Untitled 1

The Army

In 1972 the British Army comprised some 180,000 men and women spread widely around the world and often accompanied by their families. The RAF and the RN were also much larger than they are now and had large numbers of dependents. The strength of the army when this website was commenced in 2003 was about 100,000 and was largely based in the UK. Current strength is now. The late 2008 figure is probably somewhere in the region of 75,000 and is deployed over about 80 locations worldwide. Today there are relatively few families abroad and the huge system required to support them is no longer needed.

The Royal Army Medical Corps

In the 1970s the RAMC was a much larger corps which provided doctors to regiments, field ambulances and over fifteen static hospitals. The scale of provision was entirely different to that found today. That is not to say that there were not shortages in some specialities. The shortage in General Duties Medical Officers (GDMOs) had partly been addressed by the recruitment of Short Service Medical Officers. A paid university cadetship was followed by an obligatory five years Short Service Commission. Sometimes there was the opportunity to sign on for a Regular Commission.

Some Short Service Commission officers had the opportunity to train in one of the specialties if a vacancy arose. The webmaster spent two years in the medical centre at Kirkee/McMunn Barracks in Colchester looking after 1RHA, 19 Flt AAC, 8Inf Workshops REME and 19OFP. We had been warned at Mytchett on our basic training course that in many regiments RMOs were tolerated rather than accepted and came very low in the pecking order. After two years as a GDMO in Colchester the prospect of training in anaesthesia at Queen Alexandra's Hospital at Millbank was welcome. Other SSC medical officers had some very challenging experiences and freely expressed their reservations about life as GDMO. Six months basic anaesthetic training was given culminating with the Diploma in Anaesthesia and followed by a posting as a trainee to another military hospital. The anaesthetic complement varied from hospital to hospital; BMH Rinteln anaesthetic department in BAOR was staffed by a consultant, a specialist and a trainee anaesthetist. At that time there were perhaps twenty seven anaesthetists of various grades and experience spread throughout the hospitals in the army.

55FST

55 Field Surgical Team was manned, at different times by contingents from the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Royal Air Force Medical Services. At times RN personnel were present. This website largely refers to the RAMC. There have however been valuable contributions from former members of the RAF Medical Services. As time has gone by there have also been contributions from patients and from people who had nothing to do with the FST but just happened to be in Salalah in the 70s

55FST March to July 1972

55FST was drawn from military hospitals in the UK and in BAOR. The team assembled near the Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot. Kit was issued, a triple dose of immunoglobulin was given to protect against hepatitis and some time was spent at Ash Ranges for familiarization with the SMG and 9mm Browning Pistol.

Transit was via Brize Norton(?) by VC10 to Cyprus, onward to RAF Masirah by C-130 and then down to RAF Salalah by Andover

Major Joe Johnston RAMC was OIC. A Senior Specialist in Surgery of many years experience from Tidworth Military Hospital. A general surgeon with a wide knowledge and experienced in trauma. The Irish element.

Captain Nick Cetti RAMC performed the duties of resuscitation officer and camp medical officer. He was a Trainee in Surgery from The "Woolwich" who had previously been RMO to one of the Guards Regiments. Some Italian in there somewhere ?

Captain Bill de Bass RAMC was Specialist in Anaesthesia from BMH Rinteln. Formerly an MO in Colchester in Kirkee/McMunn Barracks, for the last three years he had been an anaesthetist. The Basque element.

The core of the theatre team was made up of four Theatre Technicians. Three worked as operating technicians and one as an anaesthetic technician.

Sgt Gerry Farrell or "Radar" was the senior theatre technician and and had been detached from the hospital at Catterick.

Cpl Bud Holder was, like Joe Johnston, from Tidworth Military Hospital

L/Cpl Pete Starling from Islerlohn was the third operating theatre technician.

Pte Pete Canning had been my anaesthetic technician in BMH Rinteln for two years and as he would be underemployed whilst I was away, for that and other reasons, it seemed it seemed like a good idea that he got his knees brown.

Sgt Dave Barrow from Munster filled the post of Laboratory Technician and Sgt Roger Hicks from the Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot was tasked with radiography.

"Mac" also from The Cambridge along with Sgt Lim from Akrotiri were responsible for the nursing under the direction of Sgt Mick Pargin of BMH Iserlohn.

Last but not least Cpl Tony Powell was the RAMC clerk who kept all(?) the paperwork in order.

The "owner" of the Station Medical Centre, the RAF interface with 55FST, was present in the form of an RAF WO Chief Tech Brian Spice, who clearly thought that the RAMC were culturally closer to the adoo than to the RAF. A sentiment which I have no doubt was also shared by the station commander Sqdr Ldr Gerry Honey.

Several other medics passed through in the period that we were there when there was crisis of one sort or another.

The first crisis was medical and arose when Joe succumbed to mumps; generally a trivial disease but as luck would have it not this time around. Joe was ordered, by the Station Medical Officer Nick Cetti, to rest in some air conditioning. A surgeon called "Patrick" was sent out to help. Ten days after that the MOD sent Peter Craig, arriving in a C-130, to assess the situation. Swellings had reduced, fevers had fallen. Joe was back up to speed. Five days later, following a valedictory curry in the dhobi mens' lines, Peter headed back to civilisation in his Hercules.

Sitting next door to Joe on the plane out and sharing a room with him in "Pongo Palace" inevitaby meant that as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west twenty days later there was another lesser manifestation of the disease. Another anaesthetist was shipped in whilst the fever was at its worst. The name "Papworth" appears in an anaesthetic record. His presence is vaguely recalled as is the reluctance to let go of the Haloxair by the sickly incumbent.

In July after "Mirbat" help came down to us in the form of a surgeon whose name is not recalled. The familiar face of an RAF GDMO, Ian Rumfitt, a former UCH friend, also appeared from Masirah rushed down in a Strikemaster.