Field medical pannier, canvas with leather and metal fittings, interior compartments, contents include glass bottles, items of surgical equipment, drugs, and wound tag book, by G.A. Pinson of Willenhall, English, 1910 to 1914
Bearer's dressing case, canvas, with contents, English, 1900 to 1914
During a battle, the role of stretcher bearers was to locate and then remove the wounded from the battlefield. They often carried canvas rolls of instruments like this one to provide emergency first aid and apply dressings.
This kit is incomplete, but still contains pins, a large needle, a spatula, artery forceps and a roll of strong thread. Artery forceps are used to compress heavily bleeding arteries.
Book of wound tags, Army Book 166, English, 1900 to 1918
The First World War generated huge numbers of casualties and during a battle first aid posts and casualty clearing stations could be overwhelmed with men experiencing a huge range of injuries. But amid the chaos there were attempts to administer order when dealing with the wounded. These wound tags were part of the system whereby injured men were prioritised – a process known as triage. They would give information about which soldiers required emergency treatments, and which might be classed as the ‘walking wounded’. The tags would be attached to the uniforms of injured men and included vital information such as wound and treatment, name or serial number, rank and regiment.
It was essential to accurately record what treatment had already been given, especially when using morphine for pain relief as an overdose could be lethal.
Padlock for field medical pannier, canvas with leather and metal fittings, interior compartments, contents include glass bottles, items of surgical equipment, drugs, and wound tag book, by G.A. Pinson of Willenhall, English, 1910 to 1914
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