Correspondence relating to Wilfrid Wanostrocht Giblin, 1915 - Part 8

COPY.   Ref.No. 1720/15.  
MINUTE.

Surgeon General Williams, C.B.

I am directed by the High Commissioner to inform
you that the War Office having concurred of Colonel
Fetherston's recommendation for the following appointments
in the Australian Medical Service, Australian Imperial Force,
Sir George Reid provisionally approves and desires that
the Officers should take up their duties as from Monday
the 22nd instant:
Sir Alfred Keogh has been informed and it is
understood he will take the necessary action of notifying
the several commands:-
Surgeon General W.D.C. Williams, C.B., to be D.D.M.S.,
A.A.M.S., in England.
Lieut. Colonel Giblin to be A.D.M.S., A.A.M.S., in England.
Lieut. Colonel Norris to be A.D.M.S. in England.
Lieut. Colonel Hayward to be O.C. Australian Auxiliary 

Hospital, Harefield.
Captain Smeal to be Registrar, Australian Auxiliary
Hospital, Harefield.
Lieut. Colonel Flashman to be transferred to No. 3
London General Hospital, Wandsworth.
Major Cameron to be transferred from No. 3 London General 
Hospital to Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield.
Matron McHardy White to be Principal Matron, A.A.M.S.,
in England.

(Sgd.)  R. MUIRHEAD COLLINS.
19/11/15

HIGH COMMISSIONER 
FOR AUSTRALIA Reference No.
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA,
HIGH COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE.
MINUTE PAPER.
Subject
Lieut. Colonel Giblin,

I am directed by the High Commissioner to
inform you that the War Office has approved of your
appointment to be A.D.M.S., A.A.M.S., in England, and
the High Commissioner provisionally appoints, pending
confirmation by the Commonwealth Government.
Your duties should be taken up as from Monday
next, the 22nd instant.
R Muirhead Collins
19/11/1915.

COPY

Mudros,
Boxing Day.
Dear Colonel,
Your late unit is here, with
a personnel of 63 men and 6 officers, four of whom
are attached. I am in command with a temporary
majority, and the faithful Boddam, now a Captain,
is the only other of the old stagers left, that is
among the officers.
Aspinall, Morgan, Remington and
old Daniel Keyne have all been away sick for some
time, but we still have Johnston, Westwood, Paton,
Barrett, Bechett, McRae and a few others of the
old lot.
You probably know as much of
the late developments as we do, and that the 1st.
A.C.C.S. had the honour of being chosen to stay
to the finish, and to stop behind and risk annihilation
if the casualties justified it. This
fortunately was not required of us, so instead of
being limelightvheroes we are just common ordinary
runaways.
I was S.M.O., Anzac for a glorious
36 hours and had much intercourse with Generals
and bloods of all sorts. It was, however,
so well run and organized that it was a tame show,
and all I had to do was to sit at the receipt of
custom and receive and deal out orders and generally
to bolt with the rest of them. 

2. continued.
I had a barge reserved for our
unit on which I was to take all casualties if
we had the luck to get off, and you would have
laughed when we drew up alongside the hospital
ship. The Staff of it were all prepared for
a furious night's work, and when I boarded and
told them we had one casualty, and man who
had had his ankle run over by a mule cart on the 
beach, they nearly had a fit.
So all my men had a bath, beds
and hot bovril, a 10. 30 breakfast next morning
and were made much of. It certainly seemed
rather hard luck in the Medical organization,
that after having made most extensive preparations
for casualties, - probably the only time
adequate provision has been made - they should
not have had a chance of showing how well they
had done it.
We had, stored in our Hospital
area, thirty days rations for close on one thousand
sick, also water, fuel and lighting in proportion.
So what with six mules, three mule
carts and fodder, we could have looked after
our wounded for close on a month, without asking
any assistance from our captors.
Gardner Gordon was transferred for duty
in Egypt a week before the stunt, dropping his 
temporary Lieut-Colonelcy.  It seemed very hard
luck after he had held it long, and had stuck to
the unit so well, even through the bad spell of
weather.
We are now a unit minus most of
our personal kit, and all our stores and equipment. 

What

3  continued
What they will do with us now I
don't know, and it would be a shame I think to
break up the one and only clearing station, with 
its unbroken record on the beach.

Forwarding copy of letter Minute
received last night from DMS
I also enclose copies of Sherwins
(submission ) for disposal of wou sick &
wounded submitted on August 8^th
& letter of same date to Command
[[??]] Anzac
I beg to submit that the
question opened up is a very
huge one and ought to be dealt
with by an officer holding the
rank & position of DDMS who
could devote his whole time to
the matter. While willing to do
all in my power to assist
I feel that undue responsibility
is being placed upon men
holding the position I do &
without adequate help assistance