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of the receiving stations and field hospitals, but also
medical transport (stretcher bearers, motor ambulances,
hospital trains, hospital boats) and the medical depots in
the field. The officer in charge of the section is
responsible for receiving all wounded from the divisions and
transmitting them to the field and base hospitals at the rear.
He has a difficult position to fill as he has no direct contact with the divisions themselves and is usually not informed of
tactical developments in the field until the operations have
been concluded or are well under way. Further, his command
over the receiving stations and field hospitals is not
complete and this is even more true of the medical transport
at his disposal. The number of motor ambulances, hospital
trains and hospital boats belonging to the medical service
is pitiably small and has invariably to be augmented by vehicles (for rations, ordnance, etc.) belonging to other
sections of the Quartermaster-General's Office. The medical
service in the line of communication receives all the support that can be given by the other branches of the service, but
the lack of proper medical organization between the front and
the line of communication, and the lack of efficient medical
transport prevent the development of the medical service to an adequate level and thus makes it difficult for well-qualified personnel to function in the field.
In explanation of the latter, it will be realized that a field hospital must be properly equipped, but without its own transport it is unable to carry the equipment necessary or to evacuate and handle its wounded. Further, with constant danger of aerial bombing and the frequent movement of the front, the lack of independent transport necessitates rapid evacuation of wounded to the rear. Even if a sufficient number of competent officers could be found to staff the field hospitals, the
conditions