The London Ambulance Column was a voluntary organisation quickly raised following the outbreak of World War One. It was entrusted by the War Office with the task of meeting the trains arriving at mainline London stations with wounded soldiers and transporting the solders  to various hospitals in and around London. In taking on this responsibility, the Column enabled members of the Royal Army Medical Corps to serve overseas in military hospitals and the casualty-clearing stations.

Although it was a civilian organisation, the London Ambulance Column was under the direct control of the British Army through the General Officer Commanding London District based at Horse Guards in Whitehall.

For a concise overview of the Column’s work there is nothing better than the relevant entry in the Report of the Joint War Committee of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John of Jerusalem that was published in 1921. An extract of the report is included on this site.
Elsewhere on the site will be found illustrations of the Column’s various badges, photos of the ambulances and personnel etc., press cutting from the time and much, much more.

If this is your first visit to this website, please read About this site. Also, this is a work in progress and more information is still to be added.

If you can add any further details or photographs relating to the Column, please see the Can you help page. There is also a Visitors Book in which you can add your comments.