Introduction ] Broadsword ] Foreward ] The Gathering Storm ] Our Story ] Diary ] Surrender ] Convention ] Newspapers ] MIscellaneous ]

T H E   F O R ' A D   F I R S T   A I D   P O S T
The Bridge ] Call To Worhsip ] GDP Crew ] View From The Flight Deck ] Operations Room ] Gollies ] HQ1 ] Aft Section Base ] For'ad Section Base ] The Resteraunt At The End Of Bomb Alley ] Aft First Aid ] [ Fwd First Aid ] Weapons Department ] Seawolf ] Buntins ] The Flooding Of 3R Mess ] Memorial ] Coventry ] Letters ] A Lighter Note To End On ] Useless Information Section ] After Thoughts Of Reality ] By The Editor ]

The FFAP complement met in the Wardroom at Action Stations and consisted of Surgeon Lieutenant WOODRUFF, Jake (The Vicar) and four duty ambulances from the S&S. The Wardroom is easily transformed into its designated wartime role, equipped with nearly everything to do a heart transplant (well nearly!), to give you some idea of what the Wardroom is like, then imagine the austere surroundings of an NHS hospital - well that's like the Sick Bay; where we are as in fact more like a private clinic!
For most of the period we were closed up, some of our members were in total oblivion, in the Land of Nod. But for the days when HM Ships ARDENT and COVENTRY were sunk, in which our ship was involved, our motley team came together, and the First Aiders became the well oiled machine they were trained to be. Those few weeks showed that when it counted we were there, with our distinctive surcoats of white with red crosses, looking either like a target, or St George riding off after the next Dragon. We seemed always to be in the thick of the battles, giving rise to, ' Ships may come, ships may go, but BROADSWORD lingers on forever'. One small point to end on however. The Argentinians were always very inconsiderate, as their attacks always seemed to be either at the start of a meal, or whilst glancing at the attractive estates in the Wardroom's edition of "Country Life"....

AND IN SUMMARY

Our Doctor had joined in January for the Singapore deployment and in this as in so many other respects we were therefore well prepared for a long absence from UK. However extra medical stores were needed and these were delivered at Ascension, and from then on the Doctor and POMA were busy training first aid teams, preparing the Sick Bay and Wardroom as treatment areas, and making sure we were all in date for our jabs!

Our own casualties came from the two air attacks during our first day in Bomb Alley. Four of the ship's company were sent to a hospital ship, one returning after ten days and the others returning to the UK where they all made speedy recoveries.

The second call for the medical teams came during the rescue of COVENTRY'S people. All had reviving hot showers before being clothed and fed and then being looked after by the whole ship's company. The injured were all seen in the Wardroom with about 20 being flown on to the hospital ships. The remainder were later transferred with the rest of their shipmates to the RFA in San Carlos Water.