2/14th Australian General Hospital
From Our Contribution
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | 2/14th Australian General Hospital |
| Where formed | South Australia |
| Capacity | 400 beds |
| Locations | Townsville and Cairns |
General Information
Formed in South Australia, the hospital moved to Townsville on 11 Dec 1942. Initially established near the Quarantine Station at Pallarenda, it was primarily comprised of tents with a 200 bed capacity. This was soon after increased to 400 beds as during 1943 casualties began to come in regularly from hospital ships and aircraft. The hospital was severely damaged by a cyclone that hit Townsville. As the cyclone hit in March 1944, the tent poles snapped, the tents and equipment were scattered and valuable medicines were lost. Patients were rushed to the railway station and put on ambulance trains and others were rushed to the American Naval Hospital.
The hospital was rebuilt at Mundingburra on the banks of the Ross River. For members of 2/14 AGH it was a long hard year or two ahead until 1945, when they were selected to go to Singapore to assist with the repatriation of Australian Prisoners of War.