2/4th Australian General Hospital

Hospital in former Italian Barracks at Tobruk
Damage to Ward 10 air raid 11 Apr 1941 Photo Australian War Memorial 022122
History
Name	2/4th Australian General Hospital
Where formed	Puckapunyal Military Camp
Date formed	28 May 1940
Capacity	600 beds
Locations	Tobruk, Libya; Jerusalem, Palestine; Redbank Queensland; Labuan, Borneo

General Information

Staffing increased as men were called up, and then on 11 Jun 1940 the first nursing staff arrived. Initial staff were primarily Victorians, although some were from both South and Western Australia. Intensive training followed along with looking after patients for the Puckapunyal training camp before in November when pre-embarkation leave was granted. On 29 Dec 1940 the unit embarked on SS Mauritania as part of convoy US 8. Other ships were the Queen Mary, the Aquitania, Dominion Monarch', and the Awatea

After a short stay in Fremantle (2 - 4 January) the convoy sailed to Ceylon, arriving there on 11 Jan 1941. On 15 Jan they were transferred to the HMT Y3 Nevasa, one of 15 smaller ships that transported the troops to Egypt. On arrival in Egypt the nurses were detached to assist the 2/2 AGH which was busy treating patients from the Western Desert campaign against the Italians. The male members of the unit disembarked at Port Tewfik on 2 Feb 1941 and travelled by train to Abd El Kadr in the Amiriya district west of Alexandria.

The hospital then under construction had only one water point and in most other respects was totally unsuitable as a hospital site. However, before the hospital was able to accept patients, it was moved further west, beginning on 28 Feb 1941 when they travelled to Alexandria to board the Kight of Malta a ship described as a miserable, little evil smelling tub. Destined for Tobruk, she ran aground in very heavy seas somewhere between Bardia and Tobruk on 4 Mar 1941. All survived and were rescued and sent to Bardia. The recovery of over 100 tons of medical supplies requiring the construction of a road to the wreck site took some time and delayed the unit from its objective of setting up a hospital in Barce, in western Libya. Eventually some began to arrive in Barce between 11 and 14 March. After operating for 10 days they were advised to pack up and return to Tobruk as the Germans were massing for a major attack. On 26 Mar 1941 the 2/4th AGH began a withdrawal to Tobruk where it was to remain . The female staff arrived

While in Tobruk the hospital treated more than 14,000 soldiers , 19,000 while at Redbank in Queensland, and another 10,000 in Jerusalem, Colombo and Labaum, Borneo.

Patients

1941 Tobruk

• Alfred George Playle 2 May - 25 Jun 1941
• Douglas Edward Cleave Steer 2 - 7 May 1941
• Andrew Walker Cunningham 8 - 21 Aug 1941
• Douglas Edward Cleave Steer 30 Aug - 6 Sep 1941