Rescue Section Equipment- Part Three – The “First Aid Pouch”.

 Rescue Section Equipment- Part Three

The “First Aid Pouch”.

The first thing to say is that the First Aid “pouch” is actually a haversack. It is worn with its carrying strap slung over the top of the Manpack so it hangs underneath (see below).

Left, Mark II manpack , Right, earlier Mark I manpack 

From “Civil Defence Handbook No. 7 - Rescue” (1960).

 

 The list of First Aid “pouch” contents from

“Civil Defence Handbook No. 7 -  Rescue” (1960 edition).

 

The "Pouch".

As stated above, the First Aid “pouch” is actually a webbing haversack (or in army terms, a small pack). with a with a shoulder strap attached.

 

Bandages, triangular - x 4

Standard cotton triangular bandages for use as slings and folded in various ways, as bandages. These were made either by various manufacturers and the local authority of  each CDC division either bought them direct from the producer or could buy them from  Home Office central suppliers.

 

Bottle, water - filled

A 1944 pattern British army aluminium water bottle (minus its cup) holding two pints (1.14 litres) of water. For drinking and washing.

 

Mine Dressings - 4 x Large and 4 x Small

 

Mine dressings are what we would call sterile first aid dressings today, a package with a sterile bandage and attached lint pad. Again, these were made either by various manufacturers and the local authority of  each CDC division either bought them direct from the producer or could buy them from  Home Office central suppliers.

 

Labels, Blank - 1 packet

For labelling casualties with their name (if known), the location where they were found, the time that any tourniquet was applied, if they might have been expose to chemical, gas or radiological substances etc..  Note in my copy of the manual, the casualty label heading has crossed out and replaced with the words " blank labels".  Also, unlike the Ambulance section’s first aid haversacks, there is no pencil included to write the details on the labels.

 

Pins, Safety - 2 cards

Safety pins of various sizes for fastening dressing and clothing and making improvised stretchers using blankets and poles.

 

Scissors, with lanyard

For cutting dressing and clothing. Attached to a lanyard so they don’t get left behind.

 

Tourniquet cane

A short stick, six inches (15cm) long, fFor tightening a bandage to use it as a tourniquet by twisting the stick.

 

Salts, smelling.

A small bottle of smelling salts (ammoniun carbonate crystals). Used on unconscious or fainted casualties “to bring them round.

 

Sources:

Civil Defence - The Fourth Arm magazine Vol.8 No.s 5 & 6 Double issue (May/June 1956).

Civil Defence Handbook No. 7 -  Rescue (1960 edition) with updated inserts about the Mark II manpack glued in on relevant pages.

Other Photographs for author's own collection

 

Rescue Section Equipment- Part Two - The Manpack

 Rescue Section Equipment

Part Two - The Manpack.

Left, Mark II manpack , Right, earlier Mark I manpack from

“Civil Defence Handbook No. 7 -  Rescue” (1960 edition).

 

The first Civil Defence Corps manpacks of equipment were issued in the Summer of 1956. They allowed CD Rescue teams to carry the hand tools they needed to places they could only access on foot. At first, the Civil Defence Corps used existing army “large packs”  as containers for tools. The tools carried in the MKI pack were the same as the MKII. From 1960 onwards, the new specifically designed Mark II manpack was issued to Rescue team members. The design of the new fold-out pack meant that the tools were far easier to access, especially in the field.

 

CDC Manpack Mark II rear, showing straps (left) & front (right).

 

Manpack Mark II opened up, top, illustration pasted into my 1960 Rescue Manual & bottom, my manpack (dated 1963).

 

 

The list of Mark II manpack contents from

“Civil Defence Handbook No. 7 -  Rescue” (1960 edition).

 

Auger, eyed, 1 in.

 

A scotch (or eyed) auger with a one inch bit. You put a bar or strong stick through the eye to turn the auger. It was to be used to drill though beams to allow ropes or cables to be passed through. It could also be used to make an eye-hole to see what lay beyond an obstacle.

 

Bands, webbing (1 long, 1 short)

 

The upper band in the picture is folded to fit the frame and is nearly twicw as long as the lower one. These were designed as a flexible system for removing casualties from places where it was difficult to gain access with a standard stretcher. It required two sets off webbing bands held by four people as shown in this illustration from the Rescue manual.

 Bar, wrecking.

 

A common wrecking bar for use as a lever or pulling nails etc.

 

Blanket.

 

Primarily for use for casualties, the heavy woollen blanket could also be used as padding when lying on rubble etc.

 

Bond, wire

 

1/4 inch (6mm) diameter wire cable with a loop on one end. To be used to bind beams or planks together to make a thicker beam. In several applications, it has the big advantage of being resistant to being cut by broken glass or metal fragments.

 

Chisel, 12 in, cold.

 

A heavy duty chisel for cutting through brickwork or metal.  Note that in the original list from the manual, this is an 8 inch chisel but in the kit list appendix in my copy of the same manual, this has been crossed out and changed to a 12 inch chisel.,

 

Entrenching tool and handle.

 

The standard British army entrenching tool. With the head on the handle, it can be used as a pick or mattock. The head, on its own, can be used as a spade and is especially handy in confined spaces.

 

Hammer, club, 2 ½ lb.

 

A 2 ½ pound (1.1 Kg)  lump hammer to provide a percussive incentive to anything that may need it during Rescue work.

 

Lashings 40 ft.

 

A 40 foot long hank of 1 ½ inch diameter rope (capable of carrying 250lbs/113 kgs). To be used for lowering casualties, securing them in a stretcher etc.

 

Pliers, side cutting

 

Used for extra grip and wire cutting – insulated handle to prevent electrocution should the wire prove to be live.

 

Saw, general purpose with additional blade.

 

A saw with a double edged blade. It has a ripsaw blade on the bottom edge and a finer toothed blade on the top one. It can be used for cutting timber or thin metal.

 

Additional Equipment carried by Rescue team members.

In addition to carrying their belt equipment (see part one), their manpack and their “First Aid Pouch” (to be covered in the future part three), seven of the eight-man team carried a .further item in their hands.  This is the list from the manual:

The team leader does not carry an extra piece of kit, presumably because he might be carrying a map or needing to write and so on.  My copy of the Rescue manual had a note scribbled next to the Team Leader line on the list of kit saying “Why not!!!”

 

The total weight carried.

The total weight of belt equipment, manpack & first aid pouch is 40lbs 6.5 oz (18.4 kgs) without the hand held item (see above)..

 

Sources:

Civil Defence - The Fourth Arm magazine Vol.8 No.s 5 & 6 Double issue (May/June 1956).

Civil Defence Handbook No. 7 -  Rescue (1960 edition) with updated inserts about the Mark II manpack glued in on relevant pages.

Other Photographs for author's own collection