This week my blog is focused on a Belgian doctor, I was lucky to meet his son Jack several times when I was doing research in 2008 and 2009 for my dissertation on the Belgian shot a dawns.
This week Sabine’s battlefield guide Saturday is about a Belgian doctor
Dr.Albert De Moor and the CAAB
on 31.07.1914 dr. Albert De Moor was asked to take charge of the ‘Colonne Automobile d’Ambulances et Brancard’ of the 2nd army division. a motorized unit. due to a lack of vehicles, they had to be requisitioned from the civilian population. before the war, the emphasis was mainly on the use of railways and horse-drawn ambulances to evacuate. the Belgian army and the red cross were therefore not prepared to evacuate wounded soldiers during fighting. During mobilization, attempts were made to rectify this serious error of assessment. several of the CAABs of other army divisions were slow. Dr Munro’s flying ambulance corps regularly came to the rescue. In the 2nd army division there were 82 doctors, but there was no manual on the use of motorized ambulances. In the end there were 75 vehicles of which 36 were for sitting wounded and 24 for lying down transport. Very quickly it becomes clear that CAAB is held up by being part of the 6th Transport Company with its long column of slow moving trucks and they are also far too far from the fighting army. Dr. De Moor asked to be allowed to split off, on 14 August his request was granted and so he came under the direct command of the headquarters of the 2nd Division. He got 60 vehicles limousines and torpedoes but no vehicles for lying wounded nor trucks to transport stretchers, on 19 August he had 7 doctors, 60 drivers and 2 mechanics. (a torpedo is a sports car with a canvas roof that can be folded down)
On 11 October, the column arrived in Pervijze at 8 p.m. They were given a warm welcome by the villagers. The next day, they headed for Veurne. On 16 October, De Moor set up his aid posts in Nieuwpoort, St. Joris and Rampskapelle, ready to go into action in what would later become known as ‘the battle of the ijzer’. On 18 October: first intervention of the British fleet, the column evacuated 40 wounded, next day 200 wounded were evacuated in the sector Nieuwpoort-Lombardsijde. the ambulances transported wounded French ‘fusiliers marins’ to the station of Veurne, where they were evacuated by the sanitary train. Tuesday 20 October during the day 50 wounded are picked up. the 42 French infantry division with general Grosetti as commander are welcomed with enthusiasm. at 18 o’clock king Albert inspects the troops.
21.10.1914 more French troops arrive, enormous shelling over the frontline, from 18h on ambulances constantly drove back and forth between the aid posts, all night, 300 wounded were taken away.
Veurne was the last town in Belgium not to be occupied. King Albert set up his military headquarters here. countless injured people were brought in from the Yser Front. The Episcopal College served as an improvised hospital from 22 October 1914 onwards. Through the red abbey door, ambulances brought in the wounded every ten minutes. The beds in the large hall were quickly filled. Nurses had to receive patients in the adjoining classrooms, which they provided with straw. The courtyard, filled with wounded soldiers.
On the 24th of October dr. Hertoghe writes the following : lunch at the headquarters of the French division, ‘ (ontvangen als een hond in een kegelspel) as a disturbing and unwelcome element by general Grosetti and his ‘ etat- major’. In Oostduinkerke, I meet the divisional doctor of the 42nd French Infantry Division. He has a request regarding the transport of the wounded by his towed ambulances, I send two fire engines to the aid station of the 6th line. We now have to work for the 1 and 3 Army Division and for the French Division.
Dr. De Moor writes the following on that day : The fighting was even more intense than the day before; the soldiers were exhausted, under constant fire, not being relieved and continuing to resist, with many wounded as a result. About 500 were taken away by ambulances.
Dr. de Moor and his deputy Flameng were mentioned on the army’s daily order of 29 October 1914, both were honored with the cross of knight of the French ‘légion d’Honneur’.
sources : Dokter Albert De Moor by Jack De moor, eoswetenschap.eu