1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station
This unit began to be raised at Hobart in October 1914 and trained at nearby Claremont. It moved to Melbourne in November 1914, where from which it departed on 5 November 1914 on the ship “Kyarra”. After going via Colombo, “Kyarra” sailed up the Suez Canal and disembarked this unit, still at that point known as a Casualty Clearing Hospital, at Alexandria inEgypt. From there it went to Port Said and from that point on, its story can be traved in its war diary (Australian War Memorial AWM4 26/62)
21 February 1915: left Port Said for Abbassia Camp near Cairo
1 March 1915: moved by railway to Alexandria
3 March 1915: departed on ship “Malda”
6 March 1915: arrived off Lemonis and disembarked next day
7 April 1915: transferred to ship “Ionian”, a ship it said was in a “disgracefully dirty state”. Eight days later, received orders that the unit would land at Gallipoli with the first echelon of the Australian and New Zealand force. On 19 April, the initial landing party of 5 officers and 58 men trans-shipped to the “Novian”
24 April 1915: sailed at 11am and anchored north of Lemnos at 4pm
25 April 1915: landed at Gallipoli in three tows between 10am and noon. Was immediately called upon but at this stage could do little more at first other than offer basic aid and move casualties to the ships “Gascon” (it evacuated 350 casualties) and “Clan McGillivray”. About 700 casualties passed through the hands of this unit on this first day, from a position on the open beach only about 20 feet square: 700 next day, 659 the next. On 29 April, a Field Ambulance of the Royal Marine Light Infantry arrived and began to assist. Gradually, the unit became more established at the Anzac beach-head and remained in position throughout the rest of the campaign.
19 December 1915: still at Anzac, closed for evacuation. Had received 37,100 casualties (wounded and sick) since arrival on 25 April 1915. Next day, boarded the ship “Dongola” at 4.10am and left Gallipoli
21 December 1915: arrived at Lemnos and disembarked to Mudros, being then attached to 3rd Australian General Hospital
17-19 January 1916: sailed on ship “Dunvegan Castle” to Alexandria in Egypt. On 23 January moved to Gabbari Camp
29 January 1916: arrived by overnight rail at Serapeum
29 March 1916: by rail to Alexandria and departed on ship “Corsican”
5 April 1916: arrived at Marseilles via Malta
8 April 1916: arrived by rail at Rouen and attached to 6th General Hospital
27 April 1916: arrived by rail at Estaires. Remained over a year
20 May 1917: moved to Bailleul and began to construct new camp
19 July 1917: moved to a new site near Outtersteene. From 28 July this location was named “Tasmania”
Late November and most of December 1917: ceased admissions while expanded to become a 700-bed Rest Station for the Australian Corps. It remained so until 14 March 1918 when resuming normal duties as a CCS
28 March 1918: began move to Blendecques and re-opened for admissions 9 April 1918
4 September 1918: moved by lorry to Hondeghem
15 September 1918: moved to Saint-Venant
25 October 1918: moved by lorry via Marquillies to Fretin (7 miles SE of Lille), arriving early 27 October
15 November 1918: moved by lorry to Tournai
27 December 1918: moved by rail to Hal
19 March 1919: still at Hal, diary ends.
2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station
War diary: Australian War Memorial AWM4 26/63
Unofficial history: AWM
Began to form in Albert Park in Melbourne in October 1915
23 November 1915: main body embarked onto the ship “Ceramic”
Date not given: arrived at Alexandria via the Suez Canal and proceeded to camp at Zeitoun
24 December 1915: moved by rail to Moascar and went on next day to Ismailia
11 January 1916: moved to Ferry Post
20 April 1916: moved by raiul to Alexandria to load onto the ship “Glengorm Castle” with the British 11th and 35th CCS
27 April 1916: arrived at Marseilles
3 May 1916: began rail journey that ended at Rouen thirteen days later
8 June 1916: officers began to move to Bailleul for attachment to 2nd British CCS
23 June 1916: 2nd Australian CC began to occupy a new site at Trois Arbres (near Steenwerck). Six days later the first nursing sisters arrived to join the unit
16 March 1918: moved to Nooteboom
29 March 1918: moved to Ana Jana Siding (near Hazebrouck)
13 April 1918: moved to Blendecques, adjacent to 1st Australian CCS
14 September 1918: moved to Hondeghem
19 September 1918: moved to Saint-Venant
10-13 October 1918: moved to Nouveau Monde (near Estaires)
11-13 November 1918: moved by rail to Tournai and set up at asylum (described as “enormous and very well laid out … some of the corridors are more than half a kilometre in length”)
13 December 1918: moved by lorry to Ath
28 February 1919: still at Ath, 2 ACCS appears to have effectively ceased to operate as a unit. Patients transferred to 26th Field Ambulance; nursing sisters to 39th Stationary Hosital
16 March 1919: arrived at Fovant in Wiltshire, England, having sailed from Le Havre
3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station
War diary: Australian War Memorial AWM4 26/64
26 September 1916: at Larkhill in Wiltshire, England, 3 ACCS moved by rail to Southamptopn for embarkation
27 September 1916: landed at Le Havre
29 September 1916: arrived at Rouen and proceeded to Convalescent Depot
Early October 1916: moved to Gézaincourt
12 October 1916: absorbed Authie Operating Hospital as a section of the CCS
14 February 1917: moved to “Edgehill” (Somme)
8 April 1917: moved to Grévillers
21 July 1917: arrived by rail at Brandhoek (near Ypres)
21 August 1917: began to come under enemy shellfire and evacuated to 10 CCS at Remy Siding near Lijssenthoek
Late Setember/early October 1917: moved to Nine Elms (near Poperinghe)
14 April 1918: with enemy offensive “Georgette” making progress, CCS evacuated to Esquelbecq
15 September 1918: moved to “Bandaghem” (near Roesbrugge)
20 October 1918: move began to new site at Keselberg near Ledeghem
16 November 1918: completed a move to near Oudenaarde and became a mobile hospital for clearing sick casualties
3 December 1918: closed for admissions and began to prepare to move. Left Oudenaarde by rail on 19 December and arrived at Euskirchen in Germany on 22 December, going via Charleroi and Namur. Set up in the builings of the Deaf and Dumb Institute
26 April 1919: relieved by the British 47th CCS
8 May 1919: persoinel proceeded to Le Havre for transport to England then to home.
Canadian and other CCSs to be added in due course