2020-K
Medics/Corpsmen
with Carbines
We know that the M1 Carbine was
designed to be carried by military personnel not normally equipped with the main
infantry rifle, and as a replacement for the handgun that they would otherwise
be issued.
What is generally not known is that
the issuance of M1 Carbines extended to medical personnel, who are normally
considered “non-combatants.”
War Department Field Manual 27-10,
entitled “Rules of Land Warfare,” is dated 1 Oct 1940. Page 49, Section 181, paragraph 4b, under
Sanitary Service (ed. note: Medical Service) states:
“Self-defense defined - Although the
sanitary personnel may carry arms for self-defense, they shall not employ such
arms against the legitimate enemy forces. These arms are for their personal
defense and for protection of the wounded and sick under their charge against
marauders and the like.”
The Japanese purposely targeted
Allied medical personnel. To that end,
the Marine Corps’ Table of Organization of 27 March 1944 authorized 42 Carbines
in each HQ Company of Infantry Battalions to be reserved for use by medical
personnel. (See the chart below.)
The 10th Mountain Division’s Table
of Organization and Equipment, dated 4 Nov 1944 listed 64 carbines in a Medical
Battalion, but without a study of the manpower specialities comprising the
battalion, it is not known how many GIs in a Medical Battalion were actual
medical personnel. (The 10th Mountain
Division fought in the Italian Campaign.)
I recently spoke with Fred Olson,
who was a rifleman/BAR man with K Company/333rd Infantry/84th Division during 6
months of combat in Europe. (“The Men of Company K,” by Leinbaugh/Campbell,
copyright 1985).
Although almost 95 years old, Mr.
Olson’s memory remains sharp. When I
asked him recently if medics carried weapons, he said “Yes, of course. I know several that were with us who carried
pistols, but always concealed.” Although the German Army generally regarded
medical personnel as non-combatants, “in combat, they didn’t give a sh- - ,
assuming they even noticed the Red Cross on the helmet or the arm band.”
Following the capture of Saipan, the 4th Marine Division
published a detailed report on 2 Sep 1944 which included: “It is recommended that all Medical
Department personnel be armed with .45 caliber pistols. The caliber .30 carbine proved to be cumbersome
and awkward when handling casualties. On
many occasions, the necessity for being constantly armed was demonstrated.”
Many years ago, I was able to
interview Pharmacist’s Mate 2nd Class John H. Bradley, a Navy Corpsman who
served in the 5th Marine Division on Iwo Jima. The (enlarged) photo below was
taken on Feb. 23,1945, as he helped raise the first flag atop Mt.
Suribachi. Note the .45 holster just
forward of his right arm.
In Mr. Bradley’s experience, Corpsmen
attached to Rifle Companies preferred the M1911A1 pistol over the Carbine for
practical reasons. They had to carry
twin medical bags across their shoulders, and frequently had to carry or assist
wounded comrades off the battlefield.
Having a carbine could be burdensome.
Mr. Bradley told me that he used his .45 once on a Japanese soldier, who
charged at him while he was attending to a wounded Marine.
Pharmacist’s Mate 2nd Class George
E. Wahlen also served as a frontline Corpsman with the 5th Marine Division on
Iwo Jima, where he earned the Medal of Honor.
From the book “The Quiet Hero” (by Gary W. Toyn, copyright 2007), page
120: “George…had given away his carbine
a few days earlier. He had realized that
he needed both hands to treat the wounded, and it was difficult to carry both
his carbine and his medical bags. Then,
as if he needed further convincing, a day or so earlier he had to jump from his
foxhole to get away from a mortar round.
As he jumped away, the barrel of his carbine caught on a branch and
pulled him to the ground. Luckily, he
avoided injury, but when George found a BAR man whose weapon had been
destroyed, he gladly gave the Marine his carbine.”
On the night of March 25th, about
300 Japanese soldiers made a last-ditch attack against the Americans, including
a Field Hospital and billeting for medical personnel.
Do any readers have other
information on the use of carbines or other weapons by medical personnel in
WWII?
Marty Black and Don Hillhouse
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