Normandy 1944
On July 14th w received word that our equipment, for which we had been waiting, had landed. On July 16th our unit assembled at the site of the 44th Evacuation Hospital and we proceeded by convoy (only one of many on the road) to what was to be our first area - just outside St Saveur le Vicompte. The drive to the area gave us our first glimpse of the ravages of war inasmuch as critics were concerned. (None of us will forget that huge American Cemetery on the hill off Omaha Beach). The havoc in towns was great, rubble and debris everywhere; a few frames of former buildings still stood, but for the most part, all were beyond repair. The dust - the clinging kind that blackened our faces and clothes - and the heat as we passed through Isigny and Carentan were so profuse and choking with gunpowder making it very irritating to the eyes and skin. Destruction was everywhere - as far as the eye could see - beyond anyone's most vivid imagination and all we could do was shake our heads signifying the unbelievable.
The highlight of the trip was when one truck became separated from the rest of the convoy and drove on until stopped by an MP and informed that this was the wrong way. The St. Lo front was exactly two miles away! During the trip we received the V sign often and many cheers from passing trucks full of GI's when they realised that we were nurses.
It was late that evening when we finally arrived at our site. We slept in ward tents and moved across the road the next day. The roster was put up and we learned of our new duties. All this added to the general confusion and excitement of setting up the hospital. It was surprising to all of us how quickly the hospital went up. We were ready to receive patients that night. The wards numbered from one to ten and were double tented connected end to end. Later the tents were connected side to side which was more favorable.
It was to our benefit that we didn't set up immediately upon landing because, having visited the other hospitals, we were able to get the idea of various set-ups, and comparing them, take the best suggestions from all, consequently he final result was better than any of the four hospitals we had visited.
Surgery was set up in two single ward tents with three tables in each - later we adapted double tents on either side of a hallwaymade by pyramidal tents connected to a Central Supple Room. Since there were no previous plans for a central supply the first few weeks in getting itorganized made it a den of confusion. The main problem was devising a standard procedure for all thigs that would benefit the needs of the O.R. as well as the wards. There was little help at this time and with everything in it's embryo stage, there were many details that had to ironed out by the trial and error method but, eventually things worked out very well and to the benefit of all. The main problem concerned blood. The institution of blood banks was not yet in full swing and it was necessary to take our own blood. The Baxter Sets for donors were not working well so the laboratory officer devised blood sets of his own. Since we did not have a great amount of those and because of repeated use, it necessitated resterilization many times throughout the course of 12 hours! This was the only time that we had a bottleneck in Supply and of course it wasrelieved later when the blood banks came into effect.
The following morning began the hectic race. The 12 hour shift was adopted as follows: Breakfast for 0730 to 0830, Lunch from 1300 to 1400, Dinner from 1930 to 2030. An exhausting day to say the least with every minute full of doing s much as possible. At night no diversion was necessary. We were glad we had enough energy to take a helmet bath and fall into bed at 2130 or 2200.
One of the first things to impress us strongly was the attitude of the casualties. No matter how sick or badly wounded they were, never once did they forget their thanks. They took what we did for them as a special favor - never fully accepting it as our job - they were forever grateful. What greater compensation could we ask? What greater incentive to go on even though our bodies were fatigued and ached beyond description? Physical and mental exhaustion slowing all processes. However, it was easily cured after a good night's sleep and we were able to go through another day and another. Gradually we became accustomed to this routine and after a few weeks we found we were,'t as noticeably tired and occasionally saw a movie if it pleased us.
The bulk of the patients seemed to be sucking chest wounds, abdomens (caused by 88's and snipers), amputations (traumatic and mines) and surgical, and fractured skulls. It was heart rending at times, the pathetic cases - the boys so young and it made us hate war with a passion as this was our first realization of it's horrors.
Our living conditions were good - with the weather as it was - the sun shone almost every day - it was pleasant ot live in tents and healthy too. Five of us lived in a pyramidal tent - there was ample space but none to spare. The dampness was our biggest problem. All our possessions were continually damp, consequently our equipment became mildewed to the point of ruination. At night we put the clothes that we were to wear the next day under our sleeping bags so they would be partially dry in the morning. The dew was so heavy that it sounded like rainfall in the early morning as it dripped off the tents and the trees. During the day the sun shone and dried things our fairly well. We had many visitors of the not too welcome variety such as spiders and moles, the latter continually burrowed the ground and ruined our "floor". Most all of the tents were named by the girls and it added a friendly note as you walked down the center of the row to see such names a "Copa Cabana", "Guest House", etc.
In a week our food improved from the hard biscuits and K-Rations to fresh bread and C-Rations. Except for the bees, which came in droves, our Mess tent was very nice with white table cloths and china. At least it was place to sit and relax for the half hour.
During this time we acquired our first prisoners to help with the work, most of the were fairly young - among them were a few Poles who were forced to join the Nazis at gun point. We serviced the First Army troops at this time. It was also at this time that the first bullet went though the O.R. tent one night barely missing the Chief of Surgery. There were snipers everywhere so no one was ever safe.
On the 1st of August the hospital closed - we had taken care of 850 patients there.
The most remarkable thing to all of us, after the completion of our first set-up, was the marvelous speed in which the patients were evacuated, it went so routinely and efficiently that it seemed that our hospital was a veteran of all this. Colonel daine was pleased and when asked to comment on it, explained that it was proof of the policy that he maintained by giving each person one specific job to do and having that person carry it out to the best of his ability; each one made a cog in that giant wheel which was our hospital and kept it rolling.
The drive to our second area took us through Le Haye du Puits and Coutance to Brehal. On this trip we noted much damage again plus such things as rotting flesh, a cow blown up into a tree by explosion, and German graves dug quickly at the side of the road. We arrived at night and slept in our ambulances. We set up the following morning in pouring rain and were ready for patients at 1 PM. Again the same mad race against time. At this, our second area, we handled 1400 patients. It was here that a Third Army ammunition dump was bombed about 5 miles away. There was much excitement over what was happening but the work in the hospital continued as usual. The same nigh a German recon plane nearly took our roof off - tense moments.
The highlight of the trip was when one truck became separated from the rest of the convoy and drove on until stopped by an MP and informed that this was the wrong way. The St. Lo front was exactly two miles away! During the trip we received the V sign often and many cheers from passing trucks full of GI's when they realised that we were nurses.
It was late that evening when we finally arrived at our site. We slept in ward tents and moved across the road the next day. The roster was put up and we learned of our new duties. All this added to the general confusion and excitement of setting up the hospital. It was surprising to all of us how quickly the hospital went up. We were ready to receive patients that night. The wards numbered from one to ten and were double tented connected end to end. Later the tents were connected side to side which was more favorable.
It was to our benefit that we didn't set up immediately upon landing because, having visited the other hospitals, we were able to get the idea of various set-ups, and comparing them, take the best suggestions from all, consequently he final result was better than any of the four hospitals we had visited.
Surgery was set up in two single ward tents with three tables in each - later we adapted double tents on either side of a hallwaymade by pyramidal tents connected to a Central Supple Room. Since there were no previous plans for a central supply the first few weeks in getting itorganized made it a den of confusion. The main problem was devising a standard procedure for all thigs that would benefit the needs of the O.R. as well as the wards. There was little help at this time and with everything in it's embryo stage, there were many details that had to ironed out by the trial and error method but, eventually things worked out very well and to the benefit of all. The main problem concerned blood. The institution of blood banks was not yet in full swing and it was necessary to take our own blood. The Baxter Sets for donors were not working well so the laboratory officer devised blood sets of his own. Since we did not have a great amount of those and because of repeated use, it necessitated resterilization many times throughout the course of 12 hours! This was the only time that we had a bottleneck in Supply and of course it wasrelieved later when the blood banks came into effect.
The following morning began the hectic race. The 12 hour shift was adopted as follows: Breakfast for 0730 to 0830, Lunch from 1300 to 1400, Dinner from 1930 to 2030. An exhausting day to say the least with every minute full of doing s much as possible. At night no diversion was necessary. We were glad we had enough energy to take a helmet bath and fall into bed at 2130 or 2200.
One of the first things to impress us strongly was the attitude of the casualties. No matter how sick or badly wounded they were, never once did they forget their thanks. They took what we did for them as a special favor - never fully accepting it as our job - they were forever grateful. What greater compensation could we ask? What greater incentive to go on even though our bodies were fatigued and ached beyond description? Physical and mental exhaustion slowing all processes. However, it was easily cured after a good night's sleep and we were able to go through another day and another. Gradually we became accustomed to this routine and after a few weeks we found we were,'t as noticeably tired and occasionally saw a movie if it pleased us.
The bulk of the patients seemed to be sucking chest wounds, abdomens (caused by 88's and snipers), amputations (traumatic and mines) and surgical, and fractured skulls. It was heart rending at times, the pathetic cases - the boys so young and it made us hate war with a passion as this was our first realization of it's horrors.
Our living conditions were good - with the weather as it was - the sun shone almost every day - it was pleasant ot live in tents and healthy too. Five of us lived in a pyramidal tent - there was ample space but none to spare. The dampness was our biggest problem. All our possessions were continually damp, consequently our equipment became mildewed to the point of ruination. At night we put the clothes that we were to wear the next day under our sleeping bags so they would be partially dry in the morning. The dew was so heavy that it sounded like rainfall in the early morning as it dripped off the tents and the trees. During the day the sun shone and dried things our fairly well. We had many visitors of the not too welcome variety such as spiders and moles, the latter continually burrowed the ground and ruined our "floor". Most all of the tents were named by the girls and it added a friendly note as you walked down the center of the row to see such names a "Copa Cabana", "Guest House", etc.
In a week our food improved from the hard biscuits and K-Rations to fresh bread and C-Rations. Except for the bees, which came in droves, our Mess tent was very nice with white table cloths and china. At least it was place to sit and relax for the half hour.
During this time we acquired our first prisoners to help with the work, most of the were fairly young - among them were a few Poles who were forced to join the Nazis at gun point. We serviced the First Army troops at this time. It was also at this time that the first bullet went though the O.R. tent one night barely missing the Chief of Surgery. There were snipers everywhere so no one was ever safe.
On the 1st of August the hospital closed - we had taken care of 850 patients there.
The most remarkable thing to all of us, after the completion of our first set-up, was the marvelous speed in which the patients were evacuated, it went so routinely and efficiently that it seemed that our hospital was a veteran of all this. Colonel daine was pleased and when asked to comment on it, explained that it was proof of the policy that he maintained by giving each person one specific job to do and having that person carry it out to the best of his ability; each one made a cog in that giant wheel which was our hospital and kept it rolling.
The drive to our second area took us through Le Haye du Puits and Coutance to Brehal. On this trip we noted much damage again plus such things as rotting flesh, a cow blown up into a tree by explosion, and German graves dug quickly at the side of the road. We arrived at night and slept in our ambulances. We set up the following morning in pouring rain and were ready for patients at 1 PM. Again the same mad race against time. At this, our second area, we handled 1400 patients. It was here that a Third Army ammunition dump was bombed about 5 miles away. There was much excitement over what was happening but the work in the hospital continued as usual. The same nigh a German recon plane nearly took our roof off - tense moments.