Books and Documents

MEDICAL DETACHMENT, 112th INFANTRY REGIMENT
APO 28, U.S. ARMY

11 November 1944

SUBJECT: Report or Medical Evacuation

TO: Division Surgeon, 28th Div., APO 28, U. S. Army.

1. On 2 November 1944, Red. Bn. [1st Battalion] of 112th Inf. crossed the LOD. [Line of Departure]. Casualties were few and evacuation wan satisfactory by use of an ambulance loading post located at Horseshoe Med installation (015331=). All casualties were evacuated from Red Aid station to the loading post by Red Medical personnel and a weasel attached to Red medical section.

2. On 3 November 1944 at 1630 Red Aid Station had moved to Vossenack and set up for approximately one hour during which time all casualties were evacuated thru the Blue advance loading post which they had set up earlier in the day.

3. 1730 Red aid station started to advance cross country to Kommerschidt [Kommerscheidt], following behind Red Infantry troops with medical personnel and weasel hauling trailer with medical equipment. At (043316) the weasel could go no further because of the terrain features ahead. Five men then took the medical supplies forward by use of pack boards. The Red aid station proceeded to (055309) and set up at this point, the time approximately 2300.

4. 4 November 1944 -- Red aid station was located at same spot and the collection and treatment of casualties were carried on at this spot. No connections were made between Coll. Co. and Red aid. station during this date but four Horseshoe medical men arrived at Red aid station at 1800 and departed at 1900 with 7 walking wounded. The wounded were evacuated by vehicle (ambulance) from Blue aid station then located at (046316). Litter casualties had to be kept in Red aid station overnight.

5. 5 November 1944 -- Red. supply train carrying supplies came to Red troops came to Red aid station after unloading and carried all but 3 casualties from this station to Blue aid station where they were evacuated from by Coll. Co. vehicle. During the morning Red aid station was visited by Lt. Page and Capt. Wickens of Coll. Co. along with one litter team of the same organization. During their visit the Aid station was hit by German artillery and some of Coll. men were wounded, also Lt. Muglia with 3 litter bearers were present, all the litter bearers were wounded and one killed by the blast.

6. 1500 — Red Medical Jeeps (2) along with 2 jeeps and one weasel from Blue aid station arrived and casualties were evacuated by these vehicles. During this date two more direct hits were made on Red Station.

7. 1730 — I (Lt. H. W. Morrison, MAC) set out to make a recon. for a safer location for Red aid station during this recon I delivered 3 casualties from Red aid station to Blue station and decide to consolidate the two aid stations at Blue location. I returned to Red station and at this time all casualties left in Red station were loaded and taken to blue

SOURCE: National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 407, Records of The Adjutant General, U.S. Army, Combat Interviews (CI-76), 28th Infantry Division, Hürtgen Forest Campaign, Box 24032.

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station. All Red personnel except 8 litter bearers moved to blue station. The plan was to have the 2 litter teams to collect casualties at Kommerschidt [Kommerscheidt] and then evacuate them to new aid station by use of Red and blue vehicles.

8. 0100 ‑‑ German patrols surrounded the new aid station site and practically wiped out American troops in the sector. The enemy troops mined the MSR only vehicle route to front line troops and casualty collecting point. During the afternoon and evening engineer troops of the 1340 Eng. (Co. C) cleared road of mines but not early enough for evacuation by vehicle. The only casualties evacuated during this date were walking wounded guided back to white Aid station by Red and Blue personnel. From White aid station they could be evacuated by Coll. Co. ambulance.

9. 8 November 1944 -- 0400 — German troops again attacked thru the area of Red and Blue stations. One Squad stopped at aid station to inquire the type of installation it was and offered rations or any supplies we might need. They explained that as long as no fire arms were around the aid station they would not fire on the installation. At 1100 I with Sgt. of Blue section set out by foot for Regimental Medical section to explain the situation to the Regimental Surgeon, after doing so we returned to our aid station.

10. 0430 -- Lt. Johnson with two weasels and Lt. Page with litter bearers from Coll. Co. arrived at aid station. The weasels were left at top of hill near the station casualties were we carried to vehicle by litters, during the loading process the vehicles and men were fired on by the enemy but in my opinion only because the enemy could not see the red coresses. (Red Crosses). Two casualties were deserted and were found at top of hill the next morning. 7 November 1944 — during this date Coll. Co. did not contact our station once and again the only wounded evacuated were walking wounded guided by aid station personnel. 8 November 1944 -- During this date only walking wounded were evacuated.

11. 9 November 1944 -- I contacted. the engineers and requested them to check MSR up hill for mines, to remove road blocks, and to check 2 GMC trucks for booby traps. My plan to use same for evacuation of all patients, total of which were approximately 54. Aid station personnel loaded the trucks and one weasel. The trucks were driven to top at hill where the MSR was found to be blocked by American tanks and other vehicles that were knocked out by the enemy. The Regimental Surgeon was present at the time and together we could figure out no way to get the trucks out. He continued on his way to try to for a truce so that the casualties might be evacuated safely. I had the drivers of the trucks pull the vehicles over to the edge of the road and clear a way thru for the weasel, which we, (myself and Sgt Shedio) started on our way back with one litter case and four loss serious cases. We arrived at White’s old site which at this time was being used by 109th Inf Medics. There I found the Regimental Surgeon, Lt. Johnson and other Coll. Co. personnel. I explained how I had gotten thru and further steps were immediately taken by proper authorities. I returned. to Horseshoe aid station with the Regimental Surgeon and later heard of how an ambulance train had evacuated the casualties with the aid of some Germans and that the 2 Medical officers and Chaplains were held by the enemy.

[signed]

HENRY W. MORRISON

2nd Lt, MAC, 112th Inf