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Background information
This is where all the injured soldiers would go to after the long haul of find them in no mans-land. They will be cleaned, taken care of but will be given a little amount of medical care. After this, they will be taken to the field ambulance and dressing station. This is in the Battle of Arras and was taken in the year 1917. 1 Describe key features. One key feature of the Regimental Aid Post was its dangerous location, right behind the front line. It was around 100 meters back from the front line. The patients were not always safe due to the location and the shell firing. For this reason, patients were not kept long at the RAP. The second key feature was the limited amount of medical treatment it provided. It had 1 medical officer, 30 orderlies and stretcher bearers would provide a small amount of help such as bandaging. Those who could returned to the fighting, and those who needed further attention would be sent on for more sophisticated treatment. |
2a How useful is the photograph for an enquiry into the role of the RAP?
Source A is partially useful for an enquiry into the role of a Regimental Aid Post. We can see that this particular RAP was in an abandoned building, which was often the case. Furthermore, we can see that some of the men here are only lightly wounded, and might return to the fighting, whilst others, like the man with the Thomas Splint, look like they have more serious injuries and will be sent on for further treatment. This was true, as the staff at the RAP were not expert doctors. Despite this, it is typical that by 1917, a Thomas Split could be fitted at an RAP, as all regimental medical officers were taught how to use it. This photograph shows men injured at the Battle of Arras, and accurately depicts the drier, chalky terrain typical of this area.
However, the utility of this source is also limited. For example, the photograph was taken in 1917 during the Battle of Arras, and therefore does not show a typical scene, but the situation during a major battle. Furthermore, these men generally look in good spirits, and not too much pain, which suggests that the image might have been set up as a propaganda image, or at least does not show a typical scene of men in pain or anguish. Furthermore, we can’t see any orderlies or medical staff, and the source therefore limits the amount we can learn about the number or role of staff present at the RAP.
2a How useful is the photograph for an enquiry into the role of the RAP?
Source A is partially useful for an enquiry into the role of a Regimental Aid Post. We can see that this particular RAP was in an abandoned building, which was often the case. Furthermore, we can see that some of the men here are only lightly wounded, and might return to the fighting, whilst others, like the man with the Thomas Splint, look like they have more serious injuries and will be sent on for further treatment. This was true, as the staff at the RAP were not expert doctors. Despite this, it is typical that by 1917, a Thomas Split could be fitted at an RAP, as all regimental medical officers were taught how to use it. This photograph shows men injured at the Battle of Arras, and accurately depicts the drier, chalky terrain typical of this area.
However, the utility of this source is also limited. For example, the photograph was taken in 1917 during the Battle of Arras, and therefore does not show a typical scene, but the situation during a major battle. Furthermore, these men generally look in good spirits, and not too much pain, which suggests that the image might have been set up as a propaganda image, or at least does not show a typical scene of men in pain or anguish. Furthermore, we can’t see any orderlies or medical staff, and the source therefore limits the amount we can learn about the number or role of staff present at the RAP.