ofLiverpool Ambulance Serv
1964 to 1993
60th Anniversary of the Cadets
(To have served with pride)
The 1964 Committee - foreword
Glyn Brown - N Squad 1973
Paul Townley - P Squad 1975
Ray Lunt - T Squad 1978
Jan Barnes-Orme - B Squad 1991
The 1964 Committee was formed to help plan a celebration event in recognition of the 60th anniversary of the formation of the City of Liverpool Ambulance Cadets in 1964. There have been previous cadet reunions but there is a pragmatic realisation that this will be the last time that we attempt to host it for all squads.
Being part of or being associated with the City of Liverpool Ambulance Cadets is something that we should be proud of. The souvenir brochure is aimed at helping preserve the history of the cadets and it is a reminder to us all that we should make effort to capture and record it for future generations.
We hope that it is a celebration of timeless elegance and unforgettable memories and we promote that for future events we look beyond the cadets to include the great ambulance staff who served under the umbrella of Mersey Metropolitan and Mersey Regional Ambulance Services.
More importantly, it is a poignant opportunity to raise a glass and toast the memory of the late and great Chief Ambulance Officer Albert Guinney OBE who started it all.
“Ambulance Service we are here to help you”
This ability to dial 999 for help is a cornerstone principle of society. Being able to respond to a patient’s medical emergency and being able to say the simple and powerful words "Ambulance Service " has been and continues to be a source of great pride for the men and women who have served in the Ambulance Service. This pride exists in the Ambulance Service Club all over the world but for Liverpool, 2024 is the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of the City of Liverpool Ambulance Cadets and they are all proud of having been (or still are) in that Club.
Since its introduction on 30th June 1937, the ability to summon help via dialling 999 can be taken for granted. It is easy to forget how difficult it was to summon the right type of help for victims and trying to do that promptly in situations in which time truly mattered was near impossible.
From shouts of help, community runners, Policemen's whistles, Police Call Boxes, Public red telephone kiosks on street corners; through to the futuristic prevalence of the smartphone today.
Response and transportation have come in many forms; from stretcher bearers, wheeled stretchers, horse drawn carriages, a vast array of motorised vehicles to its current advanced fleet complimented by specialised rescue units and air support.
The Ambulance Cadets all have one thing in common in that they have dedicated themselves to respond to medical and traumatic emergencies at a moment’s notice with the overarching aim of saving life and reducing morbidity. In Liverpool, they helped shape the modern pre-hospital Paramedic Care of today.
A truly visionary youth engagement programme .
The formation of the Cadets by Albert Guinney was the result of a challenge by Bessie Braddock, MP for the Liverpool Exchange Division (1945-1970) who asked him what he was doing to assist the school leavers of Liverpool.
Some of you would have met both Bessie Braddock and Mr Guinney and it would be fair to say they were both formidable characters and we are sure their conversation was somewhat lively and colourful.
Mr Guinney formed first squad of cadets (A) in the January of 1964 and the last squad (the second B squad) passed out September 1993. The Cadet Force was embraced by three ambulance services: the City of Liverpool, Mersey Metropolitan and Mersey Regional.
Obviously, Mr Guinney and Bessie Braddock are sadly no longer with us but if they could look back and ask themselves: -
“Did Mr Guinney meet the challenge set by Bessie Braddock and deliver a successful scheme for the school leavers of Liverpool”.
We believe that the answer is a resounding yes that far surpassed his wildest ambitions.
“Do not measure success by today’s harvest, Measure success by the seeds you plant today”.
Robert Louise Stevenson.
But how do we quantify it?
If we look at some employment statistics, more than 250 men and women joined the Cadets and passed out to the pre-hospital world of the Ambulance Service. We believe, those men and women have given over 8,000 years of dedicated public service which is a remarkable achievement, especially when you look at the recruitment challenges of today. Dig under the 8000 years, there are numerous individual milestones of cadets achieving 30, 40, and 45 years.
Dave Sullivan. L Squad 1971
It would be remiss of us not to mention that the late and great Dave Sullivan surpassed 50 years of loyal and dedicated Service.
Whereas Albert would be proud of the Statistics relating to employment, his greatest pride would have been the softer elements. He gave employment and stability to young people who went on to have caring and loving families. His Cadets have saved literally countless number of lives, delivered countless babies
Ronnie May. N Squad 1973
Ronnie May joined the Ambulance Service in N Squad in 1973. This picture is one that would make Albert Guinney proud in that this was the completion of Ronnie's last night shift after 41 years of dedicated service in which he tried his best to help every patient that he responded to.
This picture captures the moment that Ronnie handed over the keys for the RRV to the oncoming paramedic which is Caroline Newton. It may be a simple picture but its hidden depths are the overwhelming pride that Ronnie radiates.
in the strangest places all over Liverpool, tackled adversity in the most challenging of circumstances, they have restored hope when all hope was gone and have worn the uniform of either the purple or green cadet epaulette and hat band with the utmost pride.
They have always strived to deliver the best care possible remembering the building blocks they were taught on being; that we should always treat people with respect, and care for the patient as though they were your parents. Cadets who were mentored became great mentors, those who received counsel provided counsel, those that were led became great leaders, they strived to improve things through innovation and education and yes, they all enjoyed a pint in Charlie’s pub on Lower Breck Road. They became instrumental in improving patient care.
One of the most poignant measures is: -
“I joined the Liverpool ambulance service in September 1972. This was after a difficult childhood in which my mum died young which led me to run away to sea at the age of 15. That did not work out and I came home; I was alone, frightened, and depressed with no real prospects. When I was accepted as an ambulance cadet, I quickly realised that I did not just have a job, I had a true purpose in life, goals to aim for and I felt I was part of a caring family...”
Steve Clarke M Squad
Caroline and Ron
The Chief Albert Guinney OBE
Without doubt, a significant and influencing factor in the development of the City of Liverpool Ambulance Service was the appointment of a new Chief Ambulance Officer in 1960 by the name of Albert Guinney.
Albert started his career with the ambulance service in 1946 at Stretford where he was reached Station Officer rank before taking the role of Deputy Chief Ambulance Officer job in Liverpool in 1959.
At the time of his appointment to Chief at the age of 36; Albert was the youngest Chief Officer in the Country and brought with him a vision and desire to change the ambulance service from being perceived as a transport agency to one that provided advanced pre-hospital care.
As well as having the vision and desire to change Albert possessed a dynamic ability to effect change though influence and leadership and slowly but surely achieved his aim of making the service a true provider of pre-hospital care. Albert was awarded the OBE by the Queen in 1986 and retired in 1988.
Chief Albert Guinney OBE
Give them a lanyard and teach them to fly!
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela
The cadet system gave opportunities to young inexperienced men and women fresh out of school. Meeting the rest of the squad, their cadet training officers, and the Chief in full-dress uniform on their very first day was very foreboding.
Although many ambulance aid and driving instructors helped train the cadets the full responsibility lay with the cadet training officers. The cadet training officers looked after the squad from day one until their passing out parade. They became to each squad instrumental and father-like figures helping them along throughout the Cadet Programme which was typically two years.
Slowly, but surely, the key words of teamwork, education, support, coaching and mentoring would all click into place and shape that frightened cadet into someone who would be capable of being tasked to respond and save someone’s life. Being taught to wear the uniform with pride and say those words “Ambulance Service we are here to help you’ became part of their daily life. It was their vocation.
Classrooms for most squads were those in Quarry Street, Woolton with U squad onwards migrating to Elm House (which has only been demolished in the Summer of 2024). Cadets were still required to complete the basic Millar Ambulance Technician Qualification which was taken at Wrenbury Hall in Cheshire until 1980 when it moved to Elm House, Liverpool.
Cadets became skilled in anatomy and physiology, and all have happy memories of “Bert’s Box which was Mr Carter’s way of explaining the anatomy and physiology of the heart. They studied ICAP, LASI and FASI and under the tuition of Albert Guinney OBE learned all the muscles of the head and face. You knew a cadet was trying to impress someone when you overheard “aper neurosis, frontalis, temporalis, orbicularis oculi, orbicularis oris, buccinator, and so on.
“Through education they started to change the world of pre-hospital care in Liverpool”.
A cadet pre-requisite qualification was not a driving licence. Most cadets were taught to drive by the Ambulance Service and their tests were taken in ambulances. Post test driving experience was gained by being the duty driver who drove various vehicle types with the call sign 96. Some had affectionate names with one being called the Smurf wagon. Typical daily duties were ferrying cadets to their assignments followed by the mail run, stores run, and paragon collection from lots of hospitals. The cadet training officers often used to get an ambulance and lay on the stretcher and get the cadets to drive them around impressing upon them for every patient journey that you had to have empathy and understanding of the patient’s condition. “Treat me as though I am the Queen Mother”. Valuable life lessons.
• Walter Potts
• Harry Jones BEM • Bert Carter
• Ian Fitton • Peter Mulcahy QAM
The Squads A-L (1964-1971)
In a pre-digital world in which most cadets would be classed nowadays as “digital immigrants” there is no master record of cadets. We have tried to get the squads as accurate as possible, but we know we may have some facts wrong or indeed cadet names missing.
Cadet of the Year
A trophy was awarded to the Cadet of the Year which was decided by the Cadet Training Officers and the Chief Ambulance Officer.
The Winners were:
1966 – Keith Goodall
1967 – Phil Scott
1968 – Phil Jones
1969 – All of G squad
1970 – Dave Kenyon
1971 – Jack Reppion
1972 – Bob Jameson
1975 – Alan Kennedy
1976 – John Jennings
1979 – Ray Lunt
1981 – Stuart Ryall
1983 – Kieran Byrne
1985 – Eddie Melia
1988 – Martin Hepke
1989 – Gavin Bryce
1990 – Belinda Jones
1993 – Colin Whiley
A Squad 1964
Dave Beaumont
Joey Clark
Bob Erlam
Malcolm Evans
Gerry Gibbons
Jimmy Lewis
Dennis Lloyd
John Murphy
Richard Oswick
D Squad 1966
Steve McBride
Alan Gregory
Don Page
Graham Donald
Phil Scott
Dave Fargher
Ray Bettley
Bob Rushton
G Squad 1967
Ian Fitton
Peter Hanton
Tony Cowley
Kenny Challoner
Ian Fleming
Jeff Hughes
Phil Smith
Phil Neary
Evan Davies
Colin Roberts
Steve Davies
Graham McNamee
J Squad 1969
Joe Scott
Rob Jameson
Robbie Link
Rob Poynton
Paul Turton
Jack Reppion
B Squad 1964
Jim Barkley
Russ Clayton
Keith Goodall
Terry Little
Tommy McCarthy
Tommy Nolan
Bobby Norcross
Benny Smith
John Traynor
Chick Woodcock
Don Willis
E Squad 1966
Terry Kelly
Brian Peters
Steve McCaskill
Trevor Williams
Owen Disley
Kenny McDonald
Brian Stabb
H Squad 1968
John Fleet
Alan Owens
Glyn Davies
K Squad 1970
John (Jake) Noon
John Hemphill
Dave Harris
Frank Wardale
Brendan Kelly
John Gibbons
Harry Whitfield
Steve Hughes
Kevin Early
Pete Owens
Bobby Moore
C Squad 1965
John Lanigan
Ronnie Laycock
Alan Schraeder
Les Riley
Bobby Farmer
Ronnie Brislen
Paul Gledhill
Ray Thomas
John Tierney
F Squad 1967
Phil Jones
Gregor McCaskill
Tom Collins
Dave Gorton
Chris Quinn
I Squad 1969
Dave Temple
Terry Clancy
Kenny Doyle
Steve Ellis
John Jones
Dave Kenyon
Tommy O’Hara
George Tune
L Squad 1971
Steve Potter
Steve Evans MBE
Fred Robinson
Peter Kent
Peter Whitaker
Paul Poynton
M Squad 1972
Steve Clarke
George D’Arcy
Dave Sullivan
Billy Linacre
Peter Chapman
Gerry Wignall
Chris Gibbons
Chris Duff
Rob Fallon
Ian Mulqueeney
Q Squad 1975
Dave Bruford
John Jennings
John Power
Phil Gerry
Mal Scott
Dave Hart
Ian Peevy
Phil Homan
Keith Arnold
Steve Marshall
Keith Knowles
U Squad 1980
David Johnson
Bobby Graham
Mike Jackson
Cliff Adams
John Ormandy
Stuart Ryall
Alan Gadd
Colin Atherton
Ken Russell
Andy Beasley
The Squads M-B* (1972-1991)
N Squad 1973
Ronnie May
Glyn Brown
Steve Noonan
Frank Lang
George Ingham
Roy Mathison
Larry O’Hara
R Squad 1976
Ian Fairclough
Mick Wardale
Steve Bimpson
Alan Crearie
Willam Gordon
Stuart Smith
V Squad 1982
Joe Barrett
Pete McCarthy
Alan Davies
Timmy Hannah
Carl. McCabe
Alan. Hughes
Mark Knowles
Steve Rooney
Kieran Byrne
William Croxton
Y Squad 1986
Dave Seel
Ian Eckley
Mick Houghton
Alan Gibbons
Alan Woodward
Malcolm Saunders
Steve Murphy
Paul Shuttleworth
Dave Lewis
Z Squad 1987
Andy Woods
Paul Lemmens
Gavin Bryce
Shaun Parry
Martin Hepke
Ian Moses
Yvon Goulding
Sharon Eagleton
Paul Rigby
Mark Dutton
O Squad 1974
Jeff Hughes
Brian Bannon
Paul Chapman
Alan Kennedy
Brian Jones
Nick Martin
Kevin Riley
Tony Edwards
Lol Sullivan
Geoff Tyrer
S Squad 1977
Dave Barker
Phil Davies
Phil Garry
Peter Mulcahy QAM
Dave Molloy
Graham Kaye
Geoff Cooper
Mark Slocombe
Steve Tague
W Squad 1983
Eddie Melia
Georg Engh
Colin Askew
Mike Quirk
Tony Chaffer
Chris Vaughan
Gary McIver
Phil Brown
Ian Smith
Tony O’Brien
A Squad 1989
Claire Glover
Joanne Smith
Denise Dixon
Belinda Jones
Jason Sefton
Darren Dempsey
Andrew Davies
Karl Hough
P Squad 1975
Ronnie Schofied
Graham Kidd
Paul Ambage
Paul Townley
Ken Morgan
Graham Thorpe
Eddie Devy
Paul Crosswood
Billy Mitchell
Elwyn Jones
T Squad 1978
Ian Carville
Frank Chellew
Dave Cliffe
Bob Davies
Gary Ford
Dave Lee
Ray Lunt
Geoff Mercer
Peter Mercer
Neville White
Ian Wilkinson
X Squad 1985
Cliff Ray
Dave Keegan
Mike Enwright
Dave Preston
Ciaran Doyle
Ian Lynch
Andy Morgan
Rob. Hussey
Steve Lamb
Dave Farmer
B Squad 1991
Colin Whiley
Jan Barnes
Mark Cranny
Simon Churchill
Melanie Anderson
Nikki Webb
Alex Tee
Dave Buckley
The Squads Gallery
E Squad
F Squad
B & C Squads combined
A Squad
B Squad
The Squads Gallery
M Squad
Squad
G Squad
L Squad
G,H & I Squads combined
The Squads Gallery
O Squad
P Squad
Q Squad Millar Course at Wrenbury Hall
N,O & P Squads
U Squad
The Squads Gallery
W Squad
1984 W Squad Millar Course at Elm House
The Squads Gallery
B Squad
L & M Squads
K Squad
Squad
T Squad Millar Course at Wrenbury 1978
From triangular bandages to defibrillators
In 1200, Liverpool was a fishing village with its name meaning a pool or creek with muddy water. It was granted a Charter by King John advertising the establishment of a new borough at Liverpool and inviting settlers to come and take up holdings there.
Since that day we can be sure that its people have strived to help those that have been ill or injured. People over centuries were transported to hospital in many ways including on wheeled hand litters.
Liverpool is now a bustling city of great historical importance. Its lifeblood being the River Mersey has many ties to the rest of the World. The city and its people have influenced many things
Its famous sons include the Beatles who wrote songs about Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields which mean many things to many people. For some of the men and women who have been part of the Ambulance Service they are roads they have been called to at some point in their career.
The formation of the City of Liverpool Ambulance Service in 1948 took place amidst a backdrop of a city recovering from the post war gloom. There were sights that have long gone with children playing on bomb sites, families reminiscing about loved ones lost in the war, women proudly scrubbing sandstone doorsteps, the cries of rag and bone men walking the streets and washing blowing on lines against a vista of bomb-damaged buildings and smoky chimneys.
The German bombing campaign had destroyed over 6,500 homes and left vacant plots or bomdies. Yet, against this bleak vista the spirit of the people remained unbroken. New tenements were built, which solved a lot of housing problems, but for the poor ambulance staff, in an era long before the modern Power Trak Chair, carrying patients down from E landings was no easy feat. In a modern world of dynamic risk assessments and Health and Safety it is hard to believe that before the Carry Chair was invented the crews of the day relied on the blanket lift.
The aftermath of World War 2 was very visible to the first squad of Cadets and as with all history it is so important to look back and remind us of it. Richard Oswick recalls that in 1964 many of the ambulance crews had served in World War Two, his Cadet Officer Harry Jones BEM had been a desert rat, Bill Gates who was the ALO at Broadgreen was a torpedo gunners' mate, Norman Caple “Norky” was a tail end gunner in Lancaster Bombers and Tommy Slater developed his interest in ambulance care when he served with the parachute Field Ambulance Unit of the 6th Airborne Division; - and there were many others. Richard says that they never spoke of their war time experiences and in reflection he wished he had the self-confidence and empathy to have asked.
Charlie Worthington who was also ex-military trained the Cadets in drill and parade practice used to take place at the Civil Defence HQ, Millbank. The Ambulance Service of today look back on the early days of the Ambulance Service with its tunics, caps and drills with disbelief and amusement. However, they should reflect and understand that Great Britain took a long time to heal its wounds of war, most of the workforce were demobbed from the military, the mobilisation methods that won the war were used to rebuild post-war society and the modern materials to manufacture anoraks were simply not there. The mobilisation style and uniform materials were reflected throughout society with ambulance and fire personnel, bus conductors, electric meter readers and milkmen all wearing tunics and caps and looking very militaristic.
Frustration, born out a feeling of helplessness, in not being able to deliver the best care for the patient was a daily event. Airway management was basic, there was no ability to provide pain relief, set up IV Drips, reverse hypoglycaemia or deliver lifesaving defibrillator shocks. Being at scene, not being able to do the best for patients who were seriously ill or injured, was a terrible situation to be in. Some of those cases broke our hearts.
The change from first aid to ambulance care to paramedic care took a long time but slowly and surely change happened. The 1970’s saw the introduction of Entonox pain relief, the Stephenson Minuteman ventilator, the Vitalograph suction unit and the scoop orthopaedic stretcher. First aid changed to be lifesaving ambulance aid, and the term ambulance driver was becoming a taboo. Eventually, on a hot summers day in 1986 Hotel Delta One responded to a cardiac arrest call outside the bombed-out Church in Leece Street. Two ex-cadets Ray Lunt and Bobby Graham exited the vehicle carrying a bright Orange Ambu Resuscitation Box and CR26 defibrillator and for the first time in Liverpool defibrillated a patient in front of a large crowd of bystanders. What is the expected norm today, was revolutionary then, and much to the delight of the crowd they achieved a successful return of spontaneous circulation for the patient. That historic moment, which was literally over in a few minutes, symbolised a pivotal moment for change that had started 22 years earlier with Albert Guinney’s vision. The long studies to improve our pre-hospital education and skills through ICAP, LASI, FASI and AEMT, reading JEMS, Nancy Caroline and studying the little red book on extended skills now started to reap its benefits.
Get me to the scene on time!
“Giddy Up! It sounds bad!”
Liverpool is a city of many firsts. The very first horse drawn ambulance in the UK which operated from the Northern Hospital, Leeds Street in 1883.
The City of Liverpool Ambulance Service was the first to move away from ambulance bells to twin-tone horns with ambulances turning out from their Belmont Base turning many heads along the way.
Blue light driving may have its fun moments, and we all recall our first blue light run, but it remains to this day stacked with danger. Historical records show that on the 19th of May 1899 a young Police Constable John Young was killed when the horse drawn ambulance he was driving and conveying a man who had been run over to hospital; struck a lamppost on Heyworth Street, Everton with disastrous results. The patient also died and the other crew which consisted of a second Police Office and a Doctor were injured. The jury found a verdict of accidental death and they thought a one-eyed horse was not a proper animal for ambulance work. The jury also asked “Don’t you think it is very dangerous to drive an ambulance through the streets of Liverpool at the rate of 12mph”
In 1964 the modern Ambulance was a Morris Austin LD. It had no advanced braking systems, fuel injection engines, crash test certification, modern warning systems. Power steering wasn't invented, and you needed arms like popeye to manoeuvre. Getting up Havelock Street, Everton was challenging even in good weather. Once it snowed, you simply parked at the bottom and walked. The journey down with the patent was even more challenging.
“Putting your foot down and passing a standby message” to get a poorly ill patient to hospital safely was no mean feat. Every ambulance man or woman detests being called an ambulance driver and we never missed an opportunity to educate the public when called that. However, driving at speed on blue light conditions was an artform and some ambulance staff could easily have changed vocations and been on the starting grid of a racetrack. Joe Mitchell, Alan Gregory, Mike Chandler, Tony Cowley, Paul Poynton, Dave Hart, Frank Wardale, Dave Sullivan and Peter Mulcahy QAM are a few that spring to mind. (This was before the Gatso speed camera).
There were no satellite navigation or computer mobile data systems. We relied on the good old A to Z, the Liverpool Echo Street Guide, local knowledge and the high pitch voice of Freddie Valentine shouting up directions over the airwaves with his call Sign “Six Seven Sixty-Seven”.
An Ambulance response may have started in Liverpool but if it noted it was across the County Boundary on Stanley Road the response would stop and the County Lancashire Ambulance Service tasked to attend. It is a fact that 999 callers would be asked to clarify who emptied their bins to determine which ambulance service would respond.
Buildings have been and gone. As we journey through the streets of Liverpool, we are often reminded of the calls that we attended on places along the way. It is strange but we tend to remember the bad and funny ones.
Do you remember these places: -
• Sir Thomas White Gardens
• Entwistle Heights
• Caryl Gardens
• Gerard Crescent
• St Andrew Gardens
• Myrtle Gardens
• Portland Gardens
• St Oswald Gardens
• Eldon Grove
• St Georges Heights
• Kenley Close
• Speke Road Gardens
• Highfield Gardens
• Fontenoy Gardens
• The Gooree
• Bessie Braddock Hall
• St Nathaniel Street Hawthorne Road Boundary Line.
The bond between ambulance and hospital teams
The Liverpool of today is serviced by a small network of specialist hospitals with a major focus on the Trauma Centre at Aintree University Hospital. Nearly every day, a major trauma case occurs. Watching the full paramedic response kick into play and how it integrates with the Aintree Trauma Centre is truly admirable and a far cry from the hospital landscape of 1964.
This is a reminder of two important things. Firstly, the Ambulance Service is the first point of access to the NHS emergency world and early professional intervention is key to survivability. Secondly, it is the collective skills of the broader NHS team; its nurses, doctors, porters, radiographers, surgeons and many others that complete the full chain of survival. There has always been a close and well-founded link between Ambulance and Hospital Teams that is born out of individual respect and a common goal to help save people’s lives and reduce their suffering.
Prior to the modern-day advanced paramedic team which is backed up by its own doctors and air support teams. Cadets will recall that when faced with entrapment situations the radio message would summon skilled help with the immortal words “medical aid team requested”. The same scenario would apply for specific obstetric emergencies with obstetric flying squads being summoned to help with childbirth complications, post-partum haemorrhage or eclampsia. A key advocate of the importance of pre-hospital care and who greatly contributed to Ambulance Staff receiving improved lifesaving capabilities was Doc Allen of Broadgreen Hospital Accident and Emergency Department. The Doc was a forerunner in providing a bespoke flying squad response and would often turn out in his converted land rover from his home on Queens Drive to help at numerous entrapments in Liverpool. In reflection, there were more entrapments then, simply because the modern car with its enhanced construction material and safety features was a thing of the future.
Liverpool has been home to nearly 50 different hospitals over the years, some specialist and others general. The modern hospital landscape has only started to come together in the last decade. At the start of the cadet force there were small accident and emergency units all over the city with very little specialisms. The sheer number of them always helped calm down feuding factions as it was easy to take those patients to separate hospitals. A constant that was always there was the bond between the Ambulance and Hospital teams, but cadets were all wary of the Matrons and Sisters who ruled the roost.
In 1964 the key hospitals were: -
• Liverpool Royal Infirmary, Pembroke Place
• Broadgreen Hospital, Thomas Drive
• Walton General Hospital, Rice Lane
• Southern Hospital, Grafton Street
• David Lewis Northern Hospital, Leeds Street
• Sefton General Hospital, Smithown Road
• St Paul's Eye Hospital, Old Hall Street
• John Bagot Hospital, Netherfield Road
• Liverpool Maternity Hospital, Oxford Street
• Mill Road Maternity Hospital, Mill Road
• Womens Hospital, Catherine Street
• Newsham General Hospital, Belmont Grove
• Newsham Park Hospital, Orphan Drive
• Princess Park Hospital, Upper Parliament Street
• Garston Hospital, Church Road
• Alder Hey Hospital, Eaton Road
• Liverpool Children’s Hospital Myrtle Street
The Royal Liverpool Hospital opened in 1978 replacing 3 older hospitals in the city, the Royal Southern Hospital, the David Lewis Northern and the old Royal Infirmary in Pembroke Place.
Lest we forget
Mill Road was the major maternity hospital for Liverpool. Although not linked to the history of the cadets it is right that we reflect on the tragedy of World War Two.
On 3rd May 1941 the Mill Road Maternity Hospital itself fell victim to the German bombing with a direct hit on the maternity unit killing many mothers and their new babies. Several Ambulance drivers who had just finished their shift at Belmont Grove and had taken shelter at Mill Road were killed alongside several medics and nurses. In all approximately 80 people died in the tragedy. The target the Luftwaffe were after was that of Everton Reservoir which was near the Infirmary.
Roll Call of Ambulance Drivers who died at Mill Road on 3rd May 1941.
Thomas Ernest Atherton, ambulance driver 54
Frederick Bartlett, ambulance driver 44
Cecil Coventry, ambulance driver, 38
James Cullen, ambulance driver, 65
Percy Darby, ambulance driver, 61
Eugene Louis Fawcett, ambulance driver, 58
Samuel Fisher, ambulance driver, 32
Daniel Henderson, ambulance driver, 42
Walter Johnson, ambulance driver, 41
William Martland, ambulance driver, 29
John Newell, ambulance driver, 46
John Rossiter, ambulance driver, 50
Henry Frederick Sutton, ambulance driver, 24
Charles John Tuft, ambulance driver, 51
The tragic death of Henry Frederick Sutton greatly inspired his younger brother Dougie Sutton to join the Ambulance Service. This he did on the 6th of May 1951, and he served a long and loyal career lasting over 40 years.
When Eric Atherton joined the Ambulance Service in 1976; his father then told him that his Grandfather Thomas Ernest Atherton was also an Ambulance Driver who had tragically been killed in the bombing of Mill Road Infirmary.
The Mill Road Maternity Hospital after the devestating air raid.
Shift Ridealongs
It is true that experience is a great teacher, and a countless benefit was that cadets were taken under the wings of some very experienced ambulance teams as part of their shift ride-a-longs. There were some legendary characters but each of them in their own way would do their best to make each shift a lesson in the art of Ambulance Care.
Cadets were assigned their ride along shifts after morning parade at Anfield which meant the majority of those ridealongs were in Central Division. Having young fit cadets who wanted to practise their lifting skills was an opportunity not to miss.
We can’t name them all but here is a shout to some that truly helped and made ridealongs memorable: -
• Joe Mitchell and Alan Hollewell.
• Harry Martin and Gerry Frizzel.
• Keith Goodall and Jim Barclay.
• Dougie Sutton and Kenny Gunn.
• Fred Canning and Malcolm Gleason.
• Peter Chapman and Peter Whitaker.
• Jimmy Williams and Robbie Link.
• John Lannigan and Gerry Wignall.
• Jack Reppion and Dave Sullivan.
• Dave Sinclair and Ronnie Spencer.
• Dave Hart and Phil Smith.
• Frank Wardale and Jake Noon.
• Steve Noonan and Ray Doherty.
• Ron May and Steve Clarke.
• Graham McNamee and Steve Potter.
• Mick Bouey and Frank Taylor.
• Dave Harris and Ken Duffy.
• Dot Thomas and Margie Nick.
• Tony Cowley and Peter Hanton.
Laughter is the best medicine
The Cadets in their smart tunics were often “volunteered” to conduct the collection at the annual Regional Health Carol Concert at the Anglican Cathedral at which the great Liverpool Comedian Sir Ken Dodd always made an appearance and gave his Christmas address from the pulpit.
Much to the amusement and disbelief of T Squad “Doddy” proudly and cheekily addressed the congregation and said “whereas most people enjoyed turkey for Christmas he much preferred a good goose every Christmas Morning”
The world of emergency ambulance response is sometimes an unforgiving environment and throughout our careers we have all been faced with very challenging and harrowing situations. There is not one easy answer as how best to deal with such situations and there are many papers and textbooks offering best advice. What works for one does not work for all. The post traumatic stand-downs of today did not exist and expectations were that you simply got on with the next job.
What is certain is that talking things through with colleagues often helps the situation; and the ambulance team has a great skill in lifting people’s spirits when they are deflated; often with a nice sense of mess-room humour. Experienced professionals have a hidden talent to calm things down, put things into perspective and help wipe the mental slate clean for that next call.
Liverpool people are famed for their sense of humour and are very quick witted sometimes cutting by nature. We have gathered some of those lighter moments that have become infamous over the years and are judged okay to share. As you can imagine there are many more that are legendary but unfortunately must stay within the Chatham House rules of the messrooms.
So, for all those paramedics who whilst taking their final practical examinations walked into the assessment centre and proudly shouted “Paramedics can you help me” ...This is for you:-
We all have our moments with call signs and radio procedure. In the 1980’s there was a call sign at Old Swan Station called Delta 22. Pity the poor ambulance technician (ex-cadet) when he meant to say, “Delta Two Two Twenty-Two to base” but inadvertently proudly called up “Delta Two Two Tootie Two”.
Tongue twister
We received a call from a GP to take a patient with pneumonia to the Royal. When we arrived at the address, I asked the patient’s husband if the Doctor had advised him what was wrong. The innocence of the reply has always caused me to chuckle when the gent said, “oh yes son my old lady has got harmonica of the lungs”.
Steve Clarke
In response to callers that had been waiting a while who used to shout out “where have you been you have only come from Anfield “(As the spare fleet used to show Anfield on the door)
“It’s got India on the tyres, and we haven’t come from there either” Practically every Ambulance Man or Woman that served in Liverpool.
You must have seen some awful things son. What’s the worst thing you have ever seen “my wage packet sir”
Dave Hart
In 1990 when I was on PTS, I was taking an elderly lady home to High Street in Woolton. When we arrived at Woolton Village, there was a large police presence and a crowd of people, but we were unaware of the reason for this. I was unable to park in the High Street, so I parked by the Coach and Horses pub and proceeded to assist the patient to her home address. When we turned the corner, I looked up and saw a huge elephant in the gardens. I said to my patient ‘do you know that you have an elephant in your garden?’, you can imagine her reaction.
I managed to safely deliver the patient to her home address and when I was leaving her house, I saw a police superintendent running down the middle of the road, with the elephant chasing after him, it was a hysterical sight. The elephant was brought in as a publicity stunt to start the foundation dig for the new Marie Curie centre, (which was replacing the old Sunnybank home) and escaped and decided to have a good walk round Woolton including St Julies school before being captured
Jeff Keig
“Take a moment of self-reflection and be proud that there are patients who survived and lived long lives because of your actions as an ambulance person”
