BACKGROUND

David Aiken was born on the 1^st November 1887 in Strabane Ireland. He married Enid Johnson in Murwillumbah in 1914, and, according to NSWBDM, had one son, James, born in Murwillumbah in 1915.

ATTESTATION

David completed his application on 1^st June 1918. He answered several questions on the document, and we find out he was a married man and was a medical practitioner. His next of kin was his Enid, of Coolangatta

 

David advised that he had spent 2 ½ years with the RAMCV as a private.

Royal Army Medical Corps Volunteers (sometimes referred to as the Volunteer Medical Service associated with the RAMC). This was a part-time volunteer military medical organization in Britain before the First World War, made up largely of doctors, medical students, and trained medical orderlies who received military medical instruction and could be called upon in time of war.

For a doctor, two years in the R.A.M.C.V. would suggest that before emigrating to Australia or before joining the AIF, he had already received some military medical training and experience. He would likely have been familiar with:

·      Army sanitation and hygiene.

·      Treatment of wounds and disease in military conditions.

·      Casualty evacuation procedures.

·      Field hospital organization.

·      Military discipline and administration.

This prior experience would have been highly valued by the AIF. Many medical officers entered Australian service already possessing training gained through British military medical organizations, which made them immediately useful when the AIF expanded after 1914.

 

Item number 14 on the attestation states- for married men, widowers with children and soldiers who are the sole support of widowed mother- do you understand that no separation allowance will be issued in respect of your service beyond an amount which together with pay would reach 8 shillings per day- David stated yes

 

David also agreed to allot three fifths of the pay payable to him from time to time during his service to the support of his wife

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MEDICAL EXAMINATION

David was 30 years 8 months old. He was 5ft 6 inches tall (1.68m) and weighed 154 lbs (70kgs). He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and reddish-brown hair. David was Presbyterian.

 

David was living at Coolangatta when he offered his services to the AIF. Unlike ordinary recruits, doctors were not simply accepted and then trained as soldiers. The Army first had to verify their medical qualifications, professional standing, age, experience and suitability for a commission. The fact that he was appointed a Captain on 9 May 1918, before completing his formal enlistment on 1 June, strongly suggests that correspondence and interviews had already taken place with military authorities. The appointment was effectively approved before the paperwork was finalized. Medical officers were commissioned officers from the outset and did not receive the lengthy recruit training undertaken by infantry reinforcements.

Between his enlistment on 1 June and embarkation aboard the Borda on 17 August 1918, David would almost certainly have been undergoing administrative processing and military orientation rather than conventional training. He may have attended instruction in military regulations, medical administration, record keeping, sanitation, gas precautions, evacuation procedures and the organization of the Australian Army Medical Corps. As a qualified doctor, the Army already trusted his professional skills; what he needed was an understanding of how medicine functioned within a military system.

LONDON SEPTEMBER 1918

After arriving in London on 27 September 1918, David was attached to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield the following day. Harefield Hospital was one of the principal Australian hospitals in Britain and served both as a treatment centre and as a place where newly arrived medical officers could become familiar with AIF medical procedures. During these weeks he would likely have worked alongside experienced Australian doctors, observed the treatment of wounded men returned from France, learned the administrative requirements of the AIF medical service, and gained practical insight into the flow of casualties from the front line through the evacuation chain. He may also have assisted in wards and operating theatres, as qualified medical officers were too valuable to leave idle.

FRANCE OCTOBER 1918

His movement to France via Folkestone on 15 October 1918 came at a remarkable moment in the war. The German offensives of spring 1918 had been defeated, and the Allied armies were advancing steadily during the Hundred Days Offensive. Although the Armistice was less than a month away, nobody could yet be certain when the fighting would end, and medical services remained under heavy pressure from battle casualties, disease and exhaustion among the troops.

POSTED TO 3^RD AUSTRALIAN GENERAL HOSPITAL OCTOBER 1918

The entry showing him posted on 16 October 1918 to the 3rd Australian General Hospital at Abbeville indicates that he was sent directly into the established Australian medical system in France. By this stage he had spent about three weeks in England becoming acquainted with AIF procedures before joining the medical services on the Western Front. For a newly arrived medical officer, this was a sensible progression: commission, orientation in England, attachment to an Australian hospital, and then service in France where his professional skills were most needed.

3^RD DIVISIONAL TRAIN OCTOBER 1918

By the end of October 1918, David's abilities as a medical officer had evidently been recognized, and on 30 October he was detached from his existing duties to serve with the 3rd Divisional Train, replacing Captain Yule as Medical Officer. The Divisional Train formed a vital part of the Australian Army's supply system, transporting food, ammunition, engineering stores and other essential supplies from railheads to the fighting units at the front. Despite the name, the formation consisted largely of horse-drawn transport and the men responsible for keeping supplies moving under often difficult conditions.

As Medical Officer, David's responsibilities extended well beyond treating illness and injury. He would have been charged with safeguarding the health of the unit through careful attention to sanitation, camp hygiene, disease prevention and the medical welfare of hundreds of soldiers. The work demanded both professional skill and administrative ability, particularly during the closing weeks of the war when the Allied advance was placing heavy demands on transport and supply services.

David assumed these duties during a remarkable period. Having arrived in France only weeks earlier, he was quickly entrusted with an independent appointment, a reflection of the Army's confidence in his professional experience. As the Australian Corps continued its advance toward the end of the war, officers such as David played an essential role in maintaining the health and efficiency of the troops who supported the fighting formations at the front.

WAR ENDED 11^th NOVEMBER 1918

The armistice that ended the First World War on the Western Front was signed between Germany and the Allies on 11 November 1918.

FOLLLOWING THE ARMISTICE

AUSTRALIAN CORPS SCHOOL FEBRUARY 1919

Following the Armistice, David continued to serve with the Australian medical services during the long process of demobilisation. On 26 February 1919 he was attached for duty to the Australian Corps School. Established to prepare soldiers for civilian life, the Corps School offered educational and vocational courses to men awaiting repatriation. As Medical Officer, David would have been responsible for the health and welfare of the staff and soldiers attending the school, ensuring that those awaiting discharge remained fit and medically supervised.

MARCH 1919- 11TH FIELD AMBULANCE

On 19 March 1919 he joined the 11th Field Ambulance from the 9th Field Ambulance. Although active fighting had ceased months earlier, the field ambulances remained busy caring for men suffering from the lingering effects of wounds, disease and the hardships of war. Medical units were also heavily involved in the administration of troops awaiting return to Australia. David's experience would have been invaluable during this period as the AIF gradually reduced its strength across France and Belgium.

AUSTRALIAN CORPS SCHOOL APRIL 1919

His association with the Australian Corps School resumed on 26 April 1919 when he was transferred back to that establishment. By now the focus of the Australian military effort had shifted almost entirely from warfare to repatriation, education and the orderly return of thousands of soldiers to civilian life.

PREPARING TO GO HOME

On 8 May 1919 David was informed that he would be returning to Australia, and five days later he was allotted to England as part of Quota 48, one of the many repatriation drafts organised for the journey home. He crossed the Channel and disembarked at Southampton on 14 May before proceeding to Codford, one of the principal Australian camps on Salisbury Plain. Codford had become a major centre for soldiers awaiting transport back to Australia, medical assessment and final administrative processing.

LEAVE JUNE TO AUGUST 1919

David's own health now appears to have required attention. On 10 June 1919 he was granted leave from 17 May until 17 August with full pay and subsistence on medical grounds, classified as Medical Category ID2. During this period, he gave his address as care of the College of Surgeons in Edinburgh. Whether undertaking professional study, consulting colleagues, or receiving specialist medical advice, the leave allowed him several months away from military duties while remaining under Army authority.

GOING HOME SEPTEMBER 1919

Following the completion of his leave, David's return to Australia was arranged. Soon after getting back, he embarked aboard the Port Sydney for the long voyage home arriving home on the 21^st September 1919. Like many AIF officers, he had remained overseas well after the fighting ended, helping care for Australia's soldiers during the difficult transition from war to peace.

STRUCK OFF STRENGTH SEPTEMBER 1919

On 30 September 1919 he was struck off the strength of the Australian Imperial Force overseas establishment, formally ending his overseas service. His military career had been comparatively brief, spanning little more than a year, yet during that time he had crossed half the world to serve as a medical officer during the final months of the Great War and the challenging period of demobilisation that followed. While he arrived too late to witness the worst of the fighting, his work caring for Australian soldiers and supporting their return to civilian life formed an important part of the AIF's final chapter.

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service David was awarded the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the St Andrews Presbyterian Church Honour Roll and Plaque, Murwillumbah

AFTER THE WAR

In 1926 David was President of the Returned Soldiers Tennis Tournament Committee held at Murwillumbah in September

In 1938 David was the Government Officer in Murwillumbah

According to a stat dec signed in 1963 David left Murwillumbah in 1939. In 1963 David was either living or practising in Potts Point. He was a surgeon and his qualifications were M.D Edin. Uni F.R.C.S

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