[Milmed]

Hi Dudley,
Thanks for sharing info on your grandfather. I would be very interested in reading the documentation you have if you ever want to share it. Are there any photographs amounst the lot?

I have copies of your books and it makes for interesting reading on subjects I have no knowledge of.

Maybe you could clear up something that has ben plaguing me for a while. On pg71 of you book on SA insignia (Medical badges) you show a shoulder flash/title of '1 FD AMB'. According to my research these titles followed the abbreviated unit designations and these units back in the 1960's were either an English, Afrikaans or bilingual unit, so accordingly the titles were either produced in English, Afrikaans or bilingual to match the official designation.

From a list of medical units I have One Field Ambulance was a CF unit and an Afrikaans designated unit, so their titles would have been '1 VD AMB'. The only bilingual field ambulance was '11 Field Ambulance' - a PF unit. They wore titles '11 FD AMB' and '11 VD AMB', one on each shoulder. Could your displayed title possibly be an 11 Field Ambulance title that has had one of the '1' removed? If you still have this title, would you be able to check whether a '1' has been removed or not.

The list of Medical Corps units in early 1960's through to formation of SAMS in 1970/71 as follows:

SAMC Unit identification insignia - PF
1 Military Hospital (Pretoria)
2 Military Hospital (Wynberg)
Central Medical and Veternirary Stores / Sentrale Artsenymagasyn
Institute for Aviation Medicine / Instituut vir Lugvaartgeneeskunde
11 Field Ambulance / 11 Veld Ambulaans
SAMC Training Centre / SAGD Opleidingssentrum

Western Province Command Medical Detachment
Eastern Province Command Medical Detachment
Natal Command Medical Detachment
Orange Free State Command Medical Detachment
Western Transvaal Command Medical Detachment
Northern Transvaal Command Medical Detachment
Wiwatersrand Command Medical Detachment
South West Africa Command Medical Detachment
South Western District Command Medical Detachment

SAMC Unit identification insignia - CF
1 Veld Ambulaans
3 Field Ambulance
4 Field Ambulance
5 Veld Ambulaans
9 Veld Ambulaans
10 Veld Ambulaans
12 Field Ambulance (Port Elizabeth)
13 Veld Ambulaans (Vereniging)
15 Field Hygiene Company (Pretoria)
15 Veldgesondheids Komapanje (Pretoria)
16 Field Hygiene Company
16 Veldgesondheids Komapanje
17 Field Dressing Station (Roodepoort)
17 Veldverpleegplek (Roodepoort)
19 Field Dressing Station
19 Veldverpleegplek
21 Field Dressing Station
21 Veldverpleegplek
23 Field Dressing Station
23 Veldverpleegplek

23 Dental Company

25 Advanced Medical Stores Depot
25 Voorartensnydepot
28 Convalescent Depot

31 Casualty Clearing Station (Klerksdorp)
31 Afvoerhospitaal (Klerksdorp)
33 Casualty Clearing Station
33 Afvoerhospitaal
34 Casualty Clearing Station
34 Afvoerhospitaal

41 Field Transfusion Team
42 Field Transfusion Team
43 Field Transfusion Team
44 Field Transfusion Team

51 Field Surgical Team
52 Field Surgical Team
53 Field Surgical Team
54 Field Surgical Team
55 Field Surgical Team
56 Field Surgical Team
57 Field Surgical Team
58 Field Surgical Team

71 Medical Stores Sub-Depot
72 Medical Stores Sub-Depot
73 Medical Stores Sub-Depot
74 Medical Stores Sub-Depot
75 Medical Stores Sub-Depot

4 Military Hospital
5 Military Hospital
6 Military Hospital
7 Field Military Hospital
8 Field Military Hospital
9 Field Military Hospital

Note the arc s/t in its designated unit language was only around during the days of Medical Corps. Some of these units were formed in 1913/14 with formation of SAMC while others were only formed mid 1960's.

When the SA medical services where formed in 1970/71 some of these units where disbanded and others renamed. Unit designations where no longer language specific in the 1970's and the titles were replaced with flashes, initially silk embroidered on felt and then the lucite covered brass flashes. Below is a list of medical units during SAMS period of 1970/71 through 1981 when the Field ambulances were amalgamated into Medical Battalions. I have just listed the english designations. I am trying to find formation, disbandment and amalgation dates for all these units... an ardeas task.

SAMS Unit identification insignia - PF
Surgeon General HQ
SAMS Training Centre
Central Medical Stores
Sentrale Artsenymagasyn
Military Medical Institute (was previously Institute for Aviation Medicine)
1 Military Hospital Voortrekkerhoogte Pretoria
2 Military Hospital - Wynberg Cape Town
3 Military Hospital - Tempe Bloemfontein
Western Province Command Medical Detachment
Eastern Province Command Medical Detachment
Natal Command Medical Detachment
Orange Free State Command Medical Detachment
North Western Command Medical Detachment
Northern Transvaal Command Medical Detachment
Wiwatersrand Command Medical Detachment
South West Africa Command Medical Detachment
Southern Cape Command Medical Detachment


SAMS Unit Designation - CF
1 Field Ambulance - Transvaal
3 Field Ambulance - Western Cape
4 Field Ambulance - Free State
5 Field Ambulance
9 Field Ambulance
10 Field Ambulance
12 Field Ambulance - Port Elizabeth
13 Field Ambulance - Vereniging
14 Field Ambulance
15 Field Ambulance (was 4 MH)
16 Field Ambulance (was 5 MH)
17 Field Ambulance - Natal (was 21 FDS)
18 Field Ambulance (was 19 FDS)
19 Field Ambulance (was 17 FDS)
20 Field Ambulance - Cape Town (was 23 FDS)
81 Field Ambulance

6 Field Hospital (was 9 FMH)
7 Field Hospital (was 7 FMH)
8 Field Hospital (was 8 FMH)

31 Mobile Hospital (was 31 CCS)
33 Mobile Hospital (was 33 CCS)
34 Mobile Hospital (was 34 CCS)

25 Field Hygiene Company - Pretoria (was 15 FHC)

Medical Evacuation Unit (was 6 MH)
Mediese Afvoer Eenheid (was 6 MH)

Note: The lucite flashes that come on to the market are not all Field ambulances as collectors have assumed over the years. From the official list above there were only 16 FA's in 1971.

If you have anything to add or any official documentation to share, please keep me in mind.

Just one more thing re. your SA book. The TMSC badge appears to be an officers silver and enamel badge. Very nice and one I have been very keen to add to my collection. Would you be able to send me a more detailed picture of this badge (both obverse and reserve please)

Regards
Steven