An ambulance consisted of two sections, the Mobile and the Immobile. The Mobile Section travel with its brigade into combat, where it would establish a Dressing Station. It use stretchers or carts to retrieve the wounded and transport them to the Dressing Station. The Immobile Section established and operated a Receiving Station, which received the wounded the Dressing Station sent on. The ambulance's surgeons would operate on the wounded at the Receiving Station. From the Receiving Station, the sick and wounded would go first to the Casualty Clearing Station and ultimately to a Base Hospital.
As in infantry field ambulances, stretchers were used for transport over short distances, rough terrain or when enemy fire prevented the safe employment of bearer animals.
Cycle stretcher
These were unpopular and ineffective; after the Gaza battles the forces abandoned the use of cycle stretchers.
Sand cart
The mainstay of the transport section was the sand cart. It featured wide steel rims and was designed be able to carry three stretchers over soft sand. Six horses or mules provided the motive power. The sand cart was poorly suited to operating on the hard, rough ground of Palestine and Syria, and breakdowns were frequent.
Sand sledge
Used to transport one stretcher case over sand; two horses pulled the sledge.
Light ambulance wagon
Drawn by a four horse team, the light ambulance wagon was designed by Surgeon Colonel W.D.C. Williams. Wagons of this type were taken to Egypt by some of the field ambulance units during the early days of World War I.File:Cacolet AWM J02848.jpgCamel Cacolet
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The camel cacolet was used to carry wounded over long distances on rough terrain impassable to wheeled transport. There were two types of cacolet: the sitting and the lying down type. One camel would carry two patients, one on either side of the camel's hump.
Units during World War I
Three Australian light horse field ambulance units remained in active service throughout WWI.[2] Additional units were established and disbanded at several points during the war.[2] By the end of WWI, the AIF had five light horse field ambulances in active service.[2]
Australian Imperial Force (AIF) light horse field ambulance units serving in WWI
Military decorations were awarded to a number of WWI personnel serving in the Australian light horse field ambulance units. Although the light horse field ambulance units were part of the AIF, decorations were awarded under the British system of honours as Australia's system of honours would not be established until 1975.[9]
WWI Military decorations awarded to the Australian light horse field ambulance (LHFA) service personnel
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