Sir Karla Gnough-Duff, KLH

Earther Combat Medical Technician and Knight of the Legion of Honour. An NPC.

Since 3200 she has been a Combat Medical Technician in the First Special Forces Regiment. She has seen action on Binni (where she first won entry to the Legion of Honour) and the subsequently at Amoss. As at 3209.050 she is recovering from Wounds on Earth and has been posted as a senior instructor at the SF training centre.

Born on Earth in 3173 she studied medecine at university but had to discontinue her studies because of a lack of funds.

Short, blond haired, blue eyed woman.

Not known.

She joined the Medical Branch of the IEN in 3195 with a view to building up sufficient service credits to complete her studies. After a few years service she joined the Special Forces Regiment because they offered her an opportunity to study advanced trauma management and to provide academic accreditation which would allow her to complete her medical degree and become a commissioned medical officer.

Won on Binni.

Early on the second day of the action, Karla found herself a FRB captive who was a medic and the two of them worked hard to treat wounded in the impossible conditions of the battlefield. Karla went to the door of the building being used as a temporary aid post to call in the next casualty when a shell flew past her and down the stairs, killing the man who was waiting to be carried away by the Field Ambulance. Karla was wounded in the head. A stretcher bearer had been sent to the aid post to tell Karla to return. Despite intense pain, “The Doc refused to go and told us to take another casualty instead”. There is no doubt that at about 3am in the morning of the third day another shell entered the aid post, Karla was sitting in a chair trying to get some sleep. Everyone in the aid post was either killed or seriously wounded. Karla had received four or five wounds, the worst being a gaping abdominal wound from which she bled profusely. She managed to crawl up the stairs and out of the dug out and crawled along the (flooded, muddy) “road” until she stumbled across a dugout occupied by Lt. Charles Wray of the Emperor's Loyal Regiment who sent for help.

Karla was sent to Casualty Clearing Station No. 32, which specialised in abdominal wounds. She was operated on immediately and after all the shell splinters had been removed she was patched up. She regained consciousness and she spoke to a Colonel Davidson who reported “He seems very weak but spoke cheerfully”.

Though severely wounded early in the action whilst carrying a wounded soldier to the dressing station, she refused to leave her post, and for two days, not only continued to perform her duties, but in addition, went out repeatedly under heavy fire to search for and attend to the wounded who were lying out. During these searches, although practically without food during this period, worn with fatigue and faint with her wound, she assisted to carry an number of badly wounded soldiers over heavy and difficult ground. By her extraordinary energy and inspiring example was instrumental in rescuing many wounded who would have otherwise undoubtedly succumbed.

During an attack by overwhelming Sirian Forces she tended the wounded in the open all day, under heavy fire, frequently in view of the enemy. During the ensuing night she searched for wounded on the ground in front of the enemy's lines for four hours. Next day she took one TRUC to the advanced positions, and, under heavy fire, carried an urgent case for 500 yards into safety, being wounded in the side by a shell splinter during the journey. The same night she took up a party of trusty volunteers, rescued three wounded soldiers from a shell hole twenty five yards from the enemy's forward positions, buried the bodies of two officers and collected many identity discs, although fired on by bombs and machine guns. Altogether she saved the lives of some twenty badly wounded soldiers, besides the ordinary cases which passed through her hands. Her courage and self-sacrifice were beyond praise.

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