WW1 British BEF Medical Medic Stretcher Bearer Patch (1)

The WW1 British BEF Medical Medic Stretcher Bearer Patch is a period insignia worn by members of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) during the First World War. This patch signified the role of stretcher bearers within the Royal Army Medical Corps and other affiliated units tasked with evacuating wounded soldiers from the battlefield to medical stations. Typically, the patch features a simple cross design, commonly rendered in red cloth and sewn onto the uniform sleeve. It served both as an identification marker and as evidence of the soldier’s duties relating to battlefield medical assistance. Stretcher bearers operated in some of the most hazardous conditions, requiring prompt recognition by both friendly and enemy forces. The patch is associated with the organizational structure and personal equipment of British military medical personnel from 1914 to 1918. Examples of this type of insignia are valued for their historical connection to the medical services of the Great War.