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DECEMBER 1944
December brought with it the challenge of the worst weather of the year. The mission came to an end because of tough operating conditions. Aircraft were dispatched when chances of success were best, with the hope some planes would find a fresh break in the overcast to get through to the targets. This persistence was rewarded on several occasions and justified in making the sorties despite the odds. As a consequence, results for the month were remarkable under existing conditions.
Percentage figures were not as accurate as desired in computing operations because sorties were flown despite odds against success. One hundred and fifty (150) individual sorties attempted, seventy-seven (77) or a little more than half, were unsuccessful. Seventy-seven (77) percent of the unsuccessful sorties were attributable to adverse weather. During December the Squadron flew a total of four day and nine day-night missions over Italy. Four day and four night missions were flown to Yugoslavia. Twelve individual sorties failed because of reception at the target. In three instances the wrong reception signals were given. Mechanical failure was responsible for two abortions. One aircraft was lost in action.
Despite these difficulties, a total of 234,624 pounds of supplies were successfully dropped. About 2,000,000 rounds of ammunition resistance troops had lost/75 pounds to Yugoslavian partisans. Several changes in the situation were made by choosing alternate aerodromes within the weather belts of the targets. Frantic detours were made in routes to be followed, and aircraft were sometimes aloft nine hours on sorties that had taken only seven hours before. Despite harsh operating conditions, morale of the Squadron remained high. Many combat crews who had become attached to the Squadron, which gave others a chance to rest after long and trying sorties. The Squadron faces the new year with high morale and the conviction that by all that 1945 would be victorious.
Pressure on the enemy retreating from southern Yugoslavia mounted when the Russian troops occupied Titograde. The Wehrmacht's Army Group "E" comprising the 21st Mountain Corps continued a slow, methodical withdrawal from Yugoslavia at the southernmost point of the Pear Basin. They pursued the road to Mostar. In about the middle of December, 21,000 Germans in contact with the 59th Infantry Division at Sarajevo, in a similar move were able to break out of encirclement and shortage of fuel, the columns were retreating with a minimum of delay. The enemy's 21st Fortress Division, pulled out of Scutari, was reported going into positions along the Drina River. At the month's end, considerable enemy traffic was moving along main arteries to Banja Luka and through the fortresses of Yugoslavia in an effort to escape the Russian pincer maneuver. Enemy troops were harassed by sporadic partisan raids during the month, especially all of the Travnik-Banja road and the lines between Doci and Jajce.
At the beginning of the month a situation had developed wherein approximately 267-1,000 enemy troops were gathered in the Podgorica area. Evacuation of these men by air was not feasible, and they were attempting to move up the Lim and Drin River valleys. Assistance in the form of airborne support (IAR) motor vehicles was being sent down from the Istria to aid the evacuation.
The airborne dropping grounds, "Takeoff" and "Piccadilly Circus" were situated in the flat open areas there. These dropping positions lie athwart the route of retreat of the German Army. A strong force of Germans was on the 21st of troops in the Podgorica pocket. Their extrication required immediate action. No major attacks could be launched by the guerrilla control for many because of his superior forces. But if weather and explosive bombs be gotten to the backs of partisans in the hills between the enemy columns, they could hinder and reduce the withdrawal.
In 5 December, the Squadron dispatched fourteen (14) aircraft during one daylight hours loaded with such supplies. The situation had become critical, with the enemy's forces causing columns to unite with the units around Travnik. Air Force commands felt that their flank was fortified by detachments of the Royal Air Force, and grave doubts were held as to the possibility of bombing "Takeoff's" the target area.
Five teams was dispatched early (0430) the morning of the 3rd and he reported the weather had not reached the dropping grounds. At 0700 hours, the dropping platform with Aircraft of the Captain took off and flew low over the area. Both these reports were received on the 2nd and 3rd. Low-to-day in a valley formed by the rim where, weather conditions were ceiling and visibility unlimited, and every aircraft was successful. Several days later the enemy forces overran the target sites, but in the interim all the supplies had been distributed, and harassing raids were carried out by the Partisans.
Targets along the lines of enemy withdrawal were the object of the Squadron several times during the month. Another completely successful mission was flown in December northeast of Sarajevo. The total weight of supplies dropped in Yugoslavia was 121,722 pounds.
At the end of the month the enemy was still on the move, apparently trying to gather his forces at Zagreb to check a possible Russian expansion below the Drina River. The Russian force was moving in through Cerna and Mitrovica. The Partisans continued to harass the enemy withdrawal and several bitter engagements in the mountains and foothills showed that they could not muster sufficient strength in one place at one time to win any major position, but enemy losses in motor vehicles and personnel were reported.
In the Italian area, the major movement behind the enemy lines during the month was dispatching the 42nd and 71st Infantry Divisions via the Julia area to Bosnia in Yugoslavia.
Accurate information as to the activities of the German forces was not available owing to communication difficulties. It was known, however, that several raids had been made in rear area installations, especially the railroad over the Brenner Pass.
The Squadron dropped 104,748 pounds to targets along the Franco-Italian Border north of the Po Valley and along the Italian side of the Franco-Italian border. Ground intelligence on the enemy's movements was obtained and transmitted by radio equipment dispatched to agents by the Squadron. One agent made a parachute jump behind the lines from a Squadron aircraft to facilitate this work.
With the advent of extremely adverse winter weather conditions in the Mediterranean Theatre, a difficult problem confronted the Squadron's operations. The home aerodrome at Brindisi lay so far away from the target areas of Northern Italy and Central Europe that either the aerodrome or the targets lay almost continually in a belt of poor weather.
The flow of most of the weather came from France and the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Another weather "trough" was the area around the toe and heel of the Italian boot were drainful in structure. Consequently, even though an area of low pressure existed at Brindisi, there was a probability that the target areas would be completely clear, and conversely, poor weather at Brindisi might exist although the target area might be clear.
The only solution was the utilization of aerodromes within the same weather belt as the targets, or in other cases, the utilization of staging airfields nearer the target areas.
When bad weather that served to close aerodromes was expected by the dispatchers beforehand, they flew to a field which was open and behind the front, and from that alternate field operations were carried out to the targets in comparatively good weather. Between the two fields, on the trip out, was the continually moving line of storms in an westerly direction, so setting out of Brindisi before it closed meant flying through bad weather to an alternate airfield.
The only fields suitable for this diversion were airports outside the Fifteenth Air Force's jurisdiction, which meant extremely complicated coordination and administrative problems. The aircraft so used were for the most part under the command of the Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force.
But something had to be done. That was clearly shown on the night of 7 December. All aircraft took off from Brindisi at approximately 1730 hours, prior to the passage of a severe cold front which threatened to close the field. Proceeding up the Adriatic at altitudes ranging from the deck to 24,000 feet, seven aircraft encountered severe turbulence, icing conditions, hail storms, and were forced to turn back. Two of the aircraft were caught in the edge of the storm belt and made forced landings at Foggia and Grottaglie aerodromes.
The day schedule of 16 December also emphasized the variance of weather belts between target area and base. Brindisi weather was ceiling and visibility unlimited and the aerodrome was clear except for 10/10 stratus which accumulated during the time taken to fly the great distance from Brindisi to enemy territory in the Emona-Turin area.
On 27 December, the ships of the Squadron diverted to Rosetto and Termoli airfields. These flights to alternates were made in the morning, and the aircraft proceeded on to targets after refueling in the afternoon, making a complete non-stop return to Brindisi after dark. These missions were successful in avoiding incipient adverse weather conditions at base, but most of the target area in the Alps was covered with 10/10 cloud layers.
The weather problem was a serious one. Attempts were made to combat adverse weather by using circuitous routes. Targets in the northwestern Po Valley and on the Franco-Italian border were reached by long flights via Naples and Corsica to the Julian west coast. The longer routes made use of the flight's odd and nine hours in duration and were an increased strain of personnel involved.
The equipment and its use along the western coast was limited by the curtailment of radio signals, and radio beacons were few and sometimes inoperative. Most of the navigation had to be carried out using an astrolet and picking up a pinpoint checkpoint through a hole in the undercast to give the navigator an idea of the wind direction/force. The meteorological information, supplied for the most part by the weather service of the Royal Air Force, was accurate and dependable upon nearby by squadron navigators.
An aircraft piloted by Lt. Tank left Brindisi on the last day of the month for one of the targets in the Italian areas, but was baffled by thunderstorms because of turbulence, ceiling, and hail squalls. It forced landing was made because of weather. They flew the third day to Port and were again forced to make a landing owing to adverse weather. They were again delayed in for a day and a half.
On the same night, an aircraft piloted by Lt. Heisinger requested an emergency heading to base from the high frequency direction finding facilities of the Fifteenth Air Force. The enemy intercepted their call and three times to follow a heading of three minutes at 210° (SW). Despite this the same storm, three hail storms broke out of five aircraft piloted by Captain Bradshaw in what was later described as the "Glass Section of the Squadron History."
All twelve of the aircraft dispatched the night of 31 December either returned to Brindisi or diverted by necessity to an alternate aerodrome.
Weather was not so not difficult. On the night of 27 December, when the weather was clear with slight ground haze, an aircraft piloted by Lt. Link bombed the target "Enrico" in the vicinity of Novara, Italy. A four-gun anti-aircraft battery opened up on them as they circled the target waiting for the reception and narrowly missed them with numerous, accurate, heavy flak.
On the same night, an aircraft piloted by Lt. Jansen flew to "Tomato", a target located high in the Italian Alps. While circling the area at 9,000 feet the navigator was severely affected by anoxia and after forty-seven (47) minutes the mission was abandoned because of reception failure. The navigator was hospitalized there, recovering without ill effect.
On 23 December attempts were made to drop supplies at "Billingsley", a Jugoslavian target north and west of Sarajevo. Hail squalls and solid fronts were encountered by the crews. An airplane piloted by Lt. Zeglin failed to return from the mission. Reports from Partisans later revealed that the crashed B-24 had been found in Yugoslavia.
The day previous, aircraft had similarly attempted to drop on "Billingsley" but were blocked by weather. Two aircraft crews reported large enemy convoys near the targets and fired upon them with machineguns, obtaining small hits.
The 21st December, all the Squadron successfully dropped on Toffee and Billingsley in a daylight attempt alone and unescorted.
On the 20th, an aircraft pilot by Lt. Link dropped propaganda leaflets on several Jugoslavian cities in which the enemy had concentrated his troops. Among these cities were Osijek, Prijedor, Brod, Sarajevo, and Prijeplje.
On the night of 18 December, two of the Squadron's veteran pilots, its navigator and radar, got through to their objectives despite 10/10 cloud cover all the way to the Brenner Pass. Their clouds was insufficient to achieve at their targets near when a hole opened up in the undercast, and to their tenacity.
On the night of 9 December, the "Bremen", "Tata", "Billings", and "Palermo" were also successful, fighting their way through to targets despite a severe cold front lying down in the Brindisi-west area, a front which closed in Brindisi for several hours immediately after the aircraft had departed for the night's operation.
December was a month of opposition to weather obstacles rather than enemy defenses.
With the presentation of the Presidential Citation to members of this unit, the part played by the 885th. Bomb. Squadron in the operations in Southern France was officially recognized on the first of December. This day brought to a climax the long months during which resistance forces were secretly supplied by the Squadron with the materials for liberation.
In a period of little more than three months, from June 9 to September 18, the 885th Squadron flew 464 successful missions into France, dropping a total of 197 Allied agents and 2,224,000 pounds of equipment. The value of these supplies was later estimated to equal the work of several army divisions, since German units diverted to check the French Resistance movements aided the Allies in their victories over the Germans in France. The French forces, which had been dependent solely upon air transportation for their existence, used these supplies not only for active fighting, but also for strategic destruction of German installations and for countless other specialized tasks. One such task, for instance, was protecting the right flank of the American Seventh Army in its rapid and daring advance to Lyons.
In this general scheme of aerial supply, the feat performed by the 885th on the night of August 12 was a brilliant high point, and it is for this accomplishment that the Squadron received the Presidential Citation. On that night the Squadron was assigned the difficult job of delivering great quantities of provisions and ammunition to resistance forces in the Vercors massif, where a full-scale Allied invasion which took place less than three days thereafter. This task was immeasurably more difficult because the night was dark and moonless, and each plane had to make its flight alone and unescorted, without radio navigational aids. In a region infested with German fighter airdromes and aircraft fire, each plane was required to descend among the mountains to an altitude of 1500 feet in order to drop their loads safely and accurately. In spite of these hazards, every crew achieved 100% success, with the result that 67,000 pounds of supplies and 18 agents were delivered to points where they were of direct aid to the ensuing invasion. In the same operation, leaflets announcing vital information to the French people in three (3) large cities in Southern France, were dispatched. Altogether, the mission of August 12 was an important cog in the machinery of Allied triumph in France.
The actual presentation took place on December 1 with a formal ceremony in which Major General Twining made the award and the entire Squadron took part. Several sessions of drill in preparation for the occasion testified to the readiness of the personnel in the elements of basic training, but the mysteries of cadence were thrown out to await final days on the day of rehearsal. The Squadron was divided into four flights -- Headquarters under Captain Good, Combat Crews under Lt. Border, Armament & Transportation under Lt. Mesnt, and Engineering under Lt. Collins. Enlisted men comprised the first three ranks, with the officers in the fourth file. There was a color guard, consisting of S/Sergeant Strouse, S/Sergeant Baird, Corporal Tost, and Corporal Tibboune. First Sergeant Gurry marched about among the men, attempting to bring some degree of order out of the chaotic mass.
At about 1315 the Squadron was formed by Captain Van Tuil near the flag-pole, marched out to the "line", and halted before an impressive background of B-24's. The band, which had been transported from Bari in two loads by a hard-working Liberator, made a dramatic entry (none too soon) at 1340, just fifteen minutes before the ceremony was scheduled to begin. The sky was cloudy and unsettled, and there was a distant indications that rain might arrive at an inopportune moment, and possibly drench General Twining in his flight to the base. The crisis was averted, however, and the rain held off until the formation was over, and shortly before two o'clock the General's shining silver B-25 came out of the sky and taxied to the apron where the Squadron was formed. General Twining and his aides were met by Colonel MacCloskey, while combat-camera shutters clicked and flashbulbs went off on all sides. After this, General Twining was met by Colonel Cochran's staff -- Major Bradford, Captain Hansen, and Captain Van Tuil -- and then he received the salute of the entire Squadron.
The ceremony that followed was brief and dignified. The colors were brought forward and saluted. The text of the Presidential Citation (which follows) was read by the Squadron Adjutant. General Twining commenced the Squadron for the meritorious accomplishment of a highly important and dangerous assignment, and for the cooperative spirit displayed by all personnel in making these accomplishments possible. He had a special word of praise for the members of the ground crews, whose unflagging efforts had played a major role in the effectiveness of the combat operations. The General pinned the battle streamer, emblematic of the award, upon the 885th standard. Following this, the Squadron passed in review, led by the band, and marched back to the barracks area. Individual ribbons were awarded to all members of the Command after the formation.
The presentation had been a fitting culmination of the hard and skillful work of many months. Moreover, it was an incentive to flyers and ground crews alike to intensify their efforts in this worthwhile type of endeavor, that the day might be hastened when every occupied country could be liberated.
885TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (H)(SPECIAL). For outstanding performance of duty in armed conflict with the enemy. Assigned the difficult and extremely hazardous task of delivering by air, throughout Provinces of southern France, eighteen (18) agents and 67,000 pounds of arms, ammunition and special supplies to units of the hard pressed French Forces of the Interior at clandestine targets scattered throughout Southern France, the ground crews worked diligently and untiringly to insure the mechanical perfection of their aircraft to enhance the success of this highly important mission. On the night of August 1944, eleven (11) heavily loaded heavy bombardment type aircraft took off, proceeded alone and unescorted, and each crew to their respective destinations. In the complete darkness of a moonless night, by use of celestial navigation and such recognizing points as could be discerned, with virtually no radio navigational aids available, all targets were accurately reached. Under these adverse conditions, the pilots, flying on instruments at 1,500 miles per hour, were ordered to fly at low altitudes over hostile and dangerous terrain, despite the presence of mountain peaks in the immediate vicinity of their targets. Under these extremely hazardous conditions, descents were made to altitudes as low as 500 feet, where dropping runs were made at retarded air speeds. Flying in the immediate vicinity of numerous fighter airdromes, within range of all light and heavy arms fire, these gallant crews successfully accomplished their assigned tasks with unerring accuracy. In the face of multiple and severe deterrents to flight, they successfully evaded the hostile ships and returned safely to base. Through their extraordinary skill in night navigation and instrument flying, through use of the spotlighted target and carried out the objectives with 100% success. A total of 67,000 pounds of supplies were dropped to the French Forces of the Interior, at strategic points for the immediate use in the support of the pending invasion. Eighteen (18) entire agents were safely dispatched to take their vital positions as communication links with the Maquisards, and 250,000 leaflets, alerting the population of three (3) large cities in Southern France, were dispatched. The outstanding success achieved by the Squadron in this operation provided valuable stores of arms with which the Maquis were able to give invaluable aid to the Allied Invasion of Southern France. By its outstanding courage, professional skill and determination of the combat crews, together with the superior technical skill and intense devotion to duty of the ground personnel, the 885th Bombardment Squadron has reflected great credit upon itself and the Armed Forces of the United States of America.
Following the inspection of November, Colonel Lewis J. Ciston, Fifteenth Air Force Inspector, visited the Squadron with a team of Air Force Inspectors composed of the following officers: Col. Baxter, Lt. Col Fraser, Lt. Col Stewart, Major Pope, Major Orr, Major Pope, assisted by 7 enlisted servants. The visit was made the 3rd together through the 7th December. Colonel MacCloskey made arrangements for quartering the inspectors in an apartment in Brindisi. The inspection was conducted with meticulous care, dealing with the detailed operation of each section. After four days the inspection was concluded and a critique was held during which Col. Baxter read his report to Col. Stewart and the heads of section present. Major points in the report were discussed as they were brought up. The inspection had three outstanding virtues: it was complete; it was fair; and it was constructive. In the final paragraph of his report Col. Baxter made the concluding comment:
"a. The arrival of this organization in this particular locality was greatly conspicuous. During this brief period both operational and administrative work accomplished under very adverse conditions."
"b. A parade ground has been developed by the Commanding Officer. This will add considerably not only to the appearance of the area but the military atmosphere as well."
"c. Records indicate that the primary mission of the organization has been accomplished in a superior manner. Credit for this record is due to the understanding, cooperation and team work between the Commanding Officer, his staff and other members of the organization."
885TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (H)(SP) OFFICE OF THE SURGEON APO 520 15 October 1944
SUBJECT: Medical History, 885th Bombardment Squadron (H)(SP), APO 520. (Supplemental Report No. 5 for 1 October 1944 - 31 October 1944).
TO : Office of the Surgeon, AAF/MTO, APO 520, 15 Army.
1. Medical history of this unit covering period from 1 October 1944
to 31 October 1944 inclusive.
A. Narrative Historical Account for period covered.
On 20 October 1944 the section departed for Brindisi, Italy, from Maison Blanche, Algeria. The section made the first leg of our aircraft accompanied by Lt. Filsner. The trip was made with Captain Adley in a C-47 with two enlisted men, T/Sgt. Berger and S/Sgt. Clark. S/Sgt. Campbell could not go by air. The surgeon and two enlisted men arrived by air carrying all equipment and supplies to the Port of the section until the ground echelon arrived with the rest.
The first few days at the new location were spent in temporary quarters with the CQ of another 15th AF Bomb. Group. Service troops and mess facilities of this Group were shared with them. Several of the 885th Group moved out over the next ten day occupying an area of their former area and quarters. This was a very difficult time because we were carrying on operations, trying to set up in a new area without adequate transportation, without adequate personnel and practically no equipment inasmuch as only the air echelon was here. Until 31 October 1944 when the ground echelon arrived with tools, equipment and the books, carpenters, and other housekeeping personnel very little could be accomplished towards setting up and providing sanitary facilities.
The Squadron dispensary was established in a permanent stone building in one of the sections for sleeping barracks running from dispensable aircraft belly tanks, lights were installed, a sink put in, an incinerator, and a pro station set up at once.
Sanitation was a difficult problem throughout this three month period mainly because of the poor condition to which the personnel of the preceding organization, and the location of the Squadron area on a low stretch of ground near the sea and nearly at sea level. This is responsible for a drainage problem which is not yet solved satisfactorily. The 397th. Engineers arrived at the base in mid-December to repair runways and also help with drainage.
Lt. Colonel Fraser of the Fifteenth Air Force Headquarters made an administrative inspection of the Squadron on 2 November 1944 which included both a sanitation and a medical inspection. The Squadron inspection of all aspects of War Department, Medical and Mess officers between 6 and 9 November 1944 by Major Wess, Surgeon's Office, Headquarters Fifteenth Air Force. There was no basic sanitary order at the time and some distance had been made in the records dealing with combat history and casualties. A basic sanitary order was written, the combat history was turned over to the Commanding Officer who designated Capt. Pierce to correlate this information.
During this three month period two of the enlisted men of the section were not available for duty part of the time. Pvt. Robert D. Perone was given a summary court-martial and his sentence involved his working with engineering M/Sgt. William F. Filsner departed in mid-November for the Zone of the Interior (ZI) for a thirty day furlough which ended on 20 December 1944 when he returned from furlough to resume his duties at the end of this period. As a result of this, a large part of the three months has been this section putting the enlisted men on line duty twelve hours every second night, having a charge of quarters on duty in the dispensary each night for first aid and giving prophylactic, regardless, if a man needed medical attention at any hour.
Pvt. Robert D. Berger, ASN 33624895, walks on punishment details occasionally away from the section and is also awaiting the sentence of a Section VIII Court.
No special citations were received by this section but the unit as a whole received the Presidential Citation presented by General Twining, 5 December 1944. The unit also received the Battle Participation Stars, 609.7 (Rome-Arno) 1 December 1944 to 9 September 1944, officially posted 15 October 1944.
ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY
Drainage has been the principal environmental sanitation problem. It has in turn engendered several other problems. It has made the construction and maintenance of latrines difficult in this wet winter season, made it has allowed waste disposal very hard to accomplish, caused urine seepage due to fill up and overflow quickly and has made police of the camp with the usual channel filled and ill kept.
The use of Italian civilian labor in the messes and as laborers has brought up another problem due to these people's poverty, uncleanliness, and unsanitary practice of defecating and urinating most anywhere except in the latrines provided for them. It was difficult to keep Italian civilians from wandering, begging, stealing, and plundering through the area.
Venereal disease among the natives of Brindisi is very widespread, and prostitutes as well as clandestines operate in large numbers throughout the Base. No cases of syphilis have been acquired here, but gonorrhea has sometimes have been too prevalent in the Squadron. The venereal rate for December in the Squadron was 172 per 1000 per annum. The Command has taken steps to provide recreational and educational facilities by constructing a good theater, a day room with a bar, sponsors courses in the Armed Forces Institute. For health educational activities a venereal disease is a "Cross I" course. The medical section has been doing its part since the first day in this location by maintaining a prophylactic station in the summary with a trained attendant on duty twenty-four hours a day, giving physical inspections, lectures on venereal disease, putting up posters, obtaining motion pictures dealing with the problem, and seeing that they were shown on the occasions.
OPERATIONAL HISTORY
By verbal agreement with the Commanding Officer and Detachment Commanders the following named units were cared for during the period: 859th Bomb. Squadron, Station 492 (H)(SP). Detachment Group, Service Group. Hdqs/Hdqrs. Fifteenth Aviation Engineer Attachment. CO "D", Station 13, 2077th QM (Prov.).
This section also conducted sick call for CO "D", 2077th QM Squadron (H) till their medical officer and enlisted men arrived sometime during their initial issue of supplies from this theater of operations. While this unit has no dental officer, arrangements were made with the Dental Officer of the 1st A/C Assembly Squadron for his services. As this section's dispensary is centrally located it has more of base dispensary functions. The section cares Pegular hospital runs, pulls ambulance duty, dental runs, sick call for unit and units without medical personnel, maintains prophylaxis station, makes immunizations, control inspections, gives charge of quarters, and renders first aid. Civilian employees by the Squadron have been given physical examinations and some first aid. Combat crews from various detachments in the Fifteenth Air Force were placed on detached service to our unit.
Patients requiring quarters were taken care of by personnel of the Air Transport Command which maintains a dispensary and airhead dispensary. In turn our unit with its flying Surgeons has cared for patients from the A.T.C., and all patients requiring hospitalization were sent to 26th and British Army hospitals in the vicinity. The British hospitals were very cooperative and have our patients excellent care.
Just prior to the end of the three month interval word was received that we were to move to Brindisi, Italy, and eight combat crews departed for this new location. Before the remainder of the organization departed from Africa it was necessary to immunize all personnel with plague vaccine because of the outbreak of several cases of bubonic plague in the rigors area. Final immunization was given to the ground echelon at Tunis, Algeria, and to the flight echelon at Brindisi, Italy.
During the remainder of 1944 no personnel were wounded in action. A few aircraft have failed to return from missions and their fate has generally been advantageous.
Venereal disease in the month of December was excessive and hepatitis, acute infectious, was quite a big factor in the lost during the last period of 1944, accounting for more time lost than any other condition.
WILLIAM F. MEYER Captain, M.C., Flight Surgeon.
uniform inspections, control inspections, gives charge of quarters, and renders first aid. Civilian employees by the Squadron are given physical examinations and some first aid. Combat crews from various bombardment groups in the Fifteenth Air Force were placed on detached service to our unit.
Patients requiring quarters were taken care of by personnel of the Air Transport Command which maintained a dispensary and airhead dispensary. In turn our unit with its flying Surgeons has cared for patients from the A.T.C., and all patients requiring hospitalization were sent to 26th and British Army hospitals in the vicinity. The British hospitals were very cooperative and gave our patients excellent care.
Just prior to the end of that three month interval word was received that we were to move to Brindisi, Italy, and eight combat crews departed for this new location. Before the remainder of the organization departed from Africa it was necessary to immunize all personnel with plague vaccine because of the outbreak of several cases of bubonic plague in the rigors area. Final immunization was given to the ground echelon at Tunis, Algeria, and to the flight echelon at Brindisi, Italy.
During the period September to November 1944 no personnel were wounded in action. A few aircraft have failed to return from missions and their fate has generally been advantageous.
Venereal disease in the month of December was excessive and hepatitis, acute infectious, was quite a big factor in time lost during the last period of 1944, accounting for more time lost than any other condition.
WILLIAM F. MEYER Captain, M.C., Flight Surgeon.
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