Australian Army Ambulances

[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