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1 Describe key features.
One key feature of Casualty Clearing Station was its safe location. The casualty clearing station was approximately 7 to 12 miles away from the front line. This means that the soldiers could be treated without any risk of shell fire or additional injuries. A second key feature of the Casualty Clearing Station was that it was well-equipped. For example the CCS had access to operating theatres, x-ray machines and extra accommodation for the staff. This meant that there was enough space and adequate facilities for people to be treated effectively and for doctors and nurses to sleep on site to ensure the staff were on hand for emergencies. |
2a Utility
Source A is partially useful for an enquiry into the role of a Casualty Clearing Station. For example you can see that the CCS is not a permanent building but a tented encampment, which was often the case. Furthermore, as it is a photograph we can clearly see how the tents were laid out in an organised manner. In the background a larger tent is visible, as CCSs could often hold up to 1000 casualties and needed to be very large.
However, its utility is also limited. For example, we cannot see many people, only one soldier, whose injuries are not visible, and who is not currently being treated. As such, we cannot tell what treatment he is receiving, or that there would be around seven trained doctors with a team of nursing and other staff to support them. Neither can we see that the CCS was well-equipped with a range of facilities such as mobile x-ray machines or toilet blocks. Despite this being taken during the Battle of the Somme, in which over 60,000 allied soldiers were injured or killed on the first day alone, the CCS appears to be very empty, which is not reflective of the reality of a CCS under pressure. As this is a photograph, we can only see one location at one moment, which doesn’t give us a typical scene to assess for this enquiry.
Source A is partially useful for an enquiry into the role of a Casualty Clearing Station. For example you can see that the CCS is not a permanent building but a tented encampment, which was often the case. Furthermore, as it is a photograph we can clearly see how the tents were laid out in an organised manner. In the background a larger tent is visible, as CCSs could often hold up to 1000 casualties and needed to be very large.
However, its utility is also limited. For example, we cannot see many people, only one soldier, whose injuries are not visible, and who is not currently being treated. As such, we cannot tell what treatment he is receiving, or that there would be around seven trained doctors with a team of nursing and other staff to support them. Neither can we see that the CCS was well-equipped with a range of facilities such as mobile x-ray machines or toilet blocks. Despite this being taken during the Battle of the Somme, in which over 60,000 allied soldiers were injured or killed on the first day alone, the CCS appears to be very empty, which is not reflective of the reality of a CCS under pressure. As this is a photograph, we can only see one location at one moment, which doesn’t give us a typical scene to assess for this enquiry.