Australian Army Ambulances

[Mike Cecil]

I don't know what the original caption for the image said, but HMAHS Oranje was returned to civilian service in late 1945, so the image has no relation to the transfer of patients by Aust ambulances from that vessel.

The ambulances shown (Aust No.1 and Aust No.2) plus some jeeps, all remained in service in the immediate post-war period, with the CMP Aust No.2 not being disposed of until the 1960s. Jeeps, also, were finally disposed of in the early 1960s, so a date of post 1948 (after the number plate on the Humber was issued) fits well with the MVs visible in the image.

Mike

[David Dunlop]

Immediately aft of the jeeps there seems to be a vehicle with an open body with people standing in it, followed by what looks like a large mass of people walking. Could this be a postwar parade?

If so, what sort of postwar parades were going on that might have involved such a large contingent of ambulances?

Quite a few people standing forward between parked vehicles to watch. That could support a parade, or, another possibility could be a local civil emergency that these military ambulances were responding to.

David

[Alastair Thomas]

In the 1960s my Father accompanied elements of the British army into the Libyan desert for training. Here is a picture of one of their vehicles; an ambulance variant of the Champ.
Alastair
F60S

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Hi Alastair,
That is a great photo, terrific colour quality as well. Two Humbers in the background is a bonus,
Not sure about the aerodynamics....
Rich.

[lynx42]

This jeep ambulance is one of many in New Guinea which were converted to ambulance mode.

Jeep Ambulance.jpg

My father was in charge of the vehicles with the 2/7th Independent Co (Commandos) in New Guinea and Papua and I remember him saying that it was an official order to convert all jeeps to carry stretcher patients, so I guess that this is how it was done.

Over to you Mike C.

Regards Rick

[Alastair Thomas]

I'm not good at interpreting insignia and was hoping someone would help. I do remember my Father accompanying both the 6th RTR and the Green Howards on desert trips.
On one trip a Bedford 3 tonner ran a big end South of El Agheila so they left a sergent REME and a driver with it with the promise that they would pick them up on the way back if the truck could not be fixed. When they got back the truck had already left and got back to Tripoli. They had used cigarette packet foil as a temporary repair to the big end bearing.

[Mike Cecil]

Interesting, Rick,

From part 1 of my article:

"While both the No.1 and No.2 ambulances were very capable, they simply could not operate far enough forward in jungle operations to retrieve the wounded. The answer was to adapt the ubiquitous ‘Truck ¼ ton’ as a forward
ambulance. Able to negotiate narrow, muddy jungle tracks like no other vehicle on the inventory, the humble jeep became the ambulance of choice in jungle operations. Various configurations, both official and unofficial, were designed for the jeep, the final one being a two-tiered tubular framework that converted the standard jeep into a three-stretcher ambulance. It was officially designated the ‘Gear, Supporting Stretchers Light (Aust) No.3’, and was easily installed by a forward area workshop. The ‘jeep ambulance’ literally performed life-saving work – many a wounded Digger was transported to the primary care of a casualty clearing station by a jeep ambulance."

The image looks similar to a No.3 stretcher frame, as mentioned above, with the external stowage on the jeep adapted to fit.

Mike