Historical information

Dr Alan Holmes á Court enlisted in the Australian Army in 1916 as a medical officer with the rank of Captain. In 1918, Holmes á Court was promoted to Major and attached to the 4th Australian Field Ambulance on the Western Front. As the front advanced, the Casualty Clearing Stations became further removed from the battlefield, creating an urgent need for immediate resuscitation prior to transfer back to the CCS.

In June 1918, Holmes a Court and his colleagues established a forward resuscitation team. The team consisted of one doctor trained in surgery, blood transfusion and resuscitation, another doctor trained in anaesthesia, resuscitation and blood classification, and four other assisting staff. This team moved out to the wounded, rather than waiting for them to be stretchered back. They provided on-the-spot, life-saving resuscitation. The wounded were then transported back to the Casualty Clearing Station or Regimental Aid Post for further treatment.

Among the assorted surgical and resuscitation equipment carried by the forward resuscitation team, were a number of Kimpton-Brown flasks. Blood was collected from patients with minor injuries using the flask. It was then administered to those in need, after establishing their blood type.

Citrated blood was introduced by the Americans in 1917. This allowed blood administration to be delayed for up to two hours but there were many problems with transport, storage and infection in these early experimental days.

Physical description

Round, clear glass bottle with white [discoloured] paper label, with red printed, and metal screw-top lid.

Inscriptions & markings

Handwritten on white [discoloured] paper label: Phillip HARRIS
Moulded into the top of the screw-top lid in red ink: RED CROSS BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE