A bit of info for those not registered on here but just looking in and checking to see what we are about, next year the groups big project will be a deployment to Normandy, please see below.....ARMY NURSE CORPS NORMANDY MEMORIAL UNVAILING
NORMANDY JUNE 8th 2012 The Army Nurses Living History Group supported by their parent Group, The First Allied Airborne Association, are organising, errecting and unvailing a memorial to the Army Nurses and medical staff of the 91st and 128th Evacuation hospitals in the village of Boutteville, Normandy on Friday 8th June 2012.
On the 26th November 1943 the 91st and 128th Evacuating Hospital Units arrived at Tortworth Court, near Bristol, this would be their new home untill deployed to Normandy France. Months of anxious waiting came to an end when the units sailed for the shores of Normandy on June 9th, 1944. Setting foot on Utah beach the next day. The 128th is reported to have been the first Evacuation Hospital in Normandy, disembarked at 1530 hours, at Utah Beach on 10 June 1944 , setting up the next day near Boutteville, where it would stay until 22 June, Boutteville is about 6 miles from the coast and Utah Beach. Lt. Margaret B. Stanfill claimed the honor to be the FIRST 128th Army Evacuation Hospital Nurse to wade ashore in Normandy.
Nurses of he 91st and the 128th Evacuation Hospitals became the first members of the Army Nurses Corps to land on French soil during the Normandy Invasion. On the 11 June 1944, the 128th set up their hospital in the fields of a large farm in Boutteville, It was followed later in the day by the 91st Evacuation Hospital.
91st Evacuating Hospital at Tortworth Court England
(Copywrite FAAA / Courtesy of the Norwich University Archives and Special Collections)
128th Evacuation Hospital at Tortworth Court EnglandTortworth Court today
The 91st Evac hospital was operational by mid morning on June 12 and admitted 261 patients in the first half day of operation. Over the next seventeen days, the 91st alone cared for 2,142 patients and handled over six hundred surgical cases mostly from the 101st, and 82nd Airborne Divisions and the 4th Infantry Division.
The film clips below details the 128th Evac Hospital at Boutteville, the first clip below is a film made at the time to illustrate the role of a "generic" EVAC hospital, the film may very well be made up of various clips from other units in Normandy, however the clip between 54 and 60 is confirmed as the 128th at Bouteville, and the Dodge Ambulance can clearly be seen turning into the access road through the gate and driving down the track and turning left into the field passing the 128th Sign. The gap in the tree line is still there today!
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675075312_United-States-medics_setting-up-hospital_wounded-soldiers_128th-Evacuation-Hospital
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675075313_evacuation-hospital_registrars-office_receiving-tents_storing-belongings-of-patient
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675075314_evacuation-hospital_Professional-Sections_taking-X-ray-pictures_pre-operative-tents
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675037062_128th-Evacuation-Hospital_wounded-soldiers_hospital-tents_World-War-II
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675037065_128th-Evacuation-Hospital_wounded-soldiers_ambulances_medics-look-after-wounded_World-War-II
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675037064_128th-Evacuation-Hospital_wounded-soldiers_ambulances_soldiers-with-Red-Cross-badges_World-War-II
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675037063_128th-Evacuation-Hospital_wounded-soldiers_laboratory-technicians_microscopic-tests_World-War-II
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675060434_United-States-medics_128th-Evacuation-hospital_Newborn-infant_medics-seated-with-mother-an
Officially the Normandy Army Nurses Memorial fund will be launched at the
UK Stoneleigh Militaria show with a special large display depicting the Evacuation Hospitals in Normandy in June 1944, however the fund raising has been on going for some time with the FAAA undertaking a sponsored march and several fund raising evenings in Birmingham England.
In September the FAAA groups execs travelled to Normandy to meet with the mayor of Bouttiville and the son of the farmer who ownes the land on which both the 91st and 128th Evacuation Hospitals were set up.
A local British family living in Bouttiville have been our point of contact and have given us valuable assistance in organising the meetings we have had in Normandy and giving us the use of their holiday home to use as a base, we owe them a dept of gratitude as we could not have got this far without their help.
FAAA HQ Normandy
Locations are researched and plans are put together for the 8th June Memorial unvailing Having met the people we needed to see to get permission to establish the memorial we were invited to meet up with the owner of the farm on who’s land and buildings were used to establish the large field hospitals. Although the group had already done quite a bit of research on the location, some of it was we were to find out quite inaccurate! However when we were on the actual land and being guided around by the owner’s son it became quite clear exactly where the two hospitals were located and why. Jacques was a charming man who not only welcomed us onto his land but also into his house too; the house was of course central to the operation of the two Evac hospitals and from the outside had changed little since WWII.
Prior to the evening of the 5th June the house had been a billet for German Officers and part of the house yet to be restored and now used for storage had changed little inside since June 1944, in fact once in the area of the main Farm very little was different at all and one could very easily think we had gone back in time.
Hospital locations, A/B is the long barn with an arch under which vehicles could pass, the main farm house "C" can be seen below today and in June 1944, note the small sign indicating the 91st MED to the right!
Below Jacques directs us to where the 91st Evac hospital was located, this was due East of the farm and towards the bottom of the large field, Jacques points out the church tower in the village of Turqueville in the far distance as a reference point. This has been identified as the main surgical area of the hospital with recieving and the admin areas towards the top part of the field near to the main entrance and the road
(Copywrite FAAA / Courtesy of the Norwich University Archives and Special Collections) 
The pictures below show the entrance to the farm complex, it was through this gated (at the time) entrance that the vehicles of the 128th and 91st and later the collecting Company's drove through and in the case of the 128th turned sharp left between the gap in the trees as seen in the film clips above.
The aim is to erect a memorial in the form of a memorial plaque in English on the left hand stone gate post with a duplicate in French on the right hand gate post, if funds permits a memorial plaque will also be unveiled on our return from France at Tortworth Court to mark both Evacuation Hospitals stay in England before their deployment to Normandy
Wherever you go in Normandy, there are memorials to American Divisions, Regiments, platoons and individual Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen, however there is nothing to record and remember the input of the specialist nursing and medical teams from the hospitals that served there.
Join us in making history and rectifying this in justice.
The first Allied Airborne Association needs your help to raise enough cash to help cover the memorial plaques and individuals and groups to take part in the memorial day in Boutteville, Normandy on Friday 8th June 2012.
If you feel you or your group can help us please do get in touch, if you are in Normandy in June next year and able to make the Memorial day and especially feel you can make a contribution to the setting up and display of an element of the Evacuation Hospital on the actual site of the 91st Evec, again please do get in touch or pop along to the display at the Stoneleigh Militaria show in January.
All contributors to this project, either individual or collectively as a group will be registered in a book that will be presented to the Village of Boutteville at the memorial unveiling.
Regards to all
Lee Bowden & Amanda Ware
The First Allied Airborne AssociationThanks to Matt and Karen Nott for initial research, and the Norwich University Archives. USA for limited permission for the use of the original photographs which remain under US copyrite law.
Also a big thankyou goes also to the ‘Kings Arms’ Pub in Sutton Coldfield for support and fundraising, and the ‘Screaming Eagles’ Living History Group for their kind permission to allow part of the funds raised on the Airborne sponsored walk to go towards this project. Some feedback from other forumsMyAssAmDragon wrote:
Lee, fantastic amount of research there! And, for a worthy cause,too!
We'll be in Normandy next June, but am not sure if we actually return home on the 8th or 9th. Have already began planning some things for next year, but, will watch this as it progresses, and if the invite is still there, we may be able to support you guys.
Well done!
See you at Stoneleigh.
Manny Hi Manny, of course you are invited.
We do intend to keep this quite tight (As per COAM standards) we owe it to the Mayor of the Village and the land owner to have some control over who and what enters those hallowed fields. We are actually over there from the 2nd to the 9th inclusive.
Pop over and say hi at Stoneleigh mate, we will be able to brief you then and will show you some of the other research stuff we have which unfortunatly we can not post up on here at this time.
Kind Regards
Lee
MyAssAmDragon wrote:
Thanks Lee. Francine has the book "If I perish", written about the Nurses in WW2. It mentions the actions and history of the 128th quite a lot, including the stay in Normandy with the 42nd Field Hosital, which incidentally is the unit Francine and the girls represent.
There are some great photos in the book, but, I'm sure you've seen this, given the amount of research you've done.
Nice one,
MannyMorning Manny
The 42nd Field Hospital was another fine outfit who also came ashore at Utah, after quite an adventure off shore involving a mine field!
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675 ... ish-troops
42nd Field Hospital in action in Normandy
The 42nds role as a Field Hospital was somewhat different than that of the Semi-Mobile Evac Hospitals and were smaller and divided up into platoons to support directly an infantry division and was usually located at the level of the clearing station. Its function was to operate solely on casualties hit in the chest, abdomen, or large bone of the leg, but of course many other types of injuries and wounds were treated at the same time, but the idea was to bring major surgery as close to the line as possible and these hospitals were very close to that front line.
Of course many casualties bypassed the Field hospitals altogether and went straight to the evac hospitals and those hospitals performed some operations they may not of otherwise treated, however Field or Evac all these Hospitals were more on the line than not, those lines becoming some what blured. Although they were supposed to be not within enemy Artillery range there was always the constant danger of enemy action in their sectors.
It is surprising therefore that to date there is nothing in France to commemorate the part these brave men and women of the FIRST US ARMY played in the Normandy operation.
Although this specific memorial may be to the two units who set up in these fields in Bouttiville, it will also be a fitting memorial to all ANC and medical staff that saved so many lives in Normandy.
Regards
Lee
MyAssAmDragon wrote:
Agreed.
Do you have that book I mentioned? I'll bring it along to Stoneleigh if you like?I dont mate, but Amanda may do, I will ask her tonight.
There are some great Ladies outfits in the hobby today, some do the ANC and do them very well, I have seen Francine's group on the circuit, I think some of the girls may have been at Littlecote this year! every time I see them I am always impressed. It would be nice to think the girls can come together for this one, well at least some of them.
The Army Nurses of the FAAA have an affinity towards the 91st, but have covered several other units including Air Evac since the group was activated several years ago.
I will get back to you later Manny.
Regards
Lee
Another posting from our friends in the States, this time of the Airborne Triggertime Forum
Lee :
Wow...thats a ton of historical data & info there on this aspect of ETO US Army history.....great stuff...Battlefield medcine had come a long way even in 1944 since The First World War. Great effort by the FAAA to honor these folks who treated the wounded in WW II France ! Nice that the US Army is trying to help you here. Hope your memorial ceremony goes well on June 8th 2012.....great effort by your organization. Those photos & film links are great to look at ! Thanks for sharing !
TC I posted our Normandy Plans on the American Don Burgett (A Co 101st Airborne) Forum this morning and within a few mins Don replied:
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Quote from: Don on Today at 04:49:58 AM
Thank you all of the Army Nurses Corps for the information and a complete photo history of the Army Nurse Corp which dates back to Normandy, 10 June 1944.
When wounded 13 June 1944 in the "Battle of Bloody Gulch" I was evacuated through a tent hospital on the beach near where the Utah Beach Museum now stands.
Congratulations on your soon to be dedicated Memorial.
Don BurgettHi Don.
This is the first time I have posted on this forum and I am very impressed that you should find time to reply so soon after my post this morning.
I have your books and 3 copies of Currahee one dating back to 1968, you signed that for me back on 2006.
The Evac hospitals at Bouttiville cared for and no doubt saved the lives of many 101st troopers during the hard fighting post D-Day.
Our group have a great respect for what you and others did during WWII and our Honor Guard paraded your Division colors in Aldbourne on Remembrance Sunday here in the UK. I will write you up a separate report on that in a short while Don.
This is a great site and will be looking in daily and contributing when I can.
Kindest Regards
Lee Bowden
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Some more interersting correspondance, very much related to our deployment.
Hello
How amazing I work in the events industry and have worked at Tortworth Court for around 11 years and never knew the history of the hospital there till now, you can be sure I will be advising them to honour this in some way if possible
small world
AndyHi Andy
Small world indeed, good to hear from you mate, now what are you into to bring you here on this forum; obviously you are a keen follower of the American units of WWII and in particular the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment!
We visited Tortworth Court early this year as part of our research of the 91st and 128th Evac Hospitals. We would really like to do something at the Hotel to tie this all in Tortworth is very much part of the history of these American WWII Hospitals. We have a few more pictures of the 128th at Tortworth prior to deploying to Normandy, however we cannot publish them at this time, however we will have them available for viewing at Stoneleigh Militaria fair at the end of January.
Are you still based at Tortworth! I wonder if the hotel would consider sponsoring this project in someway!
It is hoped that on our return from Normandy we can look at marking the Army Nurses stay at Tortworth Court.
Keep in touch Andy
Kind Regards
Lee
FAAA
Hi Lee
my grandfather was in A co 506th n fought alongside Don etc till wounded in Holland 44
I dont go to Tortworth but would be happy to assist you in any way I can with ref to asking four pillars hotels who own Tortworth Court to maybe help with funding etc. I do know that they have a history leaflet etc in the hotel and were at one point very keen to promote the history of the building, so hey lets see what we can do!
One more thing my grandfather was treated after holland at the 97th us hospital near Oxford I believe thats where he was awarded the purple heart
What a job those amazing people did
Andy Lots of messages coming in, fueled in the main due to what we are doing next year in France.
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From: raveno44.triggertimeforum
To:BENNING WING.triggertimeforum
Sent:November 30, 2011, 12:25 pm
Hey Lee
Just finished a reply, then ...promptly deleted it! We Irish...here goes again!
Sorry for the delay in getting back, been busy with 'homework' for a meeting tomorrow afternoon with Hans Hooker, Superintendent of Colleville Cemetery. My great buddy Mayor Daniel Hamchin will be in my corner, he & M Hooker are pals. It's in furtherance of an element of another ongoing project. More soon...
June 6 2012. The memorial will be centrepiece of a 'jardin du souvenir'/Memorial Garden honouring the (very) mixed 101st/82nd elements that freed, then held Ravenoville/Marmion Farm on D-Day/D+1.
In the mix are: A/506; B/506; C/506; E/506; B/502; C/502; HQ 3/502; 377PFA; & HQ HQ/508!
The troopers' names will be recorded alphabetically by surname & unit on three plaques, each mounted on 3-metre high columns. A/506 will occupy one panel alone, as the predominant unit numerically which cleared Ravenoville village. This included Don Burgett.
Memorial conifer trees - already planted - will further honour those KIA at Ravenoville, plus those who survived D-Day freeing the village only to lose their lives elsewhere in Normandy, later still in Holland or Belgium. I begin site groundwork for the columns before Xmas.
June 2009? What a show! 300 guests, including the Prefet for Manche, local Mayors, 101st Division Association National President Colonel Tom Sewell & 'First Lady' Lois - great friends! Serving US military including Honour Guard & Chaplain to dedicate the memorial, French airborne veterans - what a bunch of dudes - French & Belgian re-enactors...
The plaque is sited on the wall by the entrance to the D-Day dairy farm where Lt Schmidt was KIA. Today, it's owned by my Brit buddy Dick Cooper who transformed the farm into gites/B&B rooms. It's been home to many vets, including Don Burgett & the likes of Mark Bando.
Dick & I are collaborating on a plan to further honour Lt Schmidt on site. The dining room/bar already has a display dedicated to his memory which I established in 2009.
I can't access photos just now - since yesterday I've been wrestling with my external hard drive which holds just about everything! Soon as, I'll send pics...
I'm thrilled you guys will be part of the latest mayhem! Goes without saying, anything I can offer this end in support of your most worthy endeavour...though, from what I've seen & read you're well ahead of the game!
In Friendship
DaveHi Dave this sounds awsome and we would be honored to be able to support you on the day. I hope our honor guard will be considered! It is quite fortunate that as well as our interests in everything 101st we also have close ties to HQ 508th and were involved in the memorial to that Regiment here in England, we would be very interested in knowing the names of the "Red Devils involved in this battle.
We can support you on the day with an Honor Guard for both the 101st and 82nd Division.
Below is the report for the 508th memorial.
http://www.faaa.me.uk/Wollaton%20Hall%202010.htm
I am guessing all the accomodation is now fully taken up at the Farm! We will be billited at the Utah Beach Holiday Camp, so not too far away.
Kind Regards
Lee
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