55 Field Surgical Team RAMC
Extracts from the RAF Station Commander’s
Operational Record Book
1975
January 1975
Battle surgery for the month consisted of 24 primary and 17 secondary procedures.
There were 2 BID and NIL post op deaths
February 1975
Battle surgery for the month consisted of 11 primary and 4 secondary procedures. There were 10 brought in dead and one post operative death
March 1975
Battle surgery for the month consisted of 5 primary and 12 secondary procedures.
There were 9 BID and 1 post operative death.
April 1975
Battle surgery for the month consisted of a primary and 9 secondary procedures.
There were 5 BID and NIL post operative deaths
May 1975
Battle surgery for the month consisted of 7 primary and 3 secondary procedures.
There was one BID and 1 post operative death
June 1975
Battle surgery for the month consisted of 6 primary and 5 secondary procedures
There was one BID and no post operative deaths
July 1975
Battle surgery for the month consisted of 6 primary and 8 secondary procedures.
There were 3 BID and 1 post operative death.
Sgt *******, Sgts Mess Manager, was admitted to the FST suffering from apparent nervous exhaustion.
Hygiene
The station hygiene problems are reasonably well under control. The only matter outstanding is the future of building 26 which remains a health hazard
August 1975
Battle surgery for the month consisted of 10 primary and 7 secondary procedures.
There were 4 BID and no post operative deaths
Hygiene
Sgt Burns the Gulf Hygienist visited Manston for 2 days in August.
October 1975
Battle surgery for the month consisted of 20 primary and 13 secondary procedures.
There were 2 BID and one post operative death
Hygiene
Sgt Burns, the Gulf Hygienist visited the station from 1 to 9 October, and 25 to 31 October.
The hygiene problems on the station were under satisfactory control at present
November 1975
Battle surgery for the month consisted of 112 primary and 30 secondary procedures.
There were 8 BID and 2 Deaths from other causes.
(Operation Hadaf by the Frontier Force cleared the treeline on the north side of the Wadi Sayq and captured the Shershiti caves. The Dara Ridge ‘Operation Hilwah’ was then cleared and so the rebels no longer had any territory in their control)
December 1975
Battle surgery for the month consisted of 10 primary and 13 secondary procedures.
There was one BID and 2 deaths from other causes.
Flt Lt Lewer OC D MED Akrotiri visited FST from 2-6 December
( The rebels might very well no longer be in control of any acerage but they were still active and it was not until 1977 that the last FST left Salalah. It is perhaps instructional to look at these extracts from the ORBs F540 and then at the details of what the last FST was engaged in; they were by no means idle and appear to have gone out of their way to find work. These ORBs only skim the surface of the FSTs activities. It is a pity that no details are available from the other FSTs)
