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