Casualty Clearing Stations

27th and 40th CCS

The Casualty Clearing stations were set up as part of the casualty evacuation line. The evacuation line started at the front where stretcher bearers would bring casualties to the Regimental aid posts or the Field Ambulances, from there they would move on to the Casualty Clearing Stations and finally the General Hospitals. The role of the Casualty Clearing Station was to treat a man sufficiently to return to his unit or to enable him to be evacuated to a Base Hospital for further treatment.

The standard establishment for a CCS in 1914 was 11 officers (including 3 chaplains), 15 NCOs, 71 other ranks and a minimum 5 nursing sisters; these numbers could be increased as required. They also had three 3 ton lorries and 6 ASC drivers. The Casualty Clearing Station was set up to treat 200 wounded, however on the western front some CCSs were expanded to treat between 500 and 1000 wounded men.

Through the summer of 1917 and into the spring of 1918 an officer of the 801st made regular inspection of the vehicles of the 27th and 40th Casualty Clearing Stations. At the time, the 27th C.C.S. was located at Lahana on the Seres road and the 40th C.C.S was located at Kilo 71 in the Struma valley, these were the only CCSs in the XVI Corps area.

The image is of a Casualty Clearing Station near the Doiran front, there were 3 CCSs in the XII Corps area; 25th based at Guvesne, 28th at Karasouli and 31st at Janes, a further CCS (35th) was located nearer to Salonika at Sarigol.