blame
For they were trained for the desert not over here
Why they were there they sure weren't clear
The men of the 18th try as they might
There was no way they could win this fight
The fight over there sure wasn't fair
What's a Jap, what does he wear
How could they know about jungle warfare
This was their first battle but who did care
Alas no victory for the 18th would there be
Instead part of the Singapore surrender history
With all of the rest of the brave heroes over there
With no chance or hope to escape the Jap's brutal care
Why were our men left over there
With not a thought or a care
Where were the planes and rest of the supplies
Nothing appeared from out of the skies
In these words the truth can be seen
How unfair and unjust it all has been
Time now to honour and acclaim
And give these brave men finally their fame
August 1939 - 8th December 1941
The role of the Field Ambulance was to treat and evacuate the wounded from the front line to a Casualty Clearing Station where more advanced medical care could be given. This was done through a series of Dressing stations. Each unit had a Regimental Aid Post (RAP) as close to the front line as possible. This was usually the first stop for all casualties. Most casualties were brought to the RAP by Regimental Stretcher Bearers. Basic treatment and assessments were carried out by an Royal Army Medical Corps doctor attached to the unit, before more serious casualties were evacuated to an Advanced Dressing Station (ADS) by Field Ambulance stretcher bearers. From here the casualty was again treated or assessed before being taken to a Main Dressing Station (MDS) before finally being evacuated to the Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) or hospital.
The Field Ambulance was responsible for everyone coming from the RAP. Ambulances were driven by members of the RASC attached to the unit, who were also armed for the protection of the RAMC. The RAMC men did not carry or have access to any weapons and relied solely on the soldiers around them for protection.
Each division had three infantry Field Ambulances with one per Brigade. The 197 and 198 Field Ambulances joined the 196 in the 18th Division. The 198 being attached to the 53 Infantry Brigade along with the 2nd Cambridgeshire Regiment and the 5th and 6th Battalions of the Royal Norfolk Regiment.
The journey to the Far East requires an explanation before reading further. The Field Ambulance men were used, in the ships from Britain to Singapore, as medics to the Regiments aboard each ship in the convoy they were in. The Field Ambulance personnel manned the ships hospital, operating theatre, dental surgery and general treatment room. The main body of their work to Halifax was seasickness. They did not travel as one unit, and this was called ‘Trooping’. Therefore it is impossible to identify which ship the Field Ambulance units sailed in as they were spread over the full CT.5 convoy from Britain to Halifax and then the Convoy William Sail 12X from Halifax to Singapore . When they arrived at Singapore the units were once again reformed.
The Field Ambulances travelled on the SS Andes, SS Oronsay, RMS Duchess of Atholl and MV Sobieski leaving Great Britain on the 30th October 1941 with Convoy CT.5.
The Duchess of Atholl
The main body of the 198 Field Ambulance left Liverpool Docks in the Duchess of Atholl, and they headed for the Atlantic in very rough seas which kept the medics occupied treating sea sickness. Halfway across the Atlantic, the English Patrol Vessels were exchanged with USA equivalent vessels who were escorting Merchant ships to Britain and the English ships returned home escorting the Merchant ships, leaving the Convoy CT.5 with an American escort vessels to Halifax.
USS Mount Vernon
On reaching Halifax on the 7th November, the 198 Field Ambulance from the Duchess of Athol boarded the USS Mount Vernon with other 198 Field Ambulance personnel from other ships in the CT.5 convoy, the USS Mount Vernon being assigned to the 53 Infantry Brigade troops.
The voyage with six American troopships, two cruisers, eight destroyers and the aircraft carrier Ranger, the Convoy William Sail 12X was under way.
Above Photo supplied by the late Maurice Rooney
Vought SB 2U Vindicator Scout Bomber - USS Ranger which was flying an Anti Submarine patrol over the convoy.
Front Line Top to Bottom
USS West Point - USS Mount Vernon - USS Wakefield - USS Quincy (Heavy Cruiser)
Back Row Top To Bottom
USS Leonard Wood - USS Vincennes (Heavy Cruiser) - USS Joseph T Dickman
(USS Orizaba Ap-24 also sailed with Convoy though not pictured in photo)
The convoy travelled down the east coast of America south passing through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo.
Arrived at Trinidad 17th November in glorious sunshine so troops changed to tropical kit, but no shore-leave, left Trinidad after two days of taking on supplies. The equator was crossed soon after leaving Trinidad on the 24th, there was a crossing the line ceremony.
After a month the convoy arrived at Cape Town, and soon after news reached them that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbour and Malaya on 8th December. Britain and America were now at war with Japan and the rumours were that the convoy was now heading for the Far East and not the Middle East as first thought.
Acknowledgements
Proofread by Tim Lloyds
This information was collated using
‘Healing in Hell’ by Ken Adams
Convoy William Sail 12X
600 Gunners Party
‘Private 5776807’ by Frederick Noel Taylor
Commonwealth War Grave Commission
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