Operating Table
Bob Thompson
Colonel Donald Beard,
Queens Surgeon
Col Donald Beard, a surgeon from South Australia, brought a surgical team unto South Vietnam in 1968. He was very tall, 6ft 8in (203cm) and to stop from fatiguing he had a technique of operating with his arms fully extended. The operating table had a slow leak in its hydraulics that allowed the table to slowly go down as he was operating
I was summoned to Vung Tau and found that there was one chevron packing one less than was required. The same problem was occurring with an operating table at 8 Field Ambulance at Nui Dat. I found a packing from a 105 Howitzer fitted. Problem solved.
Operating Theatre 8 Field Ambulance, Nui Dat
The photo was taken during an actual emergency.
The surgeon was much shorter the Col Beard. As can see the Theatre is very cramped.
The surgeon was much shorter the Col Beard. As can see the Theatre is very cramped.
An Aside
In November 1976 at the Adelaide Oval, Colonel Beard, a first class cricketer himself, was watching the game when Jeff "Tommo" Thompson collided with another player in the field doing his right shoulder in. Donald Beard attended Tommo and then went with him to hospital, and operated on his shoulder pinning it.