The Australian Army Medical Corps in Egypt Part 14

Surgeon-General Williams and Lieut.-Col. Barrett were appointed members of the Executive Committee of the British Red Cross Society in Egypt.

There was no amalgamation of the two branches, but by this arrangement each was kept informed of the activity of the other and wasteful overlapping was avoided.

Members of the General Committee investigated the work of the Australian Branch, were consulted in matters of policy, and received and investigated any complaints. They were most helpful.

General Williams returned to Egypt on June 21, made a tour of inspection, and visited the Australian wounded. He reported to the Government, and finally left for London on duty on June 29. On this occasion he took with him his office staff, and consequently the administration fell largely into my hands.

On July 13, however, I learned by cable from Australia that two Commissioners had been appointed in terms which seemed to place them in entire control of the Red Cross movement.

As it was desirable that other medical officers should be a.s.sociated with the movement. Colonel Ryan, Colonel Martin, and Lieut.-Col.

Springthorpe were invited by His Excellency Sir Henry MacMahon to join the Executive Committee.

Mr. Adrian Knox, K. C., the first of the Commissioners, arrived in Cairo on August 11, and the second Commissioner, Mr. Brookes, reported on August 27. I endeavoured to help them in every way that was possible, and finally asked to be relieved of the work on September 9, expressing my willingness, however, to continue to aid in any way they desired. My relationship to them has been cordial, and I am very glad if I have been able to be of any a.s.sistance.

I now propose to deal with the operations of the Society under various headings:

1. _Finance._--The original fund in the hands of Surgeon-General Williams was operated upon by him in London, in Malta, and in Egypt. It was only in Egypt that I was concerned with it, and to a limited extent.

It was most helpful, and great service was rendered during the crisis by the prompt distribution of money.

When the General Committee, of which His Excellency Sir Henry MacMahon is President, was formed, separate funds were forwarded to him in response to a cable from me indicating that more money was wanted. I suggested the supply of another 10,000, but when, on July 9, 18,000 had been received it became obvious that operations were contemplated on a more extensive scale than had hitherto been thought necessary. I have prepared a summary of the amounts distributed to medical units from both funds, and given an account of the method adopted.

The Red Cross Society originally intended that 10,000 was to be expended by the officers commanding medical units, and General Williams embodied the direction in the following circular, to which I subsequently added a memorandum in further explanation of new conditions which had arisen.

[Ill.u.s.tration: INTERIOR OF RED CROSS STORE: UTILISATION OF CASES FOR SHELVING.

_To face page_ 144]]

_Australian Imperial Force_

Received from Surgeon-General W. D. C. Williams, Director Medical Service, A.I.F., the sum of ---------------- stg. to be utilised and accounted for by me in terms of Circular Letter No. E 1/15, dated 13-2-15.

---------------- O.C.

_Place_ ---------------- _Date_ ----------------

_Australian Imperial Force_

Circular Letter No. E 1/15.

O.C.,

1. Forwarded herewith the sum of ---------------- stg. to be expended by your authority and direction on such articles as you may consider requisite for the general improvement of equipment, stores, or other items which in your opinion will conduce to the general well-being and comfort of the patients in hospital under your command.

2. Attached receipt forms to be signed in duplicate and returned to me.

3. When three-fourths of the amount allocated to you has been expended, you will furnish this office with expenditure vouchers in duplicate.

This will enable me to keep the High Commissioner informed as to how the moneys are being spent, and to arrange for further grants if considered necessary.

SURGEON-GENERAL, _Director Medical Services, A.I.F._

[_Copy_]

_May 20, 1915._

O.C.

Govt. Hospt.

Tanta, Damanhour and Shebin el Kom.

1. I enclose herewith cheque for {50 25 25} to be expended in terms of the Circular Letter attached. Will you please sign the accompanying receipt in duplicate and oblige.

2. It is not desired that the expenditure of the money should be restricted to Australians, as such a course would, I think, in a hospital be impracticable and undesirable. If, however, this is used for all the Allied troops under your care, then the next instalment which may become necessary might well be provided from the "Military Hospitals Fund" or the "Egyptian Red Cross Fund."

3. I shall be glad if you will communicate to the men in the Hospital the fact that comforts are being supplied from the Fund of the British Red Cross Society (Australian Branch), the administration of which fund is in the hands of Surgeon-General W. D. C. Williams, C.B.

(_Signed_) JAMES W. BARRETT, _Major_, for W. D. C. WILLIAMS, _Surgeon-General_.

GRANTS OF MONEY MADE TO VARIOUS HOSPITALS FROM RED CROSS FUNDS

Hospital or Medical Unit, etc. Amount in Egyptian pounds.

First Australian General Hospital and Auxiliaries 1376,42.5 Second Australian General Hospital 682,50 Share of Rent of Luna Park for three months 117,00 Y.M.C.A. (including stationery, building fund, Soldiers' Cafe, and sundry accounts) 982,08.6 Venereal Hospital, Abba.s.sia 48,75 Deaconess Hospital, Alexandria 78,00 European Hospital, Alexandria 48,75 Government Hospital, Tanta 53,62.5 No. 21 General Hospital, Alexandria 97,50 Convalescent Home, Al Hayat, Helouan 341,25 Convalescent Home, Ras el Tin, Alexandria 97,50 A.D.M.S., First Australian Division 292,50 First Stationary Hospital 195,00 Second Australian Stationary Hospital 196,24.7 First Casualty Clearing Station 146,25 Fourth Field Ambulance 290,00.2 First Light Horse Field Ambulance 97,50 Second Light Horse Field Ambulance 195,00 Third Light Horse Field Ambulance 48,75 Fifth General Hospital 97,50 Fifteenth Stationary Hospital 97,50 17th General Hospital 146,25 Bombay Presidency Hospital 58,50 Government Hospital, Alexandria 48,75 Convalescent Camp, Mustapha 48,75 Government Hospital, Damanhour 24,37.5 Government Hospital, Shebin el Kom 34,12.5 5th Indian General Hospital, Alexandria 48,75 Government Hospital, Benha 5,00 Greek Hospital, Alexandria 29,25 Government Hospital, Suez 24,37.5 Red Cross Depot, Suez 48,75 Ras el Tin Hospital, Alexandria 195,00 15th General Hospital, Alexandria 48,75 ---------- E.6340,26

The Egyptian pound is to the British pound sterling as 100:975.

In addition, a considerable amount of money had been spent in other countries. There was, however, no knowledge in Egypt of the sum which would be ultimately available. Furthermore, in the absence of instructions from Australia, no serious departure had been made from the policy originally laid down. In fact I am doubtful to a degree whether any Red Cross movement should in normal conditions go beyond the successful policy adopted.

2. _Red Cross Store._--Goods received were pa.s.sed into the Red Cross store, the contents of the cases ascertained as far as possible, and entered in books kept for that purpose. They were issued on requisition signed by the Officer Commanding any medical unit. Corresponding entry was made in the book of issue, and the difference between the stock received and that issued from day to day was shown in the form of a stock sheet. Stock-taking was effected from time to time.

[Ill.u.s.tration: RED CROSS BASE DEPOT, HELIOPOLIS.

_To face page 148_]]

The store was staffed at first by two nurses and three orderlies, later it was staffed by a sergeant and six or seven orderlies who were approved by the military authorities. The staff therefore consisted of myself, with my own clerical staff, the orderly officer of the hospital, Captain Max Yuille (latterly Captain Dunn), the sergeant and seven orderlies, together with extra helpers at times. The store was connected by telephone with the hospital, and every effort made, compatible with the excessive demands on the time of all, to manage it in a methodical manner.

3. _Receipt of Goods._--The receipt of goods has, owing to the peculiarities of Egypt and the circ.u.mstances of the war, given a good deal of trouble, and I am making it the subject of a separate memorandum. It may suffice here to say that it will never be satisfactory until the Red Cross Society in Australia cables, when the ship leaves Fremantle, precisely the number of packages on board, the port of destination, and the probable time of arrival of the ship; and also accurately informs the officers commanding the ship of the nature of the Red Cross goods on board. In this connection it may be interesting to note the following letter from Colonel Onslow, who has just arrived by the _Runic_ in Egypt, and who, but for the printed instructions drawn up by me and conveyed to him at Suez, would not have known that any Red Cross goods were on board:

CONTINENTAL HOTEL, CAIRO, _September 13, 1915_.

LIEUT.-COLONEL BARRETT, A.A.M.C.

MY DEAR SIR,

You will remember that on Sat.u.r.day last you asked me to write to you regarding the Red Cross Stores on the Transport A 54 _Runic_ of which I was in military command.

When I took command on August 9 in Sydney I had no information as to there being any Red Cross Stores on board except that one of the ladies of the Red Cross Committee had told me that a few stores were to be put on board and would be at my disposal if needed for the troops under my command.

Subsequently I saw some half a dozen cases which I a.s.sumed to be those to which she had alluded.

On arrival at Suez, September 9, the printed instructions as to disposal of Red Cross Stores were handed to me. This caused me to make inquiries.

The ship's purser knew nothing of any such stores and they were not shown in the manifest.

But from the Chief Officer I learned that a large number of which he had an incomplete list had been placed in one of the holds. It was even then too late for me to ascertain their number or nature, as I was in the midst of disembarking returning ship stores, etc. They were therefore landed without the required list.