From the time of the introduction of the standing army by Charles 11, a very basic medical service was provided
comprising a Regimental Surgeon and his assistant, with the regiment providing the hospital. This was improved
up to and including the Napoleonic Wars. Following Waterloo the hard learnt lessons were forgotten and the medical
services went into decline with catastrophic consequences in the Crimea. The resulting public outcry lead to the setting
up of a Royal Commission which reported over 1854 -
Medical Services.
The first real stern trial was the Boer War where the Corps had some 22,000 wounded and over 74,000 sick (mainly dysentery and typhoid) to deal with. The lessons of the Boer War were not forgotten and the outbreak of the Great War
saw the RAMC supported by the Empire medical services deal with over 2.5 million casualties and 6 million cases of sickness.
Since 1945 there has been no major conflict but the Army has been committed in
many theatres from Korea to the Gulf/Iraq and latterly Afghanistan.
The Second World War provided the RAMC with its sternest challenge, having
to provide a service world wide. Hostilities lasted 71 months and over 5 million
cases were treated and 1,000 medical units mobilised.
The Army Medical Services comprise the Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Army Dental
Corps, Queen Alexandra’ s Royal Army Nursing Service and the Royal Army Veterinary
Corps. The AMS Museum tells the story of the Army Medical Services and the contribution
that the Army has made in the history of medical, veterinary, dental and nursing
sciences through realistic life sized dioramas and displays artifacts and memorabilia,
which are enhanced with audio-
There are a few records of WW1 medical units , other than war diaries, held in MH106 at the National Archives.
Army Medical Services Museum�
Keogh Barracks
Ash Vale, Nr Aldershot
Hants
