Triage system at Casualty Clearing Stations

[Warren Hardman]

My wife's great grandfather was admitted to 10 CCS (Remy Siding) with a shrapnel wound to the neck. His hospital admission card shows a List Number A65: No.10 CCS Status: Dangerously Wounded: Date of Admmission: 14/11/17, S.W. Neck. The next entry on the admission card shows a List Number A68: No. 10 CCS, 14/11/17 , Died of wounds. I have discovered that the letter A signified a certain degree of wounding under the Triage System but I'm trying to establish if the actual numbers meant anything ie. does 65 signify a wound in the neck area and does 68 signify death. Or do these numbers mean its just another entry on his Hospital Admission Form while he was an A patient under the Triage System, or was it just customary to change list numbers if for example a patient had an operation and therefore his status changed from pre-op to post-op so he got another list number.

Can any one explain how the List Numbers on Hospital Admission Forms worked?

[hazelclark]

Hi Warren!

How did you find the admission card to the CCS 10? Was it in his service records or is there another place to look?

Thanks Hazel c.

My wife's great grandfather was admitted to 10 CCS (Remy Siding) with a shrapnel wound to the neck. His hospital admission card shows a List Number A65: No.10 CCS Status: Dangerously Wounded: Date of Admmission: 14/11/17, S.W. Neck. The next entry on the admission card shows a List Number A68: No. 10 CCS, 14/11/17 , Died of wounds. I have discovered that the letter A signified a certain degree of wounding under the Triage System but I'm trying to establish if the actual numbers meant anything ie. does 65 signify a wound in the neck area and does 68 signify death. Or do these numbers mean its just another entry on his Hospital Admission Form while he was an A patient under the Triage System, or was it just customary to change list numbers if for example a patient had an operation and therefore his status changed from pre-op to post-op so he got another list number.

Can any one explain how the List Numbers on Hospital Admission Forms worked?

[Warren Hardman]

Hi Hazel,

It was with his service records that I requested from the Canadian Archives and they posted them to me. Unfortunately his Field Medical Card was missing as that would have thrown much more light on the treatment he received from the Field Ambulance staff enroute to the CCS eg. morphine injections, prior to his admission to the CCS. Also the Field Medical Card was filled in at the CCS with much more detail about operations such as detailing amputations right down to which limb & left or right, whether the patient was admitted to the resuss tent or not after the operation etc. Because this was missing I'm trying to fill in the gaps as best I can.

.

Hi Warren!

How did you find the admission card to the CCS 10? Was it in his service records or is there another place to look?

Thanks Hazel c.

[Beselare]

Hi Warren

I have a friend who needs to get in touch with the Canadian archives to do some research on her grandfather who was in the Canadian artillery. It is interesting to see that you had to preumably send your request by post and received the answer by post. Could you please let me know the Canadian address you used. Is there a cost?

Many thanks

Bob

[hazelclark]

Thanks!

Hi Hazel,

It was with his service records that I requested from the Canadian Archives and they posted them to me. Unfortunately his Field Medical Card was missing as that would have thrown much more light on the treatment he received from the Field Ambulance staff enroute to the CCS eg. morphine injections, prior to his admission to the CCS. Also the Field Medical Card was filled in at the CCS with much more detail about operations such as detailing amputations right down to which limb & left or right, whether the patient was admitted to the resuss tent or not after the operation etc. Because this was missing I'm trying to fill in the gaps as best I can.

.

[regimentalrogue]

Hi Warren

I have a friend who needs to get in touch with the Canadian archives to do some research on her grandfather who was in the Canadian artillery. It is interesting to see that you had to preumably send your request by post and received the answer by post. Could you please let me know the Canadian address you used. Is there a cost?

Many thanks

Bob

Good afternoon Bob, my pages here will introduce some of the resources available through Library and Archives Canada. the first page shows you how to find the file reference and order the service record:

Researching Canadian Soldiers of the First World War, Part 1: Find your Man (or Woman)

The cost of ordering directly from LAC is 40 cents per page plus postage. Most soldiers' files run 20-40 pages of documents.

[Warren Hardman]

Hi Bob,

You can contact them by email about questions you have and they are very helpful in pointing you to the appropriate on line references such as War Diaries for further research. You can easily search their data base at http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/military-peace/index-e.html. If you use the data base and can't find something remove any info in the date box as adding a date sometimes causes data not to come up. I got the soldiers full records a few years ago so I can't remember exactly but I recall that you complete a request form which I think is on line. There was a minimal cost to get these and they post you copies of everything they have on file for that soldier. From Attestation papers to dental records, pay records, transfers, movements etc.

Hi Warren

I have a friend who needs to get in touch with the Canadian archives to do some research on her grandfather who was in the Canadian artillery. It is interesting to see that you had to preumably send your request by post and received the answer by post. Could you please let me know the Canadian address you used. Is there a cost?

Many thanks

Bob

[Beselare]

To Regimental Rogue and Warren

Thank you very much for all the information. I have managed to navigate through the site to save my friend some time and trouble and have sent her a step-by-step guide so that she can complete the order form.

Regards, Bob.

[jhill]

I am afraid I cannot add very much to what has been said here about this particular case.

However, in regards to the "triage" plan at the Casualty Clearing Stations at Remy in 1917, I can point your attention to the May 1917 War Diary of No 2 (Canadian) CCS . There is a document attached therein entitled "Plan of Work During Active Operation". The Remy group included Nos 10, 17, 2 (Can) and 3 (Can) CCSs. Each admitted casualties in rotation; when one was full the next one opened. Although each would have its own scheme, they must all have operated on a similar pattern. In particular, they all submitted casualty returns to the same authority on the same forms.

Here is the first page:

[Warren Hardman]

Thanks James,

It's amazing how much really good information is accessible in the hundreds of War Diaries on line - it's just so time consuming to extract unless someone points you in the right direction. By the way, do you know if war diaries for the British divisions, battalions etc. are available on line eg. like the Canadian and Australian archives ? If so, please can you email me the link for the British War Diaries.

[hazelclark]

Thankyou for posting that link - it is a wonderful resource.

Hazel C.

I am afraid I cannot add very much to what has been said here about this particular case.

However, in regards to the "triage" plan at the Casualty Clearing Stations at Remy in 1917, I can point your attention to the May 1917 War Diary of No 2 (Canadian) CCS . There is a document attached therein entitled "Plan of Work During Active Operation". The Remy group included Nos 10, 17, 2 (Can) and 3 (Can) CCSs. Each admitted casualties in rotation; when one was full the next one opened. Although each would have its own scheme, they must all have operated on a similar pattern. In particular, they all submitted casualty returns to the same authority on the same forms.

Here is the first page:

[Warren Hardman]

Hi James,

From the details in the CCS War Diaries I have figured out the location of each of the 4 CCS's at Remy Siding. The Remy Group is shown on the trench map for Abeele which was correct as of June 1918. (see attached image where i have added the CCS names). The CCS's were not resident in the buildings at that time as they had been hastily moved further to the rear due to the German Spring offensive in April so the buildings would have remained and were inhabited by Field Ambulance Companies.

I am afraid I cannot add very much to what has been said here about this particular case.

However, in regards to the "triage" plan at the Casualty Clearing Stations at Remy in 1917, I can point your attention to the May 1917 War Diary of No 2 (Canadian) CCS . There is a document attached therein entitled "Plan of Work During Active Operation". The Remy group included Nos 10, 17, 2 (Can) and 3 (Can) CCSs. Each admitted casualties in rotation; when one was full the next one opened. Although each would have its own scheme, they must all have operated on a similar pattern. In particular, they all submitted casualty returns to the same authority on the same forms.

Here is the first page: