14th Australian Field Ambulance
From Our Contribution
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | 14th Australian Field Ambulance |
| Where formed | Wallgrove, NSW |
| Date formed | December 1941 |
| Locations | Greta, Raymond Terrace, Bomana Mission (PNG), Kagi, Eora Creek, Bolo, Uberi, Kokoda, Soputa, Popondetta, Ravenshoe (Qld), Kuranda, St Ives (NSW), Gateshead |
Contents
General Information
Mobilised in Wallgrove, NSW during late 1941 the unit moved to Greta in December to service the Newcastle Covering Force. They relocated to Raymond Terrace in March 1942 manning an Advanced Dressing Station at Salt Ash, and a Main Dressing Stataion at Cardiff Heights. In June 1942 they moved to New Guinea where they set up first at Momana Mission with A Company establishing a measels hospital at Murray Barracks in Port Moresby. In July a detachment moved to the Kokoda Trail and was to set up a Dressing Station at Buna, however, the Japanese landed at Buna before they could arrive and instead they treated early casualties at Kagi.
By August another detachment was working from Isurava, and then moved to Eora Creek before being forced to retreat with the Infantry. They manned dressing stations at Bolo and Uberi, and then with the recapture of Kokoda, a section moved there in November 1942. In December the major element of the Field Ambulance was at Soputa, with B Company at Popondetta. In January 1943 the unit had concentrated at Dobodura before they returned to Port Moresby in February.
In March 1943 they had moved to Ravenshoe in North Queensland, followed soon after by a move to Kuranda. In June they were released to move to St Ives in NSW, and in September 1943 they were merged with the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance which was being rebuilt after the majority of that unit were lost when the hospital ship Centaur was sunk by a Japanese submarine. The merged unti was known as 3/14th AUstralian Field Ambulance.
Staff
Patients
St Ives, NSW
- George Victor Parkin 25 - 26 Mar 1945
Notes
Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 4 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, pages 4.070 & 4.071 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018