Charles Mackie Begg

Charles Mackie Begg (1879–1919): Field Ambulance supervisor

On 17 April 1915 Charles Begg, a qualified doctor and Field Ambulance superviser, embarked for Gallipoli from Alexandria. When the Anzacs landed on 25 April, casualties were unexpectedly heavy. Begg sent his bearer sections ashore while his surgical teams provided treatment on various ships. These were quickly filled by casualties ferried on barges, and many did not get the surgery they needed. On 28 April Begg dug in a dressing station on the beach. Surgery began immediately and continued through incessant shelling and small-arms fire until 27 June, when a Turkish shell destroyed the station and wounded Begg. Nevertheless, he took his depleted unit along the beach to start up again under Walker's Ridge. Between 25 April and 5 August the dressing station treated over 15,000 wounded Anzacs.

On 7 August 1915 the New Zealanders suffered grievous losses during their attack on Chunuk Bair, and the understaffed Field Ambulances could not handle the casualties. On 9 August Colonel Neville Manders, assistant director of medical services of the New Zealand and Australian Division, was shot, and Begg took his place. By this time there was a break down in the collection and evacuation of the wounded, and hundreds were lying unprotected on the beach. When Begg made a direct approach to Generals Alexander Godley and F.C. Shaw, infantry units arrived to help the bearers, and the navy resumed its barge transport. By 13 August the beach had been cleared. A few days later Begg was taken to a hospital ship for treatment of paratyphoid fever and was transported to the No 1 General Hospital, Camberwell, England. After a short convalescence, he returned to Gallipoli at the beginning of November. As winter approached, he helped to plan the successful withdrawal of troops from the peninsula. General I.S.M. Hamilton mentioned Begg in dispatches on 26 August 1915, and he was appointed a CMG on 8 November 1915.