14th Australian Field Ambulance

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History
Name	14th Australian Field Ambulance
Where formed	Wallgrove, NSW
Date formed	December 1941
Capacity	50 - 600 beds
Locations	Greta, Raymond Terrace, Bomana Mission (PNG), Kagi, Eora Creek, Bolo, Uberi, Kokoda, Soputa, Popondetta, Ravenshoe (Qld), Kuranda, St Ives (NSW), Gateshead, Aitape, Wewak

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 (ADS) at Salt Ash, and a Main Dressing Station (MDS)at Cardiff Heights. In June 1942 they moved to New Guinea where they set up first at Momana Mission with A Company establishing a measles 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 it 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 with extra personnel transferring to the 2/12th Field Ambulance which was being rebuilt after the majority of that unit was lost when the hospital ship Centaur was sunk by a Japanese submarine.

The merged unit was known as 3/14th Australian Field Ambulance. In February 1944 the unit moved to Narellan before relocating to the Northern Territory in May. Their initial base was at 38 Mile camp before sending a detachment to Truscott in Western Australia. In August it was decided that the 3/14th Australian Field Ambulance would move south, and be disbanded. However, in September the decision was reversed and they moved to Chermside in Brisbane in order to rebuild for deployment to New Guinea. They disembarked in Aitape, New Guinea during November 1944 to support the advance towards Wewak and established a 50 bed Main Dressing Station (MDS), and supported the unit Regimental Aid Posts, in addition to providing staff for the air evacuation from Tadji. In April 1945 the MDS expanded to 600 beds, and a convalescent camp was established on Tumeo Island. With the capture of Wewak, the field ambulance moved to Cape Moem in July, remaining there until hostilities had ceased.

Patients

St Ives, NSW

• George Victor Parkin 25 - 26 Mar 1945

Aitape, New Guionea

• Alan Kirwan Donaldson 19 - 30 May 1945

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 4 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, pages 4.062, 4.070 & 4.071 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018