DGMS Adv LHQ
Staging Area 2
It is urgently recommended that the policy of setting aside Brigade or equivalent camp dumps for the burial of burned and crushed cans be reconsidered. It is further recommended that this proposed method of disposal be abandoned in favour of that adopted by 1 Aust Corps after ample field experience of both – viz, disposal by immediate burial within the Unit area. General objections to the “official” dump are –
- The accumulation of cans in the dump is likely to be almost invariably left in part uncovered accumulating in wet weather sufficient rain water to create foci of mass mosquito breeding. Mosquitoes breeding under these conditions are capable of transmitting Dengue, Yellow Fever, Filariasis and in some instance malaria.
- Even if the area under constant supervision, with consequent expenditure of man hours, is during currency of Brigade occupation kept in ideal and irreproachable condition – a hope never yet realised in practice, it will ultimately be abandoned either as unsuitable for further use or because of Brigade movement. Subsequent rains will collapse the cover, erode the surface and banks and expose large number of potential breeding places hidden by weeds, and not suspected by incoming troops to exist in the area, until dengue strikes.
- Once a dump is known to exist there rapidly develops a tendency to dump all manner of litter and refuse including unburned organic wastes and grease trap sludge on the site. This breeds flies and rats in uncontrollable number and returning vehicles transport flies to units using the dump. Efforts to prevent this refuse dumping are likely to defeat their own purpose. Trucks arriving with such refuse may be turned back by picquets from the dump, but the rubbish will then be thrown into the jungle in an unauthorised area on the way back to camp.
- Collection of battered and burned cans from units involves special transport. If this transport breaks down, if wet weather unexpectedly prevents completion of the run or if for any reason units are missed, cans accumulate in unit areas and the leeway may not be overtaken before breeding has occurred.
- Transport to the dump means transport through other unit lines. Careless stowing of a full load, irregularities in the surface of the road, particularly at the crossing of water tables in and at the approaches to unit lines involves scattering of cans in depressed water holding areas perhaps covered by weeds. Cans are never sufficiently burned or bashed to prevent them constituting a danger under these conditions.
- All unit lines require filling material for contour absorption trenches, sullage drains, urine units and water point absorption pits. Rock or gravel for such purposes may be difficult to obtain, transport may be unobtainable while the Engineers are too pre-occupied to assist. Crushed burned cans are ideal for these purposes and their removal to a central dump deprives units of a ready solution to pressing problem.
These objections are not speculative but epitomise common experience on the Australian Mainland and in NEW GUINEA; Senior Surgeon 31 US Div states that in the restricted area here occupied 100 men and 8 vehicles are constantly engaged 7 days per week in supervision of the dumping system alone.
Yet the method has proved a complete failure owing to indiscipline in attached units. It is argued for the central dump that it worked efficiently in DARWIN. In no other part of the mainland of Australia and in no part of NEW GUINEA, in the experience of ADH Adv LHQ has the system been known to be other than a complete failure. Its success in DARWIN cannot be admitted without qualification for
- Experience of the Hygiene practices of units transferred from DARWIN area renders unqualified acceptance of the statement impossible.
- Experience of the Hygiene practices of units transferred from DARWIN area renders unqualified acceptance of the statement impossible.
Success of this system requires a standard of Hygiene consciousness and an extravagant outlay in supervision never yet attainable in Australian troops in the experience of ADH Adv LHQ. The system is beset with defects inseparable from the heavy human element loading in its frame work. Particular objection to the “official” dump are –
- Careful scrutiny of all 1 Aust Corps tps and many units of Aust Base Sub Area since Nov 44 reveals that Hygiene consciousness and practice in 1 Aust Corps is of a standard far higher than in other Aust tps. Nevertheless it was considered necessary in 1 Aust Corps to prohibit dumping and to insist upon disposal in unit lines.
- 1 Aust Corps tps which are operational troops have been trained in the unit responsibility to dispose of burned cans promptly in unit lines. Disposal in central dumps is impossible in forward areas where troops are mobile. The system in which the Corps is trained lends itself to adaptation in the forward areas. Tps trained habitually to await removal of litter to a central dump must be expected to be neglectful of disposal in forward areas. Staging through an area practicing the central dump is calculated to disrupt previous training in unit disposals. There must be expected to follow indiscriminate discarding of cans along the march with subsequent infection of support tps and reinforcements. This was the experience in LAE, FINSCHAFEN and RAMU Campaigns, and the method of unit disposal has been evolved in an effort to avert a repetition.
- Hygiene consciousness, discipline and practice in units of 1 Aust Base Sub Area are deplorably low. Months of intensive training have been devoted to developing a satisfactory standard in 1 Aust Corps. It will be utterly impossible to reach such a standard amongst staging area tps during the period of staging. Operational tps, meantime, will be exposed to source of infection created by staging area tps and their efficiency may be seriously impaired.
Fixing of responsibility, checking of breaches and supervision, are infinitely more practicable under the unit system than under that of the central dump which can be justified only for the serving of General Hospitals and then only under especially strict precautions and exclusive use on the hospital area.
It is objected to disposal in unit lines that areas will be spoiled for following troops. This is untenable. For the most part cans will be used to improve the area. For the rest they will be effectively and promptly buried with a minimum of labour, handling and transport. They can never be an embarrassment to troops subsequently occupying the areas, nor owing to rapid disintegration to the civil population later.
C.E. Cook Lt-Col,
AD of H Adv LHQ
HQ 1 Aust Base Sub Area (AIF
Staging Area 2
Mar 45