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Australian WW1 hospitals

General Hospitals

These were large base hospitals with 250, 500 or 1000 beds. They also generally administered a number of auxiliary hospitals. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 10th and 14th served overseas; the others were based in Australia. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 14th were all eventually upgraded to the maximum size.

1st Australian General Hospital (1 AGH) Formed Queensland, August 1914. Departed Brisbane aboard Kyarra 21 November 1914. (Egypt, Western Front)

• 1 AGH Egypt This hospital was located in various buildings in Cairo. It dealt with all war cases—physical injuries, diseases, shell shock.

• 1 AGH Rouen, France This hospital dealt with general battle casualties.

2nd Australian General Hospital (2 AGH) Formed New South Wales August 1914. Departed Sydney aboard Kyarra 28 November 1914. (Egypt, Western Front)

• 2 AGH Boulogne, France This was a large tented hospital, and most of the patients were battle casualties. It came to specialise in the treatment of fractures. This hospital experienced many air raids. Towards the end of the war there were outbreaks of influenza. When the armistice was signed, the staff barely found time to celebrate. They were too busy treating the influenza victims who continued to arrive throughout November.

3rd Australian General Hospital (3 AGH) Formed New South Wales 1915. Departed Sydney aboard Mooltan 5 May 1915. (England, Gallipoli, Egypt, Western Front)

• 3 AGH Abbeville, France This hospital operated from tents and huts at Abbeville, in the Somme area of France. For most of its existence (May 1917 to May 1918) it admitted gassed patients and treated them briefly before sending them to other places.
  (For technical information about the effects of WW1 gas attacks on soldiers visit http://www.gwpda.org/medical/gaswar/gasindex.htm)

10th General Hospital Formed July 1915. Departed Australia 22 July 1915. Arrived in the United Kingdom 29 September 1915. This unit was intended as a 500 bed general hospital for the treatment of Australians in the United Kingdom but owing to a lack of accommodation and poor AIF medical administration, it was broken up at Harefield, England October 1915 and personnel used to staff Auxiliary Hospitals. (England)

14th General Hospital Formed 1916. Departed Melbourne 19 August 1916. Was located at Abbassia, Cairo. (Egypt)

Auxiliary Hospitals

These were located in rear areas. Generally they were administered by a general hospital. They had no fixed establishments.

1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital (1 AAH) Opened 19 January 1915 at Luna Park, Cairo, Egypt. Closed 10 July 1916. Opened 1916 at Harefield, England. Closed 31 December 1918. This hospital contained over 1000 beds for casualties from France. Mostly they were surgical cases and it was possible for special attention to be given to amputees before their return to Australia.
(Visit http://www.harefield.net/anzac/anzac-graves.html)

2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital (2 AAH) This hospital located at Southall, England, specialised in the fitting of artificial limbs.

3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital (3 AAH) This hospital, located in Dartford, England, grew to 1400 beds and was for the treatment of war-related nerves and neuroses.

Stationary Hospitals

These were smaller hospitals, generally based in forward areas.

Casualty Clearing Stations

These were small hospitals generally located at a railhead or similar transportation hub in forward areas. Their job was to provide emergency treatment and to move casualties back to the stationary and general hospitals.

Convalescent and Command Depots

Convalescent or Command Depots were half way houses for casualties returning to the front - men who no longer required hospitalisation but were not yet fit to rejoin their units. They were also known as "Convalescent Homes".

For additional information on the WW1 hospitals and medical facilities go to
http://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/~rmallett/

Casualty evacuation system

The following diagram of the system of evacuation shows the theoretical location of medical facilities for the Allies during WW1. While the evacuation system followed this general plan, in practice medical facilities were placed where they could best carry out their tasks under the exigencies of the operational situation.
RAP = Regimental Aid Post (the unit-level medical support facility eg in a battalion)

Australians evacuated to the UK

The diagram below depicts the theoretical distribution and disposal of Australian sick and wounded arriving in the UK. 

Allied WW1 Military Hospitals on the Western Front

The following list was compiled by Lieutenant Colonel Neil C Smith, AM and is used with his permission.

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