RAMC and FANY

Question 1

All medical officers and men who cared for the wounded on the Western Front belonged to the

Answer 1

Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). They included doctors, stretcher bearers and ambulance drivers.

Question 2

Women who travelled to the Western Front to care for the wounded joined the

Answer 2

First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY).

Question 3

Initially, the army only accepted well-trained nurses from the

Answer 3

Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service.

Question 4

as the need for nurses increased

Answer 4

volunteers were also accepted

Question 5

What did the FANY do?

Answer 5

• providing professional nursing
  care
• driving motor ambulances
• cleaning hospitals
• washing clothes
• bathing the wounded

Question 6

Transport problems due to terrain

Answer 6

• The terrain was very deeply waterlogged and muddy as well as craters and holes due to weather conditions and explosions.
• This meant that in some places only could stretcher-bearers and horse-wagons be used.
• Constant shelling and artillery fire made recovery of the injured very difficult: initially no motor ambulances were sent but public appeal in Britain raised money for 512 motor ambulances.

Question 7

When was the battle of Arras?

Answer 7

1917

Question 8

In the battle of Arras, the wounded were treated in an…

Answer 8

underground hospital

Question 9

Why was the underground hospital at Arras significant?

Answer 9

This had been built in the tunnels that existed in the chalky ground. The hospital had 700 beds and several operating theatres. This was effective as it enabled the wounded to be treated quickly because it was close to the battle site. This also provided protection as before people would have to be transported far away to a base hospital and due to the terrain, transport would not be easy and the shaking of the carriages would sometimes cause even pain and damage to the wounded soldier.