Medical Evacuation Chain - World War 1 - Casualty Clearing Station

The casualty clearing station (CCS) was a small hospital generally located around a vital communication hub, such as a railway junction that received wounded from the field ambulances. Casualty clearing stations were typically 15 to 25 km behind the main dressing station. A trip from the front to a casualty clearing station would have taken about 8 to 10 hours. Each CCS acted as: a hospital; an evacuation centre; and a 'sieve' that helped soldiers with minor wounds return to duty quickly. The CCS operated surgical theatres and wards, where wounded soldiers could be treated before being moved to the next phase of the medical evacuation chain. A casualty clearing station typically had: 8 officers and 78 other ranks from the Australian Army Medical Corps and 5 to 15 nurses from the Australian Army Nursing Service. The casualty clearing stations performed triage on patients to assess the severity of their wounds. They delivered interim treatment for patients with minor wounds or those afflicted by gas warfare. The CCS performed resuscitation, operations, and after-treatment care for patients with severe wounds before moving these patients further down the medical evacuation chain