Unit History

[retired@23]

If you can trace it, you should. I bet not to many people would be inclined to do it these days.

During WW2, it would have been referred to as 5 Fd Amb C.A.S.F. ( Canadian Active Service Force )
once activated. 


I have traced it. That's the point of my argument.  I had all the documents lined up and assembled in 1993. The G.O. # the COs.  listed from one name change to the next. To prove that there was a Medical unit of Company or greater in Hamilton from 1900 in order to have a large official pde in the year 2000. With an honour guard in period uniforms. two changes in command and it was dropped as a priority.


I contacted the Di rectotate in Ottawa. They gave me a very polite we don't do that. We don't have the Man power. If you have done it than  that 's great. however we can authorized your research in any way shape or form. Have a nice day.

So I had the CO of the Day present it to The Defence Medical Ass. in 1996 or 7 or there abouts asking if any one could challenge this date. Not one challenge came forward. even after the minutes were mailed to all members.

As for the CASF after the 5 Field Amb for WW2 not a single vet I have met from the unit ever mentioned that set of initials the documents and photos I have read were either 5Fd Amb RCAMC or 5Fd Amb CEF.  Was this one of those Army HQ phrases that no one else in the real world uses. or did time just cloud these men's memory.

Murray

 

[old medic]

CASF designates a unit on Active Service (Reg Force) during WW2.
CEF refers to WW1.
You can see some examples of usage here:

http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/volmil/qc-inf/054FusSb.htm
http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/volmil/on-inf/034Ontar.htm

http://www.mts.net/~rwpgrif/Museum/origin_and_lineage.htm

"  90th Regiment Winnipeg Rifles contributed to the 8th Battalion, CEF on its formation in September 1914 ...
  during the Second World War The Royal Winnipeg Rifles mobilized The Royal Winnipeg Rifles, CASF, on 24 May 1940."

http://cap.estevan.sk.ca/SSR/nominal/history.html

" 11th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), on its formation in September, 1914 ...
    the Regiment mobilized the South Saskatchewan Regiment, CASF, on September 1, 1939 "

It's also found in the newspapers of the day. I have it on unit photos take in 1939 as
" 4th Field Ambulance, R.C.A.M.C., C.A.S.F."

I doubt it would have been common in verbal usage.

 

[medicineman]

A Field Hygeine Platoon was raised from Kingston during the Second World War - # 3 or 35, can't remember which.

MM

 

[old medic]

Good Memory !!!

Here's a Canadian Press article from Saturday September 30th 1939:

1st Division Announced

OTTAWA, Sept. 30 1939 (CP) - Hon. Norman Rogers, minister
of national defence, last night announced the composition of the
first Canadian division for overseas service and the names of
the units selected to compose it.

The division will consist of the following:
Divisional Headquarters.
Divisional cavalry, 1st Hussars, London.
Headquarters of divisional artillery.
Headquarters of 1st Field Brigade, R.C.A.
"A" and "B" batteries, R.C.H.A., Kingston.
"C" battery R.C.H.A., Winnipeg.
54th Field Battery (H) R.C.A. Brantford.
Headquarters of the 2nd Field Brigade, R.C.A.
10th (St. Catherines) Field Battery, R.C.A.
7th Field Battery, R.C.A., Montreal.
8th Field Battery, R.C.A., Moncton.
73rd Field Battery (H), R.C.A., Magog.
Headquarters of 3rd Field Brigade, R.C.A.
19th Field Battery, R.C.A., Winnipeg.
111th Field Battery, R.C.A., Nelson.
77th Field Battery, R.C.A., Moose Jaw.
92nd Field Battery, R.C.A., Edmonton.
Anti-tank regiment, R.C.A.
Headquarters of Divisional Engineers, R.C.E.
2nd Field Park Company, R.C.E., Toronto.
1st Field Company, R.C.E., Halifax.
3rd Field Company, R.C.E., Ottawa.
4th Field Company, R.C.E., Montreal.
Headquarters of Divisional Signals, R.C.C.S.
No. 1 Company, R.C.C.S., London.
No. 2 Company, R.C.C.S., Toronto.
No. 3 Company, R.C.C.S., Ottawa.
Headquarters of 1st Infantry Brigade.
The Royal Canadian Regiment, London,
Toronto, St. Jean and Halifax.
48th Highlanders of Canada, Toronto.
Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment.
The Toronto Scottish regiment (machine gun).
Headquarters of 2nd Infantry Brigade.
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry,
Winnipeg and Victoria.
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, Vancouver.
The Edmonton Regiment.
The Saskatoon Light Infantry (machine gun).
Headquarters of 3rd Infantry Brigade.
Royal 22nd Regiment, Quebec.
The West Nova Scotia Regiment.
The Carleton and York Regiment, New Brunswick.
The Royal Montreal Regiment (machine gun).
Headquarters of Divisional Army Service Corps, R.C.A.S.C.
Divisional Ammunition Company, Quebec.
Divisional Patrol Company, Hamilton.
Divisional Supply Column, London.
No. 4 Field Ambulance, Fort William.
No. 5 Field Ambulance, Hamilton.
No. 9 Field Ambulance, Montreal.
No. 3 Field Hygiene Section, Kingston.
Provost Company, R.C.M.P.
No. 3 Divisional Postal Unit, Kingston.
Employment Platoon, Toronto.

Mr. Rogers said this would be known as the first Canadian
Division. while the other division, which had also been mobilizing,
will be known as the Second Canadian Division overseas, although
both will be trained and equipped for overseas service.
Volunteers of these units, as announced at the special war
session of parliament, will be re-attested for overseas service.
Several units of the permanent force will go overseas with
the First Division and provide a hard core of well trained soldiers.
One battalion in each of the three infantry brigades is a
permanent force unit. For the first brigade the permanent force unit
is the Royal Canadian Regiment, companies of which are stationed
at London, Toronto, St. Johns, Que., and Halifax.
The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry of Winnipeg
and Victoria heads the second brigade and the Royal 22nd regiment
of Quebec city the third brigade. Both these units perpetuate famous
battalions of the Canadian Corps in the first Great War.

 

[RatCatcher]

I hate asking this but what was the role of the Field Hygiene section... just wondering due to the act that I would like to get a history of the CF PMed Trade (the one in CFP 213 just doesnt cut it IMHO).

 

[old medic]

I can't really narrow it down for you, other than the obvious stuff,
but I have seen numerous documents from 3 Fd Hygiene Section
showing them running an anti-malaria campaign in Italy.

 

[TCBF]

Fred Cedarburg (sp?) in his book "The Long Road Home" wrote of encountering some Canadians who were using some amazing new product called DDT.

To bad they still don't use it.  Tens of millions have died of Malaria since they banned it.

 

[medicineman]

DDT is/was a wonderful thing - down sides obviously is it gets into the food chain.  Also, there was alot of resistance developing to it, so it wouldn't be much use by now anyway.

Fd Hygeine sections if I recall, were used much as we use PMT's today - detection and removal of disease threats in the environment, advising commanders, educating soldiers and the like.


MM 

 

[old medic]

Tablets of Mepacrine HCL (an antiprotozoal) were also standard issue in Italy,
everyone had to take either two 0.2mg or four 0.1mg tablets per week.

 

[TCBF]

My step father and my uncle hated that stuff.  Said it made them look like they had jaundice.

 

[old medic]

A PMed Blast from the past:
(spelling in context)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anti-Malaria Investigation Section.
​

20 Aug. 43
​

A.D.M.S.
1 Cdn Div.

  A conference was held at 13 Corps HQ., D.D.M.S., office near
Misterbianco at 0930 hrs. 19 Aug. 43. Brig. MacDonald, Lt-Cols.
Odbert, Morgan and Driscoll were present with all the Div.
Spec. Mal. Off.

        Points discussed were: -----

1. Mepacrine.    Lt-Col. Morgan explained that there is and
has been existing various methods of days and amounts
of Mepacrine administration. He was anxious to standardized
this for the whole of the 8th Army. The Cdn. method, they
agreed, of adm. on Mon. Tues. Thurs. and Fri. was perhaps
better, but due to the Br. troops being used to 2 tabs on
Mon. and 2 on Thurs, all Div. representatives objected to
changing. The point was raised that 2 tabs gave a higher
blood conc and therefore might be more effocacious. On the
other hand the Cdn. method might allow of a lesser
exhibition of disturbance or intolerance to Mepacrine
An attempt was made by the Br. services to have the
Cdns change over to their methods but this was opposed
for a variety of reasons, viz:--

1. The Cdn. division is used to and standardized on
M.T.T.F.
2. Signs covering the whole of the Cdn. Divisional area
are already erected and this would necessitate a great
deal of work to change over. The fact that the signs are
"trade-marked" with the red maple leaf, should lead to
no confusion of orders as to the different days of Mepacrine
for Br., troops.
3. It is felt that if a man happens to miss his Mepacrine
day, then only 0.1gm. would be lost, instead of 0.2, or
50% of his reg'd weekly dosage as in the case of Br. troops.

4 The intolerance to Mepacrine although recognized as low,
might conceivably be increased with double dosage on
specified days.
5. The psychological aspect that it is easier to take one
than two tabs and also that there is less "mental resistance"

6. The recommendation of the advisers at the War Office
London, on the basis of experiments in West Africa, that
these days of Mepacrine adm. be tried in the Cdn forces.
The possibility of increasing the dosage to 6 tabs or
0.6gms. was discussed and seriously considered but the
supply situation does not permit it, as this would
increase the amount by 50% which would run into millions
of tablets. It was emphasized that the Mepacrine situation
of Middle East resources is strained. Why ample supply
isn't available wasn't explained. The synthesis of
Mepacrine in the U.S.A., by the Winthrop Chemical Co.,
should be vast as this Co. had the formula, anticipated
the coming war demand and started their production, which
has gone up tremendously, before the war started.
Lt-Col. Odbert stated that during the course of the
campaign on Sicily the 13  & 30 Corps have drawn three times
the amount of Mepacrine that they were entitled. Allowing
for loss and damage under battle conditions, this is far
more than can be explained. Where did it go?

          (Con'd)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      ---2-----

(Continuation)

A.D.M.S's msut keep a check on the stocks coming into their
Divs, was what Odbert demanded.
Mepacrine should come up with the rations, be part of, and
issued with the rations.
In the coming campaign the "Compo" ration period will be for
3 weeks. Brigadiers and C.O's must ensure the following:--

1.  14 days reserve supply with unit (in transport) which should
land not later than D + 3.
2.  14 days supply with and on the soldier which in the case of
1 Cdn Div. would be 8 tabs.
  The 13 Corps has been stopped up from 4 -- 6 weeks because of
their high Malarial incidence.
,  The policy of 4 tabs/wk. is the one in effect at present
and will remain so, at least for the present. The only exceptions
are 5 & 50 Div. and the Cdn. Army Tank Bde.
  It was admitted that six tabs/wk., far be easier to give
(every day except Sunday) but the supply of Mepacrine is limitied.
  Regarding administration of Mepacrine, it is pointed out that
the health of the troops is a C.O's responsibility and that this
responsibility it allocated to the Btn. Officers. Therefore
it should be an Officers parade, if possible, with the M.O.,
occassionally attending to check up. If an officer parade is
not possible, then the Senior N.C.O., or Platoon Sergant must see
to it.
  5 Div. is on two tablets per day of quinine for three days.

Document goes on to discuss mosquito nets, etc.

OM

 

[old medic]

Here's Another look back.  It's come a long way!
Article from the news wire, May 21st 1941

OM
-----------------------------------------

ARMY MEDICS ARE MEN OF MANY JOBS

By Frank Flaherty
Canadian Press Staff Writer

OTTAWA - Water-testing is one of the important jobs of the Royal
Canadian Army Medical Corps. Men of the corps in training at the
medical training center here learn how to test water supplies for
poison and for sterility.
  Each medical unit carries a number of water-testing kits in action
and the task, with the equipment provided, is reasonably simple.
The poison test includes a chemical analysis but as the army goes on
the assumption that the only safe water is chlorinated there is no need
of an exhaustive bacteriological test to determine what, if any germs,
may be in the water. It is just a question of finding out how much
chlorine need be added to make the water safe for men to drink.
  Water on a battle field may be poisoned either deliberately by the
enemy or accidentally by the use of poison gas. Some gases are absorbed
by water and make it unfit for consumption.

OTHER FEATURES

  The hardest but most important part of medical work in the army is
stretcher-bearing. The stretcher bearers must learn to march out of step
when carrying a wounded man so that the jar of four carriers putting
the same foot down at the same time will not make things uncomfortable
for the casualty.
  A thorough training in gas protection is also a part medical corps training.
The men must know how to protect themselves and their patients from
poison gas in its various forms.

STORES AND DIETS

  Army medical work involves a more complicated job of storekeeping
than other branches of the army and specially trained storekeepers are
required. In addition to the quartermasters' stores of food, clothing and
other material carried by all units, medical units have technical stores and
steward's stores.
  The steward is the man in the hospital who keeps track of rations, and
must be a good bookkeeper to see that hospital rations are not over-
drawn. If they are the officer commanding must pay for the excess out
of his own pocket. So he must draw his rations carefully on the basis
of the number of patients on each type of diet.
  Drugs are usually looked after by men who were druggists in civilian
life and are skilled dispensers. Sometimes a man learns enough about
dispensing through working under another dispenser to do the job even
if he is not a qualified druggist.

X-RAY SPECIALISTS

  A few men with a gift for electricity receive training in X-ray tech-
nique. Men who are particularly good at first-aid may be assigned to
hospital duties as nursing orderlies. Frequently these men are of
smaller than average stature and are given this work because they
are not suitable for the heavy job of stretcher bearing as the bigger
men of the unit.
  When a man is wounded in the field he usually gets his first attention
from members of his own unit. Each combatant unit has a stretcher-
bearer section. Ordinarily a wounded man goes first to his battalion
aid post.
  There he is picked up by the medical corps. If an ambulance can't
reach the aid post, he must be carried from the aid post by stretcher-
bearers. His next stop is at the casualty clearing station.
  This latter is the most advanced medical establishment equipped
to do first-class surgery. Emergency operations may be performed.
If pressure is not heavy wounded men may get considerable attention
there, but if casualties are heavy only the more acute cases will
receive complete attention. Less serious cases will be shot straight
through on their way by train or motor to hospitals.   

 

[old medic]

from the wire April 15th 1941

7 Light Field Ambulance would later be combined with two other Toronto units
( 2 Fd Amb and 16 Fd Amb ) and is now 25 Fd Amb.

 

[old medic]

Here's a wonderful monument to 9 Field Ambulance (now 51 Fd Amb)  and the RCE,
in the village of Merstham England.

The history of the building is near the bottom of the page.

http://www.merstham.co.uk/merstham/Canadahall.htm