Royal Australian Army Dental Corps
Royal Australian Army Dental Corps | |
---|---|
Active | 1943–present |
Country | Australia |
Branch | Army |
Type | Corps |
Role | Provision of military dental services |
Motto(s) | Honour the Work[1] |
Insignia | |
Abbreviation | RAADC |
The Royal Australian Army Dental Corps (RAADC) is a corps within the
History
World War I
Although it was officially formed in 1943, the corps has its genesis in an earlier formation that was raised for service during World War I as part of the
In the official absence of interest from the Army, many dentists and dental technicians volunteered as medical orderlies or even as infantrymen, in order to serve their country. Largely the services of dental volunteers were also rejected when the
Later, as the
Not only were dental health problems debilitating in their own way, but the makeshift supply system at the time was not able to provide rations that could be consumed by men with poor teeth, missing teeth or broken dental plates. Furthermore, the untreated dental caries (rotten teeth) lead to systemic infections and digestive problems. In spite of these official restrictions, battalion and brigade commanders had soon realised there was a glaring shortcoming. They had begun to recognise that they had dentists in their own ranks, who were then transferred by their infantry commanders to the field ambulance services attached to their own infantry formations, to work under the Regimental Medical Officers commanding those field ambulance units. Prior to this, dentists in the ranks had also been treating their own comrades as best they could. Some dentists had brought their own equipment, the Red Cross provided some, while some makeshift dental equipment was also adapted from medical equipment available on the Peninsula.[7] However, once the severity of dental health problems had become apparent, the Australian Army Medical Corps began to transfer qualified men from other arms of the service into a makeshift, poorly equipped, but officially sanctioned, dental service under the command of the Australian Army Medical Service. It was not until 6 July 1915, well into the Gallipoli campaign, that this small dental service, officially staffed and equipped, had been established at Gallipoli within the Australian Army Order of Battle.[7][8]
In June 1915, a strength of 39 personnel, consisting of 13 lieutenants and 26 senior non-commissioned officer and other ranks was authorised. In July 1915, six dental officers were dispatched overseas from Australia, while another four were appointed from personnel already stationed in Egypt.[6] In December 1915 further progress was made when Howse, who was a firm believer in the requirement for dental personnel to provide for the needs of soldiers, was appointed Director General Medical Services AIF.[9] In February 1916, a home establishment was created and the process of creating dental units began in April. Thirty-six dental units were formed at this time, and they were allotted between varying levels of medical facilities ranging from field ambulances to general hospitals and training bases. When the AIF divisions were transferred to France to fight on the Western Front, these units proceeded with the divisions, with three dental sections being allocated to each division and one unit to each field ambulance.[9]
As the war progressed, the importance placed upon dental health within the AIF increased and by early 1917 stricter standards were being enforced on recruits and dental officers were given the power to require personnel to be paraded for dental inspections. Initially, the ranks held by dental officers were honorary, but in June 1917 these were made substantive.[9] To improve the management of the service, staff officers were appointed to oversee the units in France, the United Kingdom and Egypt.[10] By the end of the war, there were 130 dental officers serving overseas, representing a ratio of one dental officer per 4,250 men.[10]
Inter war years
By 1920, the dental service had been demobilised.[1] During the interwar years, the focus of Australia's military planning was upon maintaining a reduced permanent force with a larger part-time military force.[11] The need for dental services was thus greatly reduced and, as a result, they were largely provided by civilian dentists that were also serving in the Militia, although a small number of permanent dental staff were retained on the establishment.[1] Nevertheless, in 1928 an inspector of dental services was appointed,[1] and although training opportunities were limited due to the economic hardships of the Great Depression,[12] throughout the interwar years the service developed its capabilities and corporate knowledge through a series of tactical exercises.[1]
World War II
Following the outbreak of World War II, the small number of full-time dental personnel were augmented by Militia officers and civilian volunteers. Although early enlistment was low, as part of the mobilisation process, in October 1939 provision was made for the establishment of dental units consisting of one dental officer, two dental mechanics and one clerk orderly, who were to be placed within three field ambulances, one casualty clearing station, two general hospitals and one convalescent depot.[10] Initially, dental equipment and supplies were insufficient for the tasks required, with a single division requiring an estimated 50,000 fillings, 40,000 extractions and 10,000 dentures, however, personnel managed to overcome this through the acquisition of stores from local areas.[10]
On 23 April 1943, authorisation was given for the service to split from the Medical Corps and for the formation of a separate corps known as the Australian Army Dental Corps. Upon the new corps' establishment, it was assigned a "burnt orange" hexagonal
By October 1945, the corps had personnel spread across the gamut of organisational structures within the Army, including at formation, corps, line of communication, base and depot levels. Dental officers were also placed on the hospital ships, Manunda and Wanganella.[14] Following the end of the war, the corps was slowly reduced as the demobilisation process took place, however, their status as service troops meant that they were retained for longer as there was a requirement for demobilising soldiers from other corps to receive dental treatment prior to discharge.[14] A number of advances in clinical practice occurred during the conflict, with the development of acrylic resin for the manufacture of dentures, the involvement of dental surgeons in facio-maxillary surgery as part of the treatment of soldiers suffering from facial trauma—including plastic surgery and the fitting of moulds for epithelial inlays and skin and bone grafts—as well as developments in the manufacture of artificial eyes.[15]
Post war
During the post-war period, dental units were raised for service in Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in 1946. In 1948, Australia's part-time military force was re-raised under the guise of the Citizens Military Force (CMF),[16] and dental units were raised in each State to provide support to CMF units. Regular Army units were also raised in each State, and at major training establishments.[17] That year the corps gained Royal assent when they were granted the title of the Royal Australian Army Dental Corps in recognition of its service during the war. At this time the corps colour was changed to green, although it was changed back to burnt orange in 1961. Later, further Regular Army units were raised for overseas service during the Korean War, Confrontation and the Vietnam War.[18]
Throughout the Cold War years, the corps was reorganised a number of times during 1960, 1970 and 1981; upon the adoption of the Pentropic divisional establishment individual units were assigned to divisions "on the basis of one unit per 5,000 troops",[19] although they were not assigned as organic assets. Later, each division was allocated two dental units as organic assets; these were later combined into single units with a headquarters and 12 sections, equipped with light vehicles and trailers, and consisting of 14 officers and 42 soldiers of varying ranks. This represented a ratio of one section per 1,000 personnel.[19]
Throughout the 1990s, the corps contributed to various peacekeeping operations, including those in Northern Iraq,
Order of precedence
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Handbook of the RAADC, Chapter 2: Mythology and a Brief History". Australian Army. Archived from the original on 2 June 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ Dennis et al 2008, p. 462.
- ^ Tyquin (1993), p. 135
- ^ a b c d Kuusk (2006), p. 23.
- ^ Tyquin (1993), pp. 133-136.
- ^ a b Kuusk (2006), p. 24.
- ^ a b Tyquin (1993), p. 136.
- ^ Dennis et al. (2008), p. 462.
- ^ a b c Kuusk (2006), p. 25.
- ^ a b c d e Kuusk (2006), p. 26.
- ^ Keogh (1965), p. 35.
- ^ Keogh (1965), p. 44.
- ^ Walker (1952), p. 613.
- ^ a b Kuusk (2006), p. 27.
- ^ Walker (1952), pp. 614–615.
- ^ Grey (2008), p. 200.
- ^ Kuusk (2006), p. 28.
- ^ Kuusk (2006), pp. 28–29.
- ^ a b Kuusk (2006), p. 29.
- ^ a b Kuusk (2006), p. 30.
- ^ "Royal Australian Army Dental Corps". Department of Defence. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
References
- Dennis, Peter; ISBN 0195517849.
- ISBN 978-0-521-69791-0.
- OCLC 7185705.
- Kuusk, Sven (September 2006). "Origins and Development Royal Australian Army Dental Corps". Sabretache. XLVII (3): 23–30. OCLC 60625210.
- Tyquin, Michael B. (1993). Gallipoli: The Medical War: The Australian Army Medical Services in the Dardanelles Campaign of 1915. Kensington, New South Wales: New South Wales University Press. ISBN 0868401897.
- OCLC 8324033.
Further reading
- Kuusk, Sven (2016). Fang Farriers: Australian Army Dentistry in War and Peace. A History of the Royal Australian Army Dental Corps, Volume I 1914–1939. Adelaide: Sven Kuusk. ISBN 9780994281500.