Centenary History of 201 Field Hospital edited byAnn Clouston
Price £12.99 +
£2.01 postage.
HOW TO BUY THIS BOOK
Email: memoirclub@msn.com
Mail a cheque to The Memoir Club, 34 Lynwood Way, South Shields, Tyne & Wear NE34 8DB
100 Years of
Service
A time to remember
and reflect and give thanks for the brave men and women who have served in 1
Northern and 201 General and Field hospitals.
The Territorial
Army has had its ups and downs in both its numbers and credibility over the
previous 100 years. There has been a change in requirement, attitude and
socio-political shifts but the territorials have served in every conflict all
over the world, working alongside their regular counterparts.
Territorial
medical units are different from other military units in that their medical
skill and expertise can often be superior to the regular service. For example,
senior consultants may have thirty years experience of trauma in a civilian
environment and the regular army does not always have that level of expertise.
Long before TA
units were regularly mobilised for operations since World War Two, TA medical
staff have been covering the leave and gaps in the regular army orbat. This has
included: The Balkans, Iraq (OP GRANBY, OP TELIC), Afghanistan (OP HERRICK),
Northern Ireland, Brunei, Belize, Cyprus, Germany
Background to putting this book together
The centenary of
the unit focuses one’s attention to history. I volunteered to bring together
the history of the unit using the very people who contributed to it. It was
very disappointing to find few records either from military sources, unit
resource or library/internet resource. I gathered together a band of willing
volunteers to assist in the identification of material and photographs and
whilst there are many gaps we have a foundation for the history of 201. All of
the material gathered has been digitised and a copy will be put into Newcastle
upon Tyne archives. It is a foundation on which hopefully others may wish to
take forward in the future.
The history group
was formed initially in 2007 as part of a working group considering how best to
celebrate the forthcoming Centenary anniversary.
The unit was
planning its mobilisation to Afghanistan and I was asked to assist in the
planning of the events. I volunteered to put together a book as I felt it was
something important to recognise the contribution made by the men and women of
the North East of England and beyond.
I wrote to many
individuals and asked if they would be prepared to assist, not only in the book
but also in helping to catalogue photographs and material that was around in
the unit.
A history group
was formed, and we have had a lot of happy times identifying people in pictures
and recounting our own experiences.
FOREWORD
As the current commanding
officer of 201 Field Hospital, it is an honour and a privilege to write the
first page of this important and deeply personal piece of work. After twenty-eight years
with the unit, I am very familiar with many of the individuals who have
contributed including my own father.
Col (Retd) Clouston, the leader of the group, has required
both strength and determination in order to see the book to its finish. I have
no doubt that this is the capstone of both her and the group’s service to the
country and the locality.
There can be no argument as to the importance of history in
military medical practice and the reader will understand the development and utility
of the Territorial Army in war time, but also its origins and position in local
society. It is this symbiotic professional relationship that sets the Defence
Medical Services above that of the remainder of the Armed Services with two-way
learning being a feature throughout the 100 years recounted. Dominance in this
balance is simply a function of peace or war. In today’s 201 Field Hospital,
the understanding of that harmony is vital to us in not forgetting the lessons
of the past and maintaining the outstanding standards of clinical care that
have been delivered since 1909.
Doctors will have more lives to answer for
in the next world than even we generals. Napoleon Bonaparte
Never has a quote been more
relevant in demonstrating the value of this book in preventing the loss of an
enormous wealth of knowledge and experience. On a personal level, it highlights
the camaraderie and bonds formed across traditional social and professional
boundaries that enable the delivery of exceptional healthcare wherever a
service person may be practicing.
I finish by applauding Col (Retd) Clouston’s self-sacrifice
in completing this book noting her direction that it remains incomplete and
future generations should not be inhibited from contributing to its content.
Col
B Banerjee QVRM DL VR RAMC
Commanding
Officer 201 Field Hospital
Book launch
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