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65-582: Its mission was to assist the movement of wounded Allied troops from the battlefields to hospitals in France during World War I. The Corps began with two cars and four drivers. The service was associated with the British Red Cross and St. John Ambulance . ( Henry James ) enlisted himself in the same way in the service of the particular American activity that arose in England during the early days of

130-602: A basic Emergency Life Support to a three-day First Aid at Work (FAW) course recognised by the Health and Safety Executive . On a community basis, the British Red Cross is also well known as providing many first aid courses across the country to members of the public, as well as reaching out to schools, community groups and minority groups. One of the projects of the British Red Cross is Everyday First Aid, which seeks to provide training to those who would not otherwise get

195-505: A disaster appeal scheme and providing telephone support lines in its aftermath. Notably, all services of the British Red Cross can be utilised for the emergency response service, as the situation demands. For example, the therapeutic care service can provide support at a rest centre for survivors, while Ambulances can assist the NHS in caring for the injured. The emergency response service has been present at most types of major emergency such as

260-552: A result of his work, Wallace was said to be the most popular British resident of the city. He was honoured by having a street named for him and received the Legion of Honour from France and a baronetcy from Queen Victoria. The Anglo-American Ambulance was formed as a splinter of the American Ambulance , following a dispute between medical staff and the ambulance committee over deployments (the committee wanted to wait for

325-573: A secondary hospital at Balan which treated the wounded of a battle fought there on 31 August and those of the 1 September Battle of Bazeilles . With the ambulance at Sedan was Marcus Beck who reported that the French army surgeons had not adopted the anti-septic measures advocated by his father's cousin Joseph Lister . Following the French defeat, the ambulance was re-united at Sedan under Prussian occupation and erected 36 tents to accommodate

390-555: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . British Red Cross The British Red Cross Society ( Welsh : Y Groes Goch Brydeinig ) is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement . The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with more than 17,200 volunteers and 3,400 staff. At

455-705: Is of a sufficiently high standard, that in many areas, along with the other main medical service provider, St John Ambulance , British Red Cross ambulance crews work on behalf of the NHS ambulance services during particularly busy times or whenever requested, responding to 999 calls from members of the public. British Red Cross provide ambulance support for the North East Ambulance Service . The BRC also provide PTS in South East Wales, with paid Ambulance Care Assistants being trained and deployed in house. Specialist units existed within

520-771: Is the only man to receive both the Victoria Cross and the Iron Cross . The British National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War was founded at a public meeting in the Willis Rooms in London on 4 August 1870. Members paid a single £5 donation or an annual 5 shilling subscription. The organisation was led by Colonel Robert Loyd-Lindsay VC, another decorated Crimean War veteran, and its aims were to provide aid to

585-746: The Ambulance Anglaise ("English Ambulance"), though Wallace named the field portion of the unit after his father, the Marquess of Hertford . The unit provided a hospital of 50 beds in the city and absorbed some of the staff of the American Ambulance after it was disbanded in March. After the war, Wallace's ambulances were absorbed into the Hertford British Hospital , established in Paris by Wallace on 15 October 1871. As

650-533: The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to help people in crisis: The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the largest provider of first aid in the world. The British Red Cross was possibly most recognised in the UK for its work as a leading provider of first aid at public events across the UK. This stopped in 2020, by the British Red Cross, when it announced in 2019 that it would stop all Event First Aid. Thousands of volunteers gave care to

715-527: The London bombings , Manchester Arena bombing , Grenfell Tower fire , rail crashes, other fires, and floods. The British Red Cross operate this service throughout its territory, available 24 hours a day but, contrary to popular belief, does not send its volunteers abroad, as overseas disasters will be dealt with by the society in the country affected. In addition to this core service, the British Red Cross operates in other areas, both at home and abroad as part of

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780-572: The Pan Am Flight 103 bombing at Lockerbie in 1988, to the 7 July 2005 London bombings . They provide support on all levels, from front line medical provision, to running helplines for worried relatives and long term emotional care for the victims. In July 2008, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the 100th anniversary of

845-610: The Ambulance Corps in 1915 in the Somme and wrote a new book of war poetry, Rhymes of a Red Cross Man , in 1916. American poet E. E. Cummings joined the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps in 1917 before the U.S. entered the war. During this time he was briefly imprisoned on false grounds. His 1922 autobiography The Enormous Room documented his experiences of the war. This World War I article

910-469: The Americans were former Confederate Army surgeons. Charles E. Ryan served with the corps as a dresser and assistant surgeon and in 1896 published an account of his time with the unit. The unit left Paris on 28 August by train for the battlefield of Carignan but was delayed as Prussian forces had captured the railway line. The ambulance was held at Sedan railway station where its personnel encountered

975-762: The Anglo-American Ambulance. The society continued its work after the war, serving in various European and British colonial conflicts before becoming the British Red Cross Society in 1905. The Franco-Irish Ambulance Brigade was established by the Irish Committee for the Relief of the Sick and Wounded of the French Army and Navy on 7 September 1870. It sent 31 surgeons and 250 men to France though almost immediately

1040-610: The British National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War. At around this time the ambulance changed its previously French-inspired uniform for that of the British Army's Royal Artillery undress uniform. The ambulance arrived at the city of Orléans on 20 October, travelling through the scene of the First Battle of Orléans which was fought on 10 October. The ambulance was ordered to take over

1105-639: The British Red Cross announced to volunteers that it would cease providing Event First Aid services on 31 March 2020. Its Ambulance Support services continue. The British Red Cross is a provider of first aid training in the United Kingdom. It trains people both on a community and a commercial basis. The commercial training teams run nationally recognised First aid courses specifically designed to provide skills for use at work. The British Red Cross have been running these courses for over 25 years and over 120,000 people are trained each year . Courses range from

1170-723: The British Red Cross once again joined with St John to form the Joint War Organisation, again affording the St John volunteers protection under the Red Cross emblem. The organisation once again worked in hospitals, care home, nurseries, ambulance units, rest stations and more, much of which was funded by the Duke of Gloucester's Red Cross and St John appeal, which had raised over £54   million by 1946. The Red Cross also arranged parcels for prisoners of war, following

1235-481: The British Red Cross. Covering most, but not yet all, of the UK, the British Red Cross provide assistance at the request of the local Fire and Rescue Service to those in the immediate aftermath of emergencies such as a house fire or road traffic accident. Typically a team of two volunteers with a customised vehicle will respond to victims and provide them with shelter, food, first aid, clothing, toiletries, washing facilities and moral support. Volunteers will assist with

1300-627: The Franco-Prussian War Though the United Kingdom remained neutral during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, it provided ambulances and other medical assistance to both combatants and the civilians affected by the war. The term "ambulance" at this time denoted a medical organisation that provided field hospitals, transport and surgical operations, not the more limited modern use. The British public donated more than £300,000 to provide medical assistance during

1365-557: The French Emperor Napoleon III and the retreating survivors of the Battle of Beaumont . The ambulance attempted to move towards the front by road but found it was caught between the two armies and returned to Sedan. Twelve men of the ambulance treated more than 600 wounded of the subsequent Battle of Sedan (1–2 September) from a hospital that periodically came under shellfire. The remaining four medical staff ran

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1430-719: The International Red Cross pool of emergency relief workers. Between 1948 and 1967, the British Red Cross and the St Andrew's Ambulance Association jointly operated the Scottish Ambulance Service , under contract to the National Health Service. NHS Scotland took over full responsibility for the service in 1974. In the UK, the society has been active at many major disasters, from the coal tip slide at Aberfan in 1966,

1495-533: The Joint War committee and Joint War Organisation . They pooled resources and formed Voluntary Aid Detachments (or VADs) with members trained in First Aid, Nursing, Cookery, Hygiene and Sanitation. These detachments all worked under the protection of the Red Cross, working in hospitals, rest stations, work parties and supply centres. The Joint War Organisation also aided assistance at the front line, supplying

1560-586: The adoption of this method was the primary reason for the low mortality rates achieved by the ambulance. The British Ambulance Corps was raised to serve with the Prussian forces, but also cared for captured French wounded during the Siege of Paris of September 1870 to January 1871. The unit's B Division was commanded by Surgeon William Manley VC, a British Army veteran of the Crimean and New Zealand Wars , and

1625-602: The ambulance from the railway station and moved it into overcrowded private houses. An engagement occurred at nearby Neuville on 24 November and the ambulance sent men into the field to tend to the wounded of this and subsequent skirmishes of 25 and 26 November. The ambulance managed to secure space for a 300-bed hospital at the Church of St. Euverte . The Prussians commenced the Second Battle of Orléans on 3 December and large numbers of wounded were soon brought back to

1690-497: The ambulance's men were arrested by the Prussian authorities on suspicion of espionage whilst procuring medical supplies at Étampes but were shortly thereafter released. The ambulance remained in Orléans until the armistice was signed and disbanded in early March with its equipment being handed over to the French in Paris. The Anglo-American Ambulance has been described as a key means of exchanging medical best practice between

1755-418: The ambulance. A field unit was sent out on 4 December but the speed of the French retreat meant that a field hospital could not be established. Prussian forces retook Orléans on the night of 4 December, bringing the ambulance under their orders once again. A mobile unit was provided for the Battle of Beaugency on 7 December and returned to the city on 10 December with wagons loaded with wounded men. A number of

1820-561: The benefit of the travelling wounded. During the course of the war, thousands of casualties were treated by the organisations at its own hospitals and in those of the French and Prussian armies. The organisation's surgeons received special permission from William, King of Prussia to cross the German lines to provide aid during the Siege of Paris . One notable ambulance was known as the Woolwich Ambulance, so called because it

1885-553: The cessation of hostilities, the League of the Red Cross (now the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies) was formed, and the role of national societies increased, with a shift of emphasis from wartime relief to focusing on "the improvement of health, the prevention of disease and mitigation of suffering throughout the world". The British Red Cross stayed involved with blood transfusion past

1950-495: The end of that month £200,000 had been raised to purchase drugs, surgical instruments, waterproof sheeting, fabric and lint. This was sent to the front at the rate of 4 tonnes per day over the 188 days of the war in 12,000 separate parcels. The organisation also acted to distribute supplies for the French Société de Secours which had been much disrupted by the war. The organisation also ran soup kitchens and restaurants for

2015-698: The end of the Voluntary Medical Service Medal being issued to British Red Cross volunteers, much to their dismay, however it is still issued to St Andrew's First Aid volunteers. There are three main areas of Ambulance Support (AS) provided by the BRC: The BRC also provide ambulance services under royal charter during: Within that there are different clinical levels: Ambulance crews undergo national standard training and examination and are then qualified to offer an advanced level of care to sick and injured patients. The training

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2080-486: The first aid provision including the Cycle Response Unit, which allowed trained cyclists with enhanced first aid skills to access areas inaccessible to full ambulance vehicles. This was initially sponsored by Land Rover . The BRC's Fleet Support team, is a group of volunteers that look after the fleet of vehicles used by Ambulance Support (AS) and generally includes the following duties: In October 2019,

2145-460: The first motorised ambulances to the battlefields, which were significantly more efficient than the horse-drawn ambulances they replaced. It was active in setting up centres for recording the wounded and missing. Red Cross volunteers searched towns, villages and hospitals where fighting had occurred, noting names of the missing, the injured and the dead. This formed the basis of the international Message and Tracing service, still running today. Amongst

2210-585: The following years, King George V , King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II assumed the position of patron, while Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother served as presidents. King Charles III , who was the society's president between 2003 and 2024, was named patron in May 2024. Following the start of the Great War in 1914, the British Red Cross joined forces with the Order of St John Ambulance to form

2275-562: The formation of the National Blood Service and it retained an ancillary role until 1987. The British Red Cross was instrumental in starting overseas societies throughout the British Empire and Commonwealth , most of which are now independent national societies. In 1924, the British Red Cross started its youth movement, helping to promote its values to a younger generation. After the declaration of war in 1939,

2340-655: The granting of the society's royal charter. The British Red Cross is recognised by the UK Government as one of three Voluntary Aid Societies, the other two being St John Ambulance and St. Andrew's First Aid . It is the sole Red Cross Society for the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories . Overseas branches are located in: Former overseas branches: The British Red Cross, as with all IFRC member societies, operate first and foremost an emergency response service, which supports

2405-438: The heart of their work is providing help to people in crisis, both in the UK and overseas. The Red Cross is committed to helping people without discrimination, regardless of their ethnic origin, nationality, political beliefs or religion. Queen Elizabeth II was the patron of the society until her death in 2022 , and was replaced by her successor King Charles III , who previously served as president between 2003 and 2024. In

2470-537: The injured at events of all sizes including Premiership football games, concerts and large-scale running events such as the Great North Run . The training undertaken by Event First Aid Service volunteers varied, and advanced training was available to those volunteers who wished to undertake it, which included rising to the level of Ambulance Crew, or even undertaking training to become a qualified Ambulance technician . The closure of Event First Aiders also saw

2535-491: The islanders were helped to avoid starvation with food parcels brought by the Red Cross ship SS Vega . The immediate priorities for the British Red Cross following the war, were the huge number of displaced civilians caused by forced migration during the war. The Red Cross provided much relief for these people, including basic supplies, and helping to reunite people through the Messaging and Tracing Service. This work led to

2600-475: The large number of wounded from the recent battles and those given to their care by the Prussian forces. The ambulance was granted permission to leave Sedan for Paris on 4 October and travelled via Belgium and Rouen . However, it proved impossible to enter the capital due to the ongoing siege and instead the unit was placed at the disposal of the Prussian Army at Versailles by Robert Loyd-Lindsay of

2665-569: The majority of the men were released as surplus to requirements. Many of the released men joined the French Foreign Legion and it has been alleged that the ambulance was used as a means of bypassing the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870 which prevented British subjects from enlisting in foreign armies. The ambulance treated the wounded from a battle at Pacy-sur-Eure before being split into detachments serving with

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2730-535: The more innovative activities of the Red Cross in the war was the training of Airedale Terrier dogs to search for wounded soldiers on battlefields. Christie's auction house in Britain held an auction each year from 1915 to 1918 to benefit the Red Cross. People all across the United Kingdom donated their jewelry to help raise money. In 1918 one of the auctioned pieces was the Red Cross diamond . In 1919, after

2795-399: The opportunity to undertake such training, such as people with disabilities. First aid training programmes delivered by the Red Cross are renowned for giving participants both the skills and confidence to use what they have learnt, with a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical sessions. Formerly known as Fire Victim Support, this service is one of the more recent to be started by

2860-557: The outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), and a move across Europe to form similar societies. The society was founded as the British National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War at a public meeting chaired by Robert Loyd-Lindsay in London on 4 August 1870. It assisted in providing aid to both warring armies in the Franco-Prussian War and subsequent 19th-century conflicts, under

2925-502: The process of dealing with local authority housing departments or insurance companies to enable rehousing. In addition, these teams are frequently called out to major incidents to provide support to the firefighters and other emergency services, from simply making refreshments available, to providing a confidential listening service for those members of the emergency services traumatised by what they have just seen. They also are key in many local authorities' emergency plans and may be given

2990-591: The protection of the Red Cross Emblem. The society was one of several British volunteer medical organisations to serve in the war . Queen Victoria was the organisation's first patron. In 1905, 35 years after its formation, the society was reconstituted as the British Red Cross Society, and was granted its first royal charter in 1908 by King Edward VII , who became the patron. His consort, Queen Alexandra , became its president. In

3055-596: The provisions in the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to protect civilians caught up in war. Since then, the British Red Cross has provided relief to people worldwide, including during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 , in Vietnam in 1976, Famine in Africa in the 1980s and the 1999 Armenia, Colombia earthquake . Whilst the society no longer sends its volunteers abroad, it is a leading contributor of delegates to

3120-524: The provisions of the third Geneva convention in 1929, which laid out strict rules for the treatment of PoWs. The Joint War Organisation sent standard food parcels, invalid food parcels, medical supplies, educational books and recreational materials to prisoners of war worldwide. During the conflict, over 20 million standard food parcels were sent. During the German occupation of the Channel Islands ,

3185-426: The role of helping at or running survivor reception centres, setting up friends and family reception centres and providing first aid at them, and sometimes the providing first aid at the incident site (such as during the London bombings on 7/7) – thus freeing up more highly trained Paramedics. The Red Cross also are able to set up a number of help lines in connection with major incidents. British ambulances in

3250-457: The running of a 150-bed hospital in the railway station and to be ready to take to the field as necessary. The Prussians evacuated the city on the night of 8 November and left all of the wounded there in the care of the ambulance. The unit sent a field unit to the 9 November Battle of Coulmiers where the Prussians were defeated. Orléans subsequently came into French control and they cleared

3315-442: The safe transport of wounded from the battlefield – advocating a minimum of three stretcher bearers to each wounded man in case one were shot. He also implemented a two tiered system with an advanced treatment station near to the frontline backed up by a larger hospital. He advocated the quick transport of the wounded from the battlefield and helped to evaluate the effectiveness of stretchers and splints designed by his staff and that of

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3380-689: The sick and wounded in war. It aimed to serve alongside the British Army during wartime but also alongside other neutral armies when Britain was at peace. The organisation deployed several ambulances during the Franco-Prussian War. One of its major bases was Luxembourg, which was neutral during the war, and was used as a place to treat the wounded of the Battle of Metz. Hospitals were also established in Germany at Bingen am Rhein and at Darmstadt . By 17 September 1870 it had 62 surgeons and 16 nurses working as well as 22 other staff such as logistics officers. By

3445-524: The siege to begin whereas the doctors wanted to immediately head to the front). The Anglo-American Ambulance was led by Confederate American Civil War veteran J. Marion Sims , who was then resident in France, and British surgeon William MacCormac . The new ambulance was partially funded by the British Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War and consisted of 8 American and 8 English medical staff with three ambulance wagons. All bar one of

3510-402: The siege: one for French wounded and one for "sick and destitute" British citizens. He also contributed more than £12,000 of funding for the ambulances as part of the 2.5 million francs he gave to relieve suffering in Paris during the war. Despite having the opportunity to flee, Wallace chose to remain in the city throughout the war. The ambulances, staffed by English surgeons, became known as

3575-418: The statutory and governmental emergency services in times of crisis, in accordance with the duty of Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies to be auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of their governments. The British Red Cross provides a wide range of services to assist the emergency services and statutory authorities, ranging from first aid support and distribution of aid during a crisis to managing

3640-513: The strapline 'refusing to ignore people in crisis'. In fulfilling this mission, all volunteers and staff must abide by the seven fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which are: The British Red Cross also has four values, which guide the way they work. These are: The British Red Cross was formed in 1870, just seven years after the formation of the international movement in Switzerland . This followed

3705-422: The volunteers and the French and Prussian surgeons they worked with. In addition to spreading the word of Lister's pioneering work on antiseptics and widening the use of chloroform and morphine on the battlefield the ambulance helped to popularise a standardised method of treating bullet wounds which was based on Surgeon-General Sir Thomas Longmore 's 1863 work with Minié rifle bullet wounds. MacCormac claimed that

3770-535: The war including the Netherlands, Italy, Austria and Belgium. By the war's end, it had become clear that ambulances and formal medical provision were a key requirement of warfare of the time. All of the major powers subsequently made efforts to establish permanent organised ambulance services for the transport and treatment of their wounded during wartime. A prominent British resident of Paris, Richard Wallace contributed funds to establish two ambulances during

3835-415: The war, before America's entry which he did not live to see. He accepted the chairmanship of the American Volunteer Motor Ambulance Corps in France. Richard Norton, the son of his old friend Charles Eliot Norton and a friend of Mrs. Wharton , had thrown himself into this work and James and Mrs. Wharton were committed to helping. James wrote a long letter to the American press on the nature of this endeavor. It

3900-428: The war. The ambulances, together with those of other neutral organisations, proved very effective at treating casualties, and following the war all major powers took steps to implement similar arrangements for future wars. The United Kingdom was neutral during the Franco-Prussian War , but numerous organisations were formed to provide medical assistance to one side or both during the war. More than £300,000 of donations

3965-401: The year ending December 2022, the charity's income was £439 million, which included £37M from government contracts and £44M from government grants. It spent £367M (82%) of its income delivering its charitable activities. The mission of the British Red Cross is to mobilise the power of humanity so that individuals and communities can prepare for, deal with and recover from a crisis, summed up by

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4030-427: Was attached to the Prussian Army's 22nd Division . The B Division tended to the wounded of the battles of Orléans (3–4 December), Cravant (10 December), Chateauneuf (18 December) and Bretoncelle (21 December). Manley was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class for his actions during the war, on the recommendation of Frederick, Crown Prince of Prussia who commanded the III Army (to which the 22nd Division belonged). He

4095-459: Was designed to be informative, as an appeal for funds. The Corps was one of the pioneer enterprises in the age of the motor. The "Harjes" part of the name refers to Henry Herman Harjes , a French-born American millionaire banker who wished to help Norton by donating funds and ambulances. When John Dos Passos joined the corps in 1917, the service had 13 sections of 600 American volunteer drivers and 300 ambulances. Poet Robert W. Service also joined

4160-574: Was equipped near to the Royal Arsenal under the supervision of the Director-General of the British Army Medical Department . It left for the front on 14 October with equipment and tentage for a hospital of 200 patients. It was commanded by Doctor Guy and consisted of 12 medical officers and 27 hospital corpsmen. The ambulance treated the wounded of the battles of Forcay, Bretoncelle, Bagneux and Beaune-la-Rolande . The society's ambulance helped to advance good practice in battlefield medical care. One of its surgeons Joshua Henry Porter laid down rules for

4225-586: Was made by the British public to provide for medical services during the course of the war. Much of the funding went to "ambulances", a term that at the time referred to an organisation providing large-scale medical facilities including transport, field hospitals and surgical facilities rather than the more limited usage of today. Many of the ambulances were staffed by doctors on leave from the British Army with medical students from other nations serving on an ad-hoc basis. A number of other neutral nations formed their own ambulances to provide medical assistance during

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