Recapitulation

Previous Section | Table of Contents | Up | Next Section

Recapitulation

The end of March 1944 was the summit of the Division's operations in the Pacific and found the Dental Corps at its widest dispersal, as follows:

New Caledonia:

1.	Headquarters and Advanced Base Dental Store. At Bourail.
2.	No. 1 Camp Dental Hospital. At Base Reception Depot at the racecourse camp at Tene, Bourail, in a tropical-type prefabricated building accommodating five chairs and complete with laboratory, store room, orderly room, waiting room and office. – 332 –
3.	Detachment from camp dental hospital at Néméara with the Artillery Training Depot, working in a 24 ft by 16 ft native type bure, laid out as a surgery with one chair, laboratory, office and store combined and a waiting room.
4.	1 Dental Section at the transit camp at Nouméa in a prefabricated building laid out similarly to the bure at Néméara.
5.	2 Dental Section, attached to 2 Convalescent Depot at Kalavera, working in tents.
6.	1 Maxillo-Facial Injuries Section, attached to 4 NZ General Hospital in the Dumbéa valley and, like the hospital itself, accommodated in well-built prefabricated huts.

Forward Maintenance Centre, Guadalcanal:

1.	Headquarters 10 Mobile Dental Section at Point Cruz. The building was 54 ft by 20 ft overall and was nearly completed, being done entirely by the men of the section under the direction of a master builder who was one of the ASC drivers. The branch of the Advanced Base Dental Store was also at Point Cruz in a building with coralled floor, with stores set out in bins.
2.	2 Maxillo-Facial Injuries Section, although still attached to the Casualty Clearing Station, had moved to an attractive site some 50 yards along the coast because of a general building programme being undertaken by the CCS.
3.	5 Dental Section was moving from unit to unit.

Nissan Island:

1.	10/HQ. Attached to 22 Field Ambulance.
2.	10/1. Attached to 30 Battalion.
3.	10/2. Attached to 37 Battalion.
4.	10/5. Attached to 37 Battalion.

Treasury Islands:

1.	10/3. Attached to 8 Brigade Headquarters.
2.	10/4. Attached to 29 Battalion.
3.	10/6. Attached to 34 Battalion.
4.	3 and 4 Dental Sections were attached to 36 Battalion.

The troops at the Base were virtually dentally fit, those at the FMC were expected to be so within a week and work was progressing as fast as possible for the two brigades.

– –