Carrier Ambulances

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Dan Martel

A black arm-of-service sign with a white serial '77' was for an Airlanding Field Ambulance. There was one in each Airborne Division.

The 1st Airborne Division had the 181st Airlanding Field Ambulance.

The 6th Airborne Division had the 195th Airlanding Field Ambulance.

(The British Soldier Vol 2 by Jean Bouchery)

But did they have Carrier Ambulances? The Airbornes travel light…

[Dan Martel]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

But did they have Carrier Ambulances? The Airbornes travel light…

I can't say specifically, it's not really my field of study, but airlanding meant delivered by glider and a carrier was glider deliverable.

I do know that every time a British Airborne Division deployed by parachute and glider in Northwest Europe (Normandy, Arnhem and the Rhine) they had a ground borne logistical tail which would meet up with them for the sustained operations which inevitably followed. Maybe the carrier ambulances were with that part?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Dan Martel

I can't say specifically, it's not really my field of study, but airlanding meant delivered by glider and a carrier was glider deliverable.

I do know that every time a British Airborne Division deployed by parachute and glider in Northwest Europe (Normandy, Arnhem and the Rhine) they had a ground borne logistical tail which would meet up with them for the sustained operations which inevitably followed. Maybe the carrier ambulances were with that part?

I am no expert either, but it seems unlikely to me based on what I have read. Airborne units were not meant to sustain operations for a very long time, they are meant to be dropped on objectives behind enemy lines, seize and hold them until heavier armed troops take over and continue.

Until someone shows proof I will take this with a grain of salt. I am not demeaning on the carrier and its owner as I understand very serious money was spent on this project and it really looks the part - except for the markings.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Dan Martel

...

I do know that every time a British Airborne Division deployed by parachute and glider in Northwest Europe (Normandy, Arnhem and the Rhine) they had a ground borne logistical tail which would meet up with them for the sustained operations which inevitably followed. Maybe the carrier ambulances were with that part?

To corroborate the terminology, when the Rhodesian Fire Force jumped from their limited number of serviceable DC-3s, the Commando Sergeant Major was on the road with empty troop carrying vehicles, empty cargo trucks, water, rations and other supplies to meet the ground force. The parachutes were recovered as part of the after contact drills, and someone had to deliver them to the packing sheds. By the 1970s helicopter casualty evacuation was a well-practised drill, so they would not necessarily have had an ambulance in the land tail. However, there were likely medics with the Sergeant Major to treat non-critical injuries. For big cross border raids, the medical system saddled up with a mobile field hospital to treat immediate and life threatening wounded, but those raids didn't happen often.