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47
LONDON AMBULANCE SERVICE
The year 1945, bringing with it the end of the war, saw the disbandment of the
London Auxiliary Ambulance Service and the reorientation of policy and organisation
to meet the needs of peace-time conditions. The transition from war to peace is as
great an upheaval as from peace to war, and the latter half of 1945 was concerned
mainly with clearing up the aftermath of the exceptional conditions which obtained
during the war years. Such matters included derequisitioning of premises, war
damage claims, accounting for and disposal of civil defence uniforms, equipment
and vehicles. At the same time new lines of policy, made possible by the termination
of hostilities, were introduced. In addition, certain war-time legacies such as provision
of transport for the Emergency Medical Service, conveyance of disabled
war patients, both ex-Service and others, in need of hospital treatment, and duties
in connection with the Hospital Car Service, the lineal successor of the Volunteer
Car Pool, have devolved upon the peace-time service.
The early part of 1945 saw the intensification of long-range rocket attacks on
this country. The number of casualties conveyed to hospital and first-aid posts
in the first three months of 1945 as compared with the last three months of 1944 was
as follows:—
1944 October—December 1,734
1945 January—March 2,878*
* 27th March, 1946, was the last day on which casualties were recorded.
The highest daily number of patients conveyed to hospitals and first-aid posts as a
result of V.2 attacks was 260, on 8th March, 1945.
Auxiliary ambulance station 126 (Christ College, St. German's Place, Blackheath,
S.E.3) and "G" (Poplar) accident station were extensively damaged by long-range
rockets on 2nd January, 1945, and 7th March, 1945, respectively, but it was not
found necessary to evacuate the stations, both of which remained in commission.
The end of the war in Europe, in 1945, brought disbandment of the Civil Defence
Services, including the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service, which for administrative
purposes had been linked to the Council's peace-time ambulance service. The
cordial relationship with the London civil defence regional headquarters and
metropolitan boroughs, which had operational control in raids, greatly assisted in the
smooth working of the civil defence organisation.
The maximum strength of the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service at any one
time was some 8,500 persons, and it is estimated that the approximate total number
of personnel who served in the Auxiliary Service during the war period was in the
region of 16,500. The maximum number of vehicles in commission was 900 ambulances
and over 700 ambulance cars, while 112 auxiliary ambulance stations were in
operation during the peak period of the Auxiliary Service's existence.
The London Auxiliary Ambulance Service may be regarded as an outstanding
development of a peace-time service for war-time needs. The peace-time organisation
was utilised as a basis for the creation of the Auxiliary Service to deal with
air-raid casualties. The peace-time general ambulance stations with their
superintendents and staff were made the basis of the local organisation of the
Auxiliary Service, the superintendents being in general charge of the administration
of the auxiliary stations and dealing with all questions of personnel, equipment,
vehicles, premises, etc. Each auxiliary station was thus attached for administrative
purposes to a general section ambulance station; a station officer of the regular
service was responsible for supervising a group of auxiliary stations and was the
liaison officer between the auxiliary staff and the superintendents and gave general
help and advice in running the auxiliary stations. Each auxiliary station was under
the direction of an auxiliary station officer, who was assisted by a deputy and two
shift leaders. The shift system of the auxiliary staff was on the basis of 24 hours
on duty and 24 hours off duty. Comprehensive training, including instruction in
first-aid and in air-raid precautions, including anti-gas training, was given to all