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Doc · 29 January 2003, 09:13 PM

To DavidErrol-- Thanks for the E-Bay reference. Interesting picture. It is definitely 1920 or later, and probably 1921 or later, as the first DH-4 conversion to an ambulance was only requested in Dec 1919, approved in Jan 1920, and tested at Mitchel Field in Aug 1920. Wish I could see the tail number on this one. Interestingly, this conversion was both in one-litter and two-litter configurations, and was eventually used by both the Army and the Navy.

To Hugh Halliday-- Thanks so much for the reference. That is one I have not found in my research, and it is appreciated very much. Of course, as you all know, "firsts" are highly debateable, and are often colored by national pride. The Europeans never talked about the US experience during WWI in this arena, and for years afterward continually both the French and the British claimed they were the "first". Sporadic, non-organised use of aircraft in an ambulance (more often a rescue) role was reported in contemporary reports (See Flight and Aircraft Engineer, 17 Jan 1918, p.75 and 14 Mar 1918, p.287), but there was no real planned use, so far as I can tell. During the Riff campaign (after Jan 1918), the French did start instituting organised medevac services, so I think the documentation is clear that they beat the Brits, at least as comparing "Z" force and the Rif Campaign. I have not heard of the Lascelles conversion in Egypt, so now I have to do some more research. Thanks for the assistance.

29 January 2003, 09:13 PM	#6
Doc Forum Ace Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Sitka, Alaska, USA Posts: 1,126	To DavidErrol-- Thanks for the E-Bay reference. Interesting picture. It is definitely 1920 or later, and probably 1921 or later, as the first DH-4 conversion to an ambulance was only requested in Dec 1919, approved in Jan 1920, and tested at Mitchel Field in Aug 1920. Wish I could see the tail number on this one. Interestingly, this conversion was both in one-litter and two-litter configurations, and was eventually used by both the Army and the Navy. To Hugh Halliday-- Thanks so much for the reference. That is one I have not found in my research, and it is appreciated very much. Of course, as you all know, "firsts" are highly debateable, and are often colored by national pride. The Europeans never talked about the US experience during WWI in this arena, and for years afterward continually both the French and the British claimed they were the "first". Sporadic, non-organised use of aircraft in an ambulance (more often a rescue) role was reported in contemporary reports (See Flight and Aircraft Engineer, 17 Jan 1918, p.75 and 14 Mar 1918, p.287), but there was no real planned use, so far as I can tell. During the Riff campaign (after Jan 1918), the French did start instituting organised medevac services, so I think the documentation is clear that they beat the Brits, at least as comparing "Z" force and the Rif Campaign. I have not heard of the Lascelles conversion in Egypt, so now I have to do some more research. Thanks for the assistance. __________________ "Don't think of organ donation as giving up part of yourself to keep total strangers alive. Think of it as total strangers giving up most of themselves to keep parts of you alive. "