Royal australian air force medical service development
R.A.A.F. Medical Service
In 1921 an Australian air force was raised, based at Point Cook (Victoria), which then became the Royal Australian Air Force (R.A.A.F.) in 1923. The sole medical officer was Squadron Leader Lawrence who had served in the AAMC in WW1 and was appointed to the new air force at Point Cook in 1921 and then Director of Air Force Medical Services in 1922.
In 1927 the Minister of Defence placed the R.A.A.F. medical and dental services under the administration and control of the Australian Army Medical Corps. The reason for this was mainly historical when the Australian Flying Corps during WW1 was a corps of the Army up until it's disbandment after the war. In 1927 the R.A.A.F. medical Service consisted of 2 full time Flight Lieutenant medical officers, several Citizen Air Force Flight Lieutenant medical officers, and 1 full time dental officer.
Prior to 1940 there was much debate and protestation regarding the vexed question of either one Service overseeing the other Medical Services or three separate Medical Services (Navy, Army, Air Force) each dealing with their own unique medical requirements.
Finally in 1940 the War Cabinet approved two recommendations; that the D.G.M.S (Army) relinquish his responsibilities in the control of the air force medical service, and transferring it to the R.A.A.F; that medical matters requiring coordination between the navy, army, and air force be dealt with by a standing committee consisting of the permanent medical directors of the three services.
The R.A.A.F. Medical Service comprised of a Dental Branch, a Personnel Section (under Group Captain Counsell), an Equipment Section (under Wing Commander Reid), Medical records, buildings,hospital, publications (under Wing Commander Game), Research section (under Wing Commander Grayton Brown) and Hygiene & Tropical Medicine section (under Wing Commander Baldwin).
At the outbreak of war the R.A.A.F. Medical Service consisted of 8 medical officers on full-time service, 18 medical officers in the Citizen Air Force (who were subsequently called up for full-time duty), and part-time specialists, physiotherapists, (no radiologists but medical officers could receive training while on leave, and there were no psychiatrists although 3 R.A.A.F. medical officers attended a course in psychiatry), Clerk Medical and Clerk Medical Assistant (introduced in 1944 as clerical staff trained in medical terminology), laboratory technicians (2 were mustered as "nursing orderly" but then 35 recruited civilian trained in 1943), X-Ray technicians (5 airmen were re-trained).
Establishments provided for a wing commander for a large permanent station (e.g. Point Cook), squadron leader as senior medical officer of the larger units (2000 men), flight lieutenant as squadron medical officer (1 medical officer per 500 men), squadron leader in multi-engined squadrons (later in the war group captain).
In the hospitals the commanding officer was a wing commander and the senior physician and senior surgeon were squadron leaders.
Towards the end of the war there were approximately 580 medical officers ion establishment (1 air vice-marshal, 1 air commodore, 8 group captains, 38 wing commanders, 190 squadron leaders, and 270 flight lieutenants on the full-time list, in addition to the consultants and part-time specialists,; 57 pharmaceutical officers, 9 entomologists, and 13 hygiene officers).
Nursing in the R.A.A.F. was initially carried out by males (Nursing Orderly). Although the R.A.A.F. Nursing Service was established in 1940, these nursing orderlies could serve in forward areas where women could not and provided the only assistance available to medical officers in most field medical units (and were highly regarded by R.A.A.F. surgeons as operating-theatre attendants and nurses). Medical nursing orderlies (in 1943 changed to 'Medical Orderly') were recruited from civilians who had some degree of training / experience in medical / nursing procedures (e.g. ambulance officers, hospital assistants, chemists, medical students, surgical dressers, etc). They could also be in charge of the medical sections of radar stations and other small or isolated units, and with medical officers they formed the medical component of air-sea rescue flights. During the war a few carefully selected Permanent Force nursing orderlies were granted commissions to become non-medical administrators at R.A.A.F. Headquarters and formation headquarters.
Maximum establishment was: 1,280 Medical Orderlies, 380 nursing orderlies, 300 sick-quarters attendants, 434 medical clerks (includes 226 W.A.A.A.F.) and 249 medical assistant clerks (includes 170 W.A.A.A.F.).
In 1942, the need for more orderlies became apparent with the greatly expanded R.A.A.F., so sick-quarter attendants and nursing orderlies were also enlisted from the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF).
In 1941 the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force was formed, with Squadron Leader Mildred Hutchings (who was a R.A.A.F. medical officer on general duties) was appointed to headquarters to oversee working conditions and hygiene arrangements.
In 1921 an Australian air force was raised, based at Point Cook (Victoria), which then became the Royal Australian Air Force (R.A.A.F.) in 1923. The sole medical officer was Squadron Leader Lawrence who had served in the AAMC in WW1 and was appointed to the new air force at Point Cook in 1921 and then Director of Air Force Medical Services in 1922.
In 1927 the Minister of Defence placed the R.A.A.F. medical and dental services under the administration and control of the Australian Army Medical Corps. The reason for this was mainly historical when the Australian Flying Corps during WW1 was a corps of the Army up until it's disbandment after the war. In 1927 the R.A.A.F. medical Service consisted of 2 full time Flight Lieutenant medical officers, several Citizen Air Force Flight Lieutenant medical officers, and 1 full time dental officer.
Prior to 1940 there was much debate and protestation regarding the vexed question of either one Service overseeing the other Medical Services or three separate Medical Services (Navy, Army, Air Force) each dealing with their own unique medical requirements.
Finally in 1940 the War Cabinet approved two recommendations; that the D.G.M.S (Army) relinquish his responsibilities in the control of the air force medical service, and transferring it to the R.A.A.F; that medical matters requiring coordination between the navy, army, and air force be dealt with by a standing committee consisting of the permanent medical directors of the three services.
The R.A.A.F. Medical Service comprised of a Dental Branch, a Personnel Section (under Group Captain Counsell), an Equipment Section (under Wing Commander Reid), Medical records, buildings,hospital, publications (under Wing Commander Game), Research section (under Wing Commander Grayton Brown) and Hygiene & Tropical Medicine section (under Wing Commander Baldwin).
At the outbreak of war the R.A.A.F. Medical Service consisted of 8 medical officers on full-time service, 18 medical officers in the Citizen Air Force (who were subsequently called up for full-time duty), and part-time specialists, physiotherapists, (no radiologists but medical officers could receive training while on leave, and there were no psychiatrists although 3 R.A.A.F. medical officers attended a course in psychiatry), Clerk Medical and Clerk Medical Assistant (introduced in 1944 as clerical staff trained in medical terminology), laboratory technicians (2 were mustered as "nursing orderly" but then 35 recruited civilian trained in 1943), X-Ray technicians (5 airmen were re-trained).
Establishments provided for a wing commander for a large permanent station (e.g. Point Cook), squadron leader as senior medical officer of the larger units (2000 men), flight lieutenant as squadron medical officer (1 medical officer per 500 men), squadron leader in multi-engined squadrons (later in the war group captain).
In the hospitals the commanding officer was a wing commander and the senior physician and senior surgeon were squadron leaders.
Towards the end of the war there were approximately 580 medical officers ion establishment (1 air vice-marshal, 1 air commodore, 8 group captains, 38 wing commanders, 190 squadron leaders, and 270 flight lieutenants on the full-time list, in addition to the consultants and part-time specialists,; 57 pharmaceutical officers, 9 entomologists, and 13 hygiene officers).
Nursing in the R.A.A.F. was initially carried out by males (Nursing Orderly). Although the R.A.A.F. Nursing Service was established in 1940, these nursing orderlies could serve in forward areas where women could not and provided the only assistance available to medical officers in most field medical units (and were highly regarded by R.A.A.F. surgeons as operating-theatre attendants and nurses). Medical nursing orderlies (in 1943 changed to 'Medical Orderly') were recruited from civilians who had some degree of training / experience in medical / nursing procedures (e.g. ambulance officers, hospital assistants, chemists, medical students, surgical dressers, etc). They could also be in charge of the medical sections of radar stations and other small or isolated units, and with medical officers they formed the medical component of air-sea rescue flights. During the war a few carefully selected Permanent Force nursing orderlies were granted commissions to become non-medical administrators at R.A.A.F. Headquarters and formation headquarters.
Maximum establishment was: 1,280 Medical Orderlies, 380 nursing orderlies, 300 sick-quarters attendants, 434 medical clerks (includes 226 W.A.A.A.F.) and 249 medical assistant clerks (includes 170 W.A.A.A.F.).
In 1942, the need for more orderlies became apparent with the greatly expanded R.A.A.F., so sick-quarter attendants and nursing orderlies were also enlisted from the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF).
In 1941 the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force was formed, with Squadron Leader Mildred Hutchings (who was a R.A.A.F. medical officer on general duties) was appointed to headquarters to oversee working conditions and hygiene arrangements.
R.A.A.F. Dental Branch
The R.A.A.F. Dental Service was established in 1927 at Point Cook, and was administered by the Director of Medical Services (Air) under the Director-General of Medical Services, Australian Military Forces. Flying Officer (FLGOFF) Rosenbrock was appointed the sole air force dental officer in 1927, followed by FLGOFF Andrews in 1933, both of which who cared for R.A.A.F. and Army personnel. The R.A.A.F. Dental Branch began to expand with 2 additional positions in 1937, 5 in 1939, 28 in 1940, 64 in 1941, 147 in 1942, 193 in 1943, 219 in 1944, and 227 in 1945. While under the control of the Army Medical staff, the Army provided their Inspector of Dental Services for advice whenever needed. It was not until 1940 that the R.A.A.F. Medical Service separated from the Army, resulting in control of the Dental Branch shifting to the R.A.A.F and to develop along the lines appropriate to an air force. Dental Staff Officer FLGOFF Andrews became the first Director of Dental Services in 1943 to the R.A.A.F. Medical Service and was promoted to Group Captain (GPCAPT) in 1944.
The R.A.A.F. Dental Service was established in 1927 at Point Cook, and was administered by the Director of Medical Services (Air) under the Director-General of Medical Services, Australian Military Forces. Flying Officer (FLGOFF) Rosenbrock was appointed the sole air force dental officer in 1927, followed by FLGOFF Andrews in 1933, both of which who cared for R.A.A.F. and Army personnel. The R.A.A.F. Dental Branch began to expand with 2 additional positions in 1937, 5 in 1939, 28 in 1940, 64 in 1941, 147 in 1942, 193 in 1943, 219 in 1944, and 227 in 1945. While under the control of the Army Medical staff, the Army provided their Inspector of Dental Services for advice whenever needed. It was not until 1940 that the R.A.A.F. Medical Service separated from the Army, resulting in control of the Dental Branch shifting to the R.A.A.F and to develop along the lines appropriate to an air force. Dental Staff Officer FLGOFF Andrews became the first Director of Dental Services in 1943 to the R.A.A.F. Medical Service and was promoted to Group Captain (GPCAPT) in 1944.
