Hello, Was "1 Casualty Clearing Station" located in the town of Ninove (Belgium) in May 1940? I thank you for any help, Dirk
Hello, I've found an answer on: Evacuation from France 1940 - Scarlet Finders NO. 1 CASUALTY CLEARING STATION Miss M. J. Diss, Q.A.I.M.N.S. Reserve "We arrived at our destination at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday May 12th. This was Ninova, a small town about 20 kilometres S.W. of Brussels, and we eventually managed to find billets, and established a mess. First thing Monday morning, we went to the Hospital. The main building was an evacuated school, which we found would take 100 stretcher cases. The reception station was about 100 yards away behind the school, off a narrow winding cobbled street. This was a factory, consisting of 2 large buildings (full of machinery), and various offices and outhouses. Here were established the reception rooms, resuscitation ward, operation, dispensary, stores, offices, kitchens etc, X-ray dept, post and pre-operative "wards". We knew our duties and set about getting the place ready as quickly as possible – everywhere was very dirty, and the school was packed with things left by the children. The theatre was set up, X-ray apparatus established, stretchers made up, instruments sterilised, and water boiled. For the last two items we had to rely on primus and oil stoves, and in the whole school, there seemed to be only one very small tap". Are there any forum members living in the Ninove area able to identify the school where NO. 1 CASUALTY CLEARING STATION was set up? Dirk
Hi Dirk-Do you know what Division they were with? I think thats all I will be able to find in my BEF ORB. That a side, that's great find. I had a quick look at files either side of WO 222/2143 and there's some interesting looking medical related files there.
Dirk, I'd suggest a pm to Peter Deneve as he has done quite a bit of 1940 research and is based in Ninove. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/searching-someone-military-genealogy/26785-war-grave-belgium-joseph-fail-2-lincolnshire-denderwindeke-communal-cemetery.html
Hi Rich and Andy, Andy - on the 1940 forum (I can't remember the specific thread name) you once posted a document showing the following information: "1 C.C.S. Ninove 3854 I've attached this document and assume you are able to locate the file by the image number? Thank you Rich. I'll try and contact Peter Deneve, and hope he will be able to identify the Ninove school where 1 C.C.S. once set up its hospital. Thanks, Dirk
Can you post a link Dirk? I have a feeling it's a I Corps file as this is the only Corps I have completed copying to date. The image number comes up with a Courts Marshal Register that I copied earlier this year. Edit I've just checked the BEF Orbat and they were indeed part of I Corps. A
The unit does have a diary which I don't have WO 177/626 1 Casualty Clearing Station 1939 Sept.- 1940 May, 1941 Dec.- 1945 Dec.
Dirk, For another perspective on 1CCS's stay in Ninove, I would suggest the Belgian army records on 1er Corps Médical and its units 1e Ambulance d'Armée, 2e Ambulance d'Armée and 3e Ambulance Légère Chirurgicale. Together, these units formed the Centre Medico-Chirurgicale at Ninove which was moved on 14th May because of the British deployment. The reasons for that deployment were described as ill-informed by the Belgian chief medic Lt-Gen Leman in his post-war analysis as the Belgian high command was well aware of Ninove being in BEF territory before the campaign. See this page on my site for a very brief summary. Apologies to non-Dutch speakers for this one. Walter
Walter - wonderfull website. I'll consult it more often. My grandfather was grenswielrijder and was captured the first day of the war (10 May 1940) at the Zuid-Willemsvaart near Maaseik. Erg bedankt, Dirk
From one of my bestest birthday presents (A most excellent book). On May 14th, 1 CCS from Bois-Bernard, together with 6 FTU, 1 Adv. Depot Med. Stores and RH opened at Ninove, on the Renaix-Brussels Road, and 6 CCS with 7 FTU from Sailly, at Haaltert, on the railway south west of Alost. This choice of areas for ambulance railhead and for CCS's had been made by DMS in consultation with 'Q' and 'A' staffs during the elaboration of the 'D' Plan. There was, of course, no preliminary reconnaissance of the areas; they were chosen from the map because of their tactical suitability. Both served their respective Corps satisfactorily for the short time they were in use. Both found accomdation in schools. 10 CCS with 4 FTU at St. Andre (Lille) and 12 CCS at Annezin remained closed and on wheels. 159 Fd Amb (III Corps) had its MDS at Fouquereuil, near Bethune, where 4 Adv Depot Med Stores with sixty tons of stores and equipment was available. 7 MAC with 75 Ambulance cars lay at Fouquieres near Bethune. The system of evacuation was now by field ambulance car to the CCSs at Ninove and Haalert and thence by ambulance train or MAC back to the CCSs at St. Andre or Annezin. DDMS GHQ went to Renaix and saw teh Belgian Mission, explained the medical layout in the British area and arranged for Belgian military casualties to be taken to 1 and 6 CCSs. The Belgian Mission undertook to arrange prompt evacuation from these anbd it was made clear that, if they could not, then these casualties would go with the British to Dieppe or Boulogne. When on May 15, 2nd Division was attacked, 4 Fd Amb moved back to Ferme Rouge, just north of La Hulpe, and opened its MDS at Espinette in the Foret de Soignies. 5 Fd Amb withdrew its ADS from Groenendael to join its parent unit at Enghien 6 Fd Ambs MDS withdrew from Malaise to Boitsfort, a south eastern suburb of Brussels, and its ADS to Hoeilaart. When the decision to withdraw to the line of the Escaut was reached, 1 and 6 CCSs at Ninove and Haaltert closed and began to entrain. 1 CCS entrained as much of its equipment as possible and its personnel on 7 Amb Train, leaving its light section behind. Most of 1 Adv Depot Med Stores was also on this train. OC 1 CCS telephoned Medical GHQ from Hazebrouck reporting this and an attempt was made to get the train to stop en route to Boulogne to enable 1 CCS and 1 Adv Depot Med Stores to detrain, but this could not be done and so these two units went right back to Boulogne. DDMS III Corps set up a series of ambulance car posts on all the roads leading from the Dendre line toward 10 and 12 CCSs at St Andre and Annezin to direct and to control the ambulance traffic. Two MACs were alloted to ADMS, 2 L of C SA, one MAC to each Corps and one to GHQ Reserve. 2 CCS moved from Beaumont to Lens.
