The RAMC has a most distinguished record. From the time of the Boer War to the end of World War 2, the RAMC have dealt with over 14 million casualties, and can count among their military medals 14 Victoria Crosses, 1 George Cross, 630 Distinguished Conduct Medals and 1,806 Military Crosses.
Prior
to the formation of the RAMC, the medical support provided for the army had
been an ad hoc affair and generally carried out by men who were largely
untrained in medicine and new little of the medical support required by the
military. The creation of a casualty evacuation chain from the line of battle
all the way back to the United Kingdom ensured that wounded men would stand
a better chance of survival.
The Royal Army Medical Corps were formed in 1898 to provide medical assistance to army personnel. Members of the RAMC staffed the various stages of the evacuation chain from the front line all the way back to hospitals in Britain. RAMC staff were assisted by volunteers from the Red Cross, St John's Ambulance, Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADs) and other groups.
