Squaddie shares the Anzac Legend
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Cpl
Jason Summerfield (right) maintains a close eye on health of a
patient in the Anzac Field Hospital in Banda Aceh. Jason is a
British Army medic who is normally assigned to helicopter rescue
operations with his Brunei-based unit. After being deployed to
Aceh in Indonesia following the devastating earthquake and tsunami,
he volunteered to help at the joint Australian - New Zealand field
hospital.
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The
western coast of the Indonesian province of Aceh has bee devastated
by the Boxing Day tsunami. Complete villages have been wiped off
the face of the earth, the coastline has been radically altered
and rice paddies are choked with mud and debris.
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By
Corporal Cameron Jamieson - filed 01 February
2005
When
Corporal Jason Summerfield saw the news of the devastating Asian tsunami
of Boxing Day 2004, he suspected he might be recalled to duty.
He
suspicion was confirmed by a telephone call, but there was one problem.
Jason
was on leave at home with his fiancée in Reading, England at the time,
but his unit is in Brunei.
Nevertheless,
he reported to work the following day.
Jason
is a helicopter winch medic, and he soon found himself deployed to Banda
Aceh.
The
nature of the task in Indonesia meant that the use of the winch to recover
patients was not required, but he soon found another opportunity to
help the Indonesians.
"There
really wasn't much scope for winch duties when we arrived," Jason said.
"So
I went down to the Anzac Field Hospital to offer a hand."
The
Australian and New Zealand field hospital is located in the tsunami-damaged
buildings of the Banda Aceh hospital.
The
name Anzac is legendary in Australia and New Zealand, as it refers to
the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, which stormed the shores
of Gallipoli on April 25, 1915, and Anzac Day is still the national
day of war remembrance for both countries.
The
opportunity to serve in an Anzac unit is fairly rare, and Jason is enjoying
the experience.
"It's
been really good, I've worked with individual Australians who were on
exchange before, but never with an Australian-led unit.
"The
set-up is similar to a field hospital in the UK, but with a few slight
differences, like the paperwork, drug names and packaging."
The
move from the airport brought Jason into contact with the areas of Banda
Aceh that have been destroyed by the tsunami, and he has seen many scenes
of destruction that defy description.
"The
airport doesn't look that affected, but as you move further into town
you start seeing more and more damage," he said.
"The
first thing you see as you drive from the airport into town is the mass
grave, with trucks pulling up and unloading wrapped bodies.
"In
town I've seen them pulling bodies out of the mud, which is quite horrific
to see, and down at the coast the town is devastated.
"I
was so shocked, you can't begin to describe it to people.
"I
felt so sorry for the people who had lost family members and everything
they own.
"But
the earthmoving machinery is starting to move the rubble and return
order to the town."
Jason
is looking forward to resuming his leave in Reading, but in the meantime
he knows he has the support of his fiancée.
"She
thinks it's brilliant that I'm out here to do something good and worthwhile,"
he said.
