MEDICAL REPORT DECEMBER 1943

HEADQUARTERS
32nd Station Hospital
. APO 364 c/o Postmaster,
New York, New York

31 December 1943

MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE THIRTY SECOND STATION HOSPITAL

Extract from general Order No 7, 1942, Camp Rucker, Alabama, "Pursuant to authority contained to Letter A.G. 320.2 (9 June1842) MR-M-MCM, War Department, and Letters Hq. 4th Corps Area, 320.2 Gen. R.S. 19 June 1942, and Gen. Order No 7 Hq. Camp Rucker, Alabama 25 June 1942, the 32nd Station Hospital Unit has hereby been activated as of 25 June 1942."

The original cadre of enlisted men reported to Camp Rucker, Alabama on 25 June 1942. Theodore Burstein, Lt Col, M.C. Commanding Officer joined 13 August 1942. The Medical Officers joined between the 6th and 20th of August. Intensive training of the Officers in Military Discipline and administration began immediately. As more and more enlisted men joined the organization, their training was taken up by Non-Commissioned Officers, Medical Administrative Officers, and Medical Officers. Ward training was done at the Station Hospital, Camp Rucker.

The unit was transferred from Camp Rucker, Alabama to Fort Benning, Georgia on 26 October 1942. Here training of unit personnel was continued in the Station Hospital. In November 1942 the status of the unit was changed from a 250 Bed Station Hospital to a 500 Bed Station Hospital. More Officers and Enlisted men joined to meet the increased strength of the unit.

The unit left Fort Benning for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on 27 December 1942, arriving 28 December 1942. The next move was to the New York Port of Embarkation on 13 January 1943 where the majority of Officers, including members of the Army Nurse Corps who had joined at Camp Kilmer, and enlisted men boarded the USS ANCON, USN.
The convoy sailed on 14 January 1943 and arrived without serious incident at Oran, Algeria, French North Africa on 26 Janury 1943. From 27 January to 18 February the unit was bivouacked at Boisseville outside of Oran. On the 18th of Februay 1943 the unit move by motor convoy to Tlemcen, Algeria, 90 miles south southwest of Oran.

The hospital received its first patient on 28 January 1943 and remained in operation until 38 November 1943. During this period there were 7,503 admissions. The last patients were discharged on 28 November 1943; the hospital was packed up and moved to Oran by train on 8 December 1943 where the Detachment and Officers remained in Staging area No2 until 15 December 1943 when they boarded the HMTS Cameronia. (The ANC's, P T's ,dietitian, and Red Cross workers were staged at the nurses' staging area in Ain-el-Turck). The unit, exclusive of the ANC etc. arrived at Naples, Italy on 19 December 1943 and were staged at the hospital center.

In May 1943 Colonel Bustein was taken ill. Lt. Colonel Gayland L. Hagalshaw assumed command on 23 May 1943. Lt Colonel Hagelshaw was succeeded by Lt. Colonel Harold L. Goss on 23 June 1943.

At Tlemcen, Algeria, under the direction of the Surgeon, MBS, a hospital was set up in two school buildings. Headquarters, Administrative Offices, and the Admission and Disposition Office and Dispensary, the Operating Rooms, X-ray Department, Orthopedic Clinic, Pharmacy, and Physio-therapy were set up in L'Ecole des Filles Indigenes (Building "A"). This building accommodated approximately 200 patients. The second building, L"Ecole des Filles, housed the Laboratory E.E.N.T. clinic, Dental Clinic, Prophylactic station and G.U. Department, and 200 patients, (Building "c"). The engineers constructed Niessen Huts (Building "B") adjacent to L'Ecole des Filles Indigenes, to house more patients and Medical Supply. When a few weeks later the bed capacity was increased to 500, a warehouse also adjacent to "A" building was acquired; this became known as "D" building. When in June the bed capacity was further increased to 1,000 the roofs of Building "A" and Building "D" were put under canvas and screening; later wood and tar paper roofs with closed sides and plastiglass windows were set up.

It should be stated that the two school buildings were separated by a ten minute walk. The Detachment was housed in a four story second class hotel within three minute's walk from hospital "C" and seven minute's walk from hospital "A". The Officers, Nurses, Dietitian, P.T.S. and Red Cross workers lived in the Hotel Transatlantique around the corner from the main hospital. An adequate motor pool, bakery, and ration dump were established in a nearby garage.

Because of the scattered layout of the various hospital units it was necessary to have four messes - at the main hospital, at hospital "C", at the detachment, and at the Hotel Transatlantique for the Officers and Nurses. This arrangement worked a hardship on both mess personnel and equipment. A problem was immediately created by the floor space open for mess facilities. The kitchens of both the detachment and officers' quarters in the two hotels were indescribably filthy and in close proximity to open (French) latrines. In one hospital building, the covered space available for the kitchen was immediately adjacent to a latrine; in the other building the kitchen was not only close to a latrine but immediately in front of an open sewer. These conditions were rectified by cleaning up the hotel kitchens, and relocating the hospital kitchens under canvas and screening away from the latrines, which were also enclosed and screened.

Within the limits of French type plumbing, sewage disposal in all parts of the hospital offered no great problem. Garbage disposal was simplified by the readiness of the local populace to haul it away. Grease disposal was simplified by the readiness of the local populace to haul it away. Grease and tin cans found a ready sale, the proceeds becoming a part of the hospital fund.

Unlike most of North Africa the water supply in Tlemcen was adequate and needed only careful supervision rather then strict rationing. Bathing facilities in the hospital buildings and Officers' quarters were adequate; bathing facilities for the enlisted men were totally inadequate in their quarters, but other facilities were available for their use. Laundry for the hospital was done first by use of G.I. equipment; later by equipment rented from a local plant and adapted to laundry use at this hospital; still later by concession to an individual, and during the last phase of our stay by a Quartermaster Laundry unit. Individual laundry for enlisted men, Officers and Nurses was done by personal arrangements or group contract.

SUPPLY AND TRANSPORTATION

The original hospital supplies loaded at the New York Port of Embarkation were fairly complete with some note worthy exceptions -- to enumerate a few deficiencies: anesthesia apparatus, X-ray plate holders, Hazley Table, Physio-therapy apparatus, Laboratory incubator, sundry instruments and drug items. A few larger units arrived in deplorable condition due to inadequate crating; namely; the operation room water sterilizer, and large fixed X-ray table. Considerable difficulty and delay was experienced in obtaining repairs. Many of these deficiencies were supplied quickly from the second medical depot. Some items came in weeks and months later. The second medical depot at Oran was very cooperative in issuing supplies if they were available to them.

Unit supply carried on with no marked deficiency at any time.

TRANSPORTATION

Since we were located at such a distance from Oran (ninety miles), all our transportation was kept on the road day after day, working a hardship on both personnel and vehicles. The poor conditions of the roads and the difficult terrain traversed increased the difficulty. To anyone familiar with these hazards the low accident rate is all the more remarkable.

The number of vehicles supplied by TBA was barely minimal to meet the daily needs. When two 2 1/2 ton trucks had been secured on memorandum receipt the situation was eased somewhat.

PERSONNEL

A roster of the officer personnel is appended. It is unfortunate that the unit had so large a turnover in officer personnel due to illness. On the whole the Medical Officers are well trained physicians and surgeons whose skills complement one another to make a well balanced staff. The administrative staff at this time is capable and efficient.

There has been a small turnover among the member of the ANC's The nurses are an average group with some very capable women. The chief nurse, dietitian, and PTA's are capable and efficient.

The detachment: actual operation of the hospital on foreign soil showed glaring deficiencies in the Table of Organization of the detachment. It was quickly found that a large Guard Detail was essential for security of the hospital. There was no provision in the Table of Organization for a guard of any kind. Being non-combatant ,there were too few men in the unit trained in the use of firearms. It was necessary to train 35 to 40 men for the guard detail..

The mere setting up and maintenance of a Station Hospital on overseas duty requires a large group of Utility Men who embrace a variety of skills e.g. carpenters, plumbers, electricians, cement workers, metal workers, and general mechanics. More by good fortune than by design our detachment was able to supply these men.

The technicians in X-ray, Laboratory, Operating Room, Dental Clinic, E.E.N.T. C., and Dispensary proved to have been well trained as also were the clerks and stenographers.

The training of the ward personnel was good as far as it went, but was deficient in the finer arts of male nursing. For example many of the ward masters were incapable of changing a patient's bed with the patient in the bed. It was found to be necessary to assign ward personnel according to individual capabilities. A man capable of handling N.P. patients or medical patients often was incapable of working on a surgical ward where he came in contact with open wounds. Furthermore, it was our experience that it was difficult to maintain a working hospital and continue group training in medical and nursing procedures at the same time.

INSECT CONTROL

Tlemcen was in a non-malarial district; the mosquito offered no problem. mosquito nets and bars were used on the beds of all patients and personnel.

Bedbugs presented somewhat of a problem in the detachment and Officers' quarters. This condition was cleaned up by using dusting powder and scrupulous cleaniness.

VENEREAL DISEASE CONTROL

Venereal Disease in the unit presented no difficulties. There were but two cases since the unit was activated. A prophylactic station was maintained and instruction given the enlisted men by medical officers and chaplains.

RECREATION

Recreation for Officer personnel has been left largely in their own hands except for moving pictures which were shown as they came in for the patients and enlisted men. Generally speaking the films were old and second class. The nurses were sent for a week to the nurses rest camp, and had frequent three day leaves; the Medical Officers had two weeks at the seashore.

The enlisted men had a well worked out recreational program with an adequate day room. They were sent on trips, and swimming parties and had two weeks altogether at the seashore.

Recreation for patients was minimal largely due to lack of facilities, and space.

CONSERVATION MATERIAL AND MAN-POWER

Materials such as drugs, dressings, food, X-rays, etc. were conserved by control of issue and constant supervision of Ward Officers, and Chiefs of Service. For example, X-ray requests were checked by the Head of that department, and if there was any doubt in his mind as to the necessity for X-ray examinaton or the number of views requested, the mater was referred to the Chief of Service; all vitamin requests were Ok'd by the Chief of the Medical Service; all diet requests were checked and signed by the ward officer. A general check was made daily by the Hospital inspector.

By the use of civilians in the kitchens, laundry, latrines, and in general cleaning, enlisted personnel were free for other duties. Some civilians were used as additional clerks, stenographers, and technicians. Later Italian P.O.W.'s replaced most of the civilians. The P.O.W.'s were far superior to civilians in capability and industriousness.

FUNCTION AND ORGANIZATION

In operation during the past year the function of the Thirty Second Station Hospital was to provide four different types of hospital service:

(1) The unit fulfilled a normal Station Hospital service for troops from Command and nearby units. These patients were primarily acutely ill -- both medical and surgical -- and the majority returned to duty. The hospital also acted as a Medical Reclassification Center for those combat organization; the patients fall into three general categories; namely neuro-psychiatric, over-age soldiers unfit for combat duty, and the post-traumatic injuries unfit for combat.

(2) The second type of service was the care of patients sent to the rear from evacuation and other forward echelon hospitals. These patients came by ambulance and truck convoy from the Oran area and occasionally by train from the Algiers sector. Approximately 60% of these patients were surgical and included a large nmeber of battle casualties. Of the Medical patients approximately 10% were out-and-out neuro-psychiatric; another 5-7% were found to have psychiatric factors.

(3) The third function was to supply medical and surgical care to patients boarded for return to the zone of interior at a General Hospital, and awaiting the arrival of a hospital ship. Because of the uncertainty of time they would be in the hsspital and their anxiety to be on their way back to the States, these patients were the most difficult to handle especially from the viewpoint of morale and discipline.

(4) On two occasions by order of the Surgeon, MBS, the hospital performed the function of the General Hospital in Boarding patients for the Zone of Interior.

ORGANIZATION: The hospital organization and assignment of personnel was in accordance with TM-8-2600.

CENSUS:
There was a total of 7502 admissions and dispositions. Of this number, 7001 of the patients were personnel of the United States Army; the remainder were British, United States Navy, United States Merchant Marine, American Red Cross, French, and German and Italian Prisoners of War.

Back To Index | Home