Dustoff - The Helicopter Medical Evacuation Teams

Modern techniques of war in some respects bear little resemblance to the "old days". The advent of the helicopter drastically changed casualty evacuation, and many other aspects of combat. Vietnam was the helicopter war. To the wounded, no sight was more welcome than the Iroquois Helicopter with the Red Cross emblem painted on the nose, top and sides, known throughout Vietnam by the code name "Dustoff". It meant immediate treatment and a swift journey to a hospital for medical attention; the saving of valuable minutes that were for some the difference between life and death. The average time from being wounded to hospitalisation was one hour.
The UH-1 Bell Helicopters was fitted to carry 6 patients with at least one member of the crew of 4 being a fully trained first-aid man, able to give treatment from transfusions to reassurance. They sped out to evacuate the wounded, landing in the most inaccessible places, which were more often than not, under enemy fire.
In 1966 a US Dustoff helicopter was assigned to the base at Nui Dat between the hours of 0700 - 1800 daily, for dustoff duties . 9 Sqn RAAF helicopters   supplemented the US aircraft when this aircraft was unable to handle large numbers of casualties.
On the 1 November 1970, 9 Sqn RAAF Iroquios helicopters took over responsibility for the role on a full time basis of maintaining an aircraft and crew at Nui Dat in readiness to respond to calls for dustoff.
No 9 Sqn RAAF Helicopters by December 1968 had evacuated 2000 casualties from the Battle field. by the end of their role in Vietnam 9 Sqn had carried 4,000 casevacs(wounded). In Vietnam only 2.5% of casualties died before reaching hospital, compared with 4.3% in Korea and 8.5% in World War 2.
On several occasions Sioux helicopters of the Army's 161 Recce Flt at Nui Dat picked up wounded.
Quite often the wounded were winched out of the jungle in litters, making the helicopter and its crew highly vunerable to ground fire. It was not unusual for helicopters to winch out seriously wounded while the battle still raged below.
The American Dustoffs were particularly well known by the Australians as being prepared to risk their aircraft and lives in assisting Australian wounded.
In 1968, 35 "Dustoff " Helicopters were hit by ground fire whilst carrying out an evacuation. In 1969 the figure was 39.

Australian Military Medical Units.

Forming part of the Australian Military committment in South Vietnam in 1966, 2 Field Ambulance was committed to Vietnam in March 1966 to support the Australian forces in Vietnam. Stationed at Vung Tau from 1 April 1966 until 5 July 1967, the unit included a 50 bed hospital element, a hygiene squad, a medical stores component and a surgical team comprising a surgeon and anaesthetist.
A detachment of the field ambulance moved to the Task Force base at Nui Dat to establish a subsidiary minor medical facility, its main function, to provide emergency medical treatment before evacuation for more definitive treatment. Medical facilities were supplemented by Regimental Aid Posts from some Task Force units.
8 Field Ambulance( tour 2 March 1967-12 March 1972) replaced 2 Field Ambulance in April 1967 and provided medical facilities at Vung Tau and Nui Dat until 1972.
On the 1st April, 1968, 1 Australian Field Hospital was opened at Vung Tau and catered for the Austalian wounded until 21 November 1971.

8 Field Ambulance(RAAMC) - Vietnam

RAAF Aero Medical Evacuation Flights

During the course of the Vietnam war, 3238 Australian and New Zealand service personnel were medically evacuated from Vietnam to Australia, mainly by RAAF Hercules aircraft. The breakdown was;

Australian Civilian Medical Teams in Vietnam.

Australia was one of fifteen nations to provide civilian or military medical aid teams to South Vietnam and were provided under the SEATO aid program.

Long Xuyen
October 1964 - October 1965    Royal Melbourne Hospital
October 1964 - October 1965    St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
October 1966 - October 1967    Prince Henry's Hospital, Melbourne
October 1967 - February 1969    New South Wales State Team
February 1969 - July 1970    Western Australia State Team
August 1970 - January 1970    Western Australia State Team
January 1970 - August 1970    Two-Doctor Team from the Ben Hoa Team
August 1970 - December 1970    One Doctor detached from the Ben Hoa Team

Ben Hoa
January 1966 - March 1967    Alfred Hospital, Melbourne
April 1967 - October 1967    South Australia State Team
October 1967 - January 1969    Queensland State Team
February 1969 - January 1970    Alfred Hospital, Melbourne
January 1970 - July 1970     South Australian State Team
August 1970 - January 1971    Victorian State Team
January 1971 - July 1971     Queensland State Team
August 1971 - January 1972    New South Wales State Team
January 1972 - July 1972     New South Wales State Team
July 1972 - December 1972    Composite Australia Wide Team

Le Loi Hospital, Vung Tau
November 1966 - May 1967    Prince Henry and Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney.
May 1967 - November 1967    Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney
November 1967 - March 1970    Repatriation Commission

Phuoc Le (Baria)
October 1968 - March 1969     Subsidiary of Repatriation Commission Team at Le Loi Hospital Vung Tau