New Zealand Medical Services in Middle East and Italy
Medical Layout
Medical Layout
For this drive on a new sector to the west a new medical layout was necessary. The Division went into action in the San Donato area and 5 MDS, under Lieutenant-Colonel Coutts,1 was established to receive battle casualties some 8 miles away just to the south of Castellina, which was 16 miles north of Siena. The battle casualties were at first evacuated from the MDS to 4 British CCS at Colonnada di Grillo, 15 miles south-east of Siena. However, 1 NZ Mobile CCS under Lieutenant-Colonel Clark2 moved up from Panicale on 23 July to a site on the outskirts of Siena on the main road to Arezzo, and New Zealand patients were admitted there from 24 July onwards.
1 Lt-Col J. M. Coutts, OBE, ED, m.i.d.; Dunedin; born Scotland, 20 Aug 1903; medical practitioner; medical officer 7 Fd Amb (Fiji) Oct 1940–Aug 1941; 4 Fd Amb Feb 1942–Jun 1943; 1 Gen Hosp Jun 1943–Jun 1944; CO 5 Fd Amb Jul 1944–Jun 1945.
2 Lt-Col A. G. Clark, OBE, MC; Napier; born Napier, 6 Nov 1891; surgeon; BEF 1915–18: medical officer RAMC, France; wounded and p.w. Apr 1918; repatriated Dec 1918; surgeon 1 Gen Hosp Sep 1941–Dec 1943; 1 Mob CCS Dec 1943; CO 1 Mob CCS Jun 1944–Aug 1945.