A light horse field ambulance was an Australian World War I military unit whose purpose was to provide medical transport and aid to the wounded and sick soldiers of an Australian Light Horse brigade. Light horse field ambulance units served in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) as part of the Australian Army Medical Corps. Typically a Lieutenant Colonel commanded each ambulance. All officers of the ambulance were medical doctors or surgeons. Dental units were often attached to the ambulance as well. An ambulance consisted of two sections, the Mobile and the Immobile. The Mobile Section travel with its brigade into combat, where it would establish a Dressing Station. It use stretchers or carts to retrieve the wounded and transport them to the Dressing Station. The Immobile Section established and operated a Receiving Station, which received the wounded the Dressing Station sent on. The ambulance's surgeons would operate on the wounded at the Receiving Station. From the Receiving Station, the sick and wounded would go first to the Casualty Clearing Station and ultimately to a Base Hospital.

Transport

The light horse field ambulances operated during the Gallipoli campaign and in the Middle East theatre: Egypt, the Sinai peninsula, Palestine and Syria. The methods used to transport the wounded had to operate effectively in the sandy, dusty environment.

Units during World War I

Three Australian light horse field ambulance units remained in active service throughout WWI. Additional units were established and disbanded at several points during the war. By the end of WWI, the AIF had five light horse field ambulances in active service.

WWI Military awards and decorations

Military decorations were awarded to a number of WWI personnel serving in the Australian light horse field ambulance units. Although the light horse field ambulance units were part of the AIF, decorations were awarded under the British system of honours as Australia's system of honours would not be established until 1975.