Introduction

just joined, hello everyone

I'm researching my grandfather's war record and saw a post on his unit, 217FA with 78th Infantry Division, although that user has not been on in years. Anyway, we have already got most of the records and my father has spent some time digging through the archives, so no records questions at the moment but just thought I should say hello.

He landed in North Africa (in Algiers we believe) in early 1943, working mainly with 36th Infantry Brigade as had secondments as cover as temporary Medical Officer to 8th Battalion Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, 6th Battalion Queen’s Own Royal West Kents, and 5th Battalion The Royal East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) at various points during 1943 - 1945 but most of his time with 217th Field Ambulance.

Generally I understand Field Ambulance units had several companies, about 100-150 men with various roles and about 8-10 medical officers. Does that sound right? My grandfather had qualified as a doctor in 1940 and was a GP before being called up. He had tried to volunteer in 1941 but was told that he was needed to look after the civilian population and would be told when he was needed. I think he had some training at Church Cookham in 1942 before posting to North Africa.

David

 

Welcome to the forum. Hopefully when you say 'records' you mean his official service records from the MOD, these are essential. Do you know that a lot of 217 Field Ambulance's diaries are on Ancestry? After service records that is generally the next step.

 

Welcome to the forum

 

Welcome aboard David.

 

You might find help with an online search with: "217 field ambulance" site:ww2talk.com that id'd a small number of threads here. A few more with: "217th field ambulance" site:ww2talk.com

 

Welcome aboard David A

 

Welcome to the forum - and the Wellcome Collection:

Visit us

have a history of the 217 Field Ambulance from June 1940 to February 1941 (17.5 MB download - (free).

History of 217 Field Ambulance, diary/scrapbook of Lieutenant Colonel R.A. Anderson, RAMC, the unit's first commanding officer

The journal of the RAMC used to be free to download articles - first pages can be viewed free now - and is worth looking at for articles concerning Field Ambulance Units.

Archive | BMJ Military Health

https://militaryhealth.bmj.com/sear...:Submit button2:Submit button3:Submit?page=11

 

thank you all for the warm welcome, I'll start a thread with more details on 217FA and the records we have seen. From what I have, my father definitely looked at the diaries and some Field Return of Officers. I am confirming what he and my uncle actually have and looked at, but this was all over 20 years ago. There are also notes from conversations with others from the 1990s. More to follow....

David

 

David.

You might want to get yourself a copy of The Army Medical Services Volume 3 by FA Crew. It has a huge amount of detail and mapping.

Volume 3 covers Italy where 78 Inf Div were.

Regards

Frank

 

Welcome to the gang David.

 

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Lesley

 

Welcome. This is certainly the forum to be for help into research.