Fourth Field Ambulance.

The Fourth Brigade was composed of the 13th Battalion (N.S.W.), 14th
(Victoria), 15th (Queensland) and 16th (Western Australia)--commanded
respectively by Lieutenant-Colonel Burnage, Lieutenant-Colonel
Courtnay, Lieutenant-Colonel Cannon and Lieutenant-Colonel Pope. The
Brigade was in charge of Colonel Monash, V.D., with Lieutenant-Colonel
McGlinn as his Brigade Major.

As it will be necessary from time to time to allude to the component
parts of the Ambulance, it may be as well to describe how an ambulance
is made up. It is composed of three sections, known as A, B, and C,
the total of all ranks being 254 on a war strength. It is subdivided
into Bearer, Tent and Transport Divisions. Each section has its own
officers, and is capable of acting independently. Where there is an
extended front, it is frequently desirable to detach sections and send
them to positions where the work is heaviest.

As the name implies, the Bearers convey the wounded to the dressing
station (or Field Hospital, as the case may be). Those in the Tent
Division dress the cases and perform nursing duties, while the
Transport Division undertakes their conveyance to Base Hospital.

It was decided to recruit the Fourth Field Ambulance from three
States, A Section from Victoria, B from South Australia, C from
Western Australia. Recruiting started in Broadmeadows, Victoria, on
the 19th October, 1914, and thirty men enrolled from New South Wales
were included in A Section. Towards the end of November B Section from
South Australia joined us, and participated in the training. On the
22nd December we embarked on a transport forming one of a convoy of
eighteen ships. The nineteenth ship ---- joined after we left Albany.

Details from the Ambulance were supplied to different ships and the
officers distributed among the fleet. Our last port in Australia was
Albany, which was cleared on the last day of 1914--a beautiful night
and clear day, with the sea as smooth as the proverbial glass.

THE VOYAGE

The convoy was under the command of Captain Brewis--a most capable and
courteous officer, but a strict disciplinarian. To a landsman, his
control of the various ships and his forethought in obtaining supplies
seemed little short of marvellous. I had the good fortune to be
associated with Captain Brewis on the passage from Colombo to
Alexandria on board the ---- and his friendship is a pleasant memory.

The fleet was arranged