Page 16 - RADC Bulletin 2018

maxillo-facial trauma cases that he saw whilst with 23 CCS. His log was kept in
two standard 40 page HMSO exercise books now held in the RADC archive of
The Museum of Military Medicine. The exercise books remained with the family until 2013 when his son, who had emigrated to Australia, gave them to his dentist in South Australia who subsequently passed them on to an Oral Surgeon colleague, Col Janet Scott of the
Royal Australian Army Dental Corps Reserve. She, in turn, passed them to the author for lodging with The Museum
of Military Medicine where they are now preserved.
Examples of the
entries in his log are
shown at figures 1 to
4. The casualties by
units are summarised
at Table 1 and the
medical units involved
in their evacuation and treatment are given at Tables 2 and 3. Table 4 lists the causes of injury where these have been recorded in the notes.
23 CCS along with 24 CCS formed part of the Corps Troops of the British 2nd Army’s XII Corps which during the period of this log was initially holding the Odon Valley area in
Figure 3
Normandy from which it mounted Operation GREENLINE, part of a diversionary action prior to Operation GOODWOOD following which it was then involved in the fighting southwards out of that area. It subsequently supported XXX Corps left flank during Operation MARKET GARDEN and later undertook Operation BLACKCOCK to drive the German 15th Army out of the Roer triangle south of Roermond before finally
being involved
with the invasion
of Germany. Capt Hughes’ last case entry in his log
is just over two days before the definitive text of the German Instrument of Surrender was signed in Berlin at 0016hrs local time on 9 May 1945.
Summary
Capt Hughes’ notes
clearly illustrate the wide range of trauma that many dental
officers were faced with across all WW2 theatres of operations and the treatments available and provided at CCS level. Advised protocols and treatment for Maxillo-Facial injuries had been published in the Field Surgery Pocket Book issued by the War Office in January 1944. More research
is required in order to put the work at
23 CCS into context. How closely could these protocols be followed? What other surgical loading was being placed on the units’ theatre capacity at the time of these casualties’ admissions? How quick, easy and effective was evacuation back to a Maxillo-Facial Surgical Unit? What was the current battle picture and post-op holding policy/capacity? At what readiness was the unit to move?
The Memorandum on the Preliminary Treatment of Maxillo- Facial Wounds, 1941 issued by the War Office on 30 July 1941 states that:
“The main dressing station or the casualty clearing station is the first place where a dental officer will be available and his co- operation and assistance will be sought in every case (see War Office urgent postal telegram 24/General/554 dated, 8th June, 1940).”
Capt Hughes certainly seems to have provided his co-operation and assistance in abundance.
Acknowledgements
Mr N Hughes, Dr R Antoniazzi and Col JF Scott for their care of the exercise books and facilitating their final journey back to the UK to the Museum of Military Medicine.
The Museum of Military Medicine for permission to use the images from the exercise books reproduced at figures 1 – 4 in this article.
Capt Hughes’ notes clearly illustrate the wide range of trauma that many dental officers were faced with across all WW2 theatres of operations
14 RADC BULLETIN 2018
HISTORICAL