NARRATIVE HISTORY 109TH MEDICAL BATTALION UNITED STATES ARMY NORTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN 8 November 1942 - 15 May 1943 [Caveat: Place names and person names are transcribed exactly as read from a less-than-ideal copy of the original document.] The first units of the 109th Medical Battalion to see action in the North African campaign were the officers and men of [Medical Collecting] Company C, and the 2nd Platoon of [Medical Clearing] Company D. Company C was under the command of Captain Thomas E. Corcoran with the following officers associated under his command: Captain Francis Galle, 1st Lt. James T. Godfrey Jr., 1st Lt. Edward Vance Platt, and Warrant Officer Austin L. Knapp. The 2nd Platoon of Company D was under the command of Captain John J. Lepore, with him were the following officers: Captain Jesse L. Saar, 1st Lt. Sidney M. Schnittke. The story of the activity of these men properly opens the account of the African campaign in so far as it pertains to the 109th Medical Battalion, although at the time they constituted detached Medical units detailed to service the 168th Combat Team. Captain John James Lepore who was on this mission in command of the 2nd Platoon of Company D, has given a short account of their experiences as follows. "At 0800 hours on November 8th we landed on White Beach about three miles north of Sidi Ferruch, we came ashore in British assault craft. This beach which was two miles north of the prearranged landing point, necessitated a hike of approximately four and a half miles to the spot where the clearing station was to be established. Due to the landing of all organizational equipment on vehicles which had not yet come ashore, it was necessary to obtain emergency medical and surgical supplies from the British. These supplies were transported from the beach to the clearing station by the men." "The station was set up in the basement of a winery in conjunction with the medical dressing station operated by a British Field Ambulance Unit. After consultation with the commander of this unit it was decided that they would operate a walking wounded post while we should take care of the clearing station." "A few casualties arrived the first day, but the following day we were kept very busy with the treatment of a large number of wounded. On the second day our surgical service was augmented by a British Surgical Team under the command of a Major Glazier. The serious patients, after treatment, were evacuated by ambulance to the French Military Hospital in Algiers." "The following day, Monday, the entire unit moved to one of the buildings of the MUSTAPHA CIVIL HOSPITAL in Algiers, to which casualties immediately began to arrive in large numbers. All of the casualties who had been evacuated to the French Military Hospital, were returned to us. During the ensuing five days the capacity of the hospital which was originally one hundred beds, was swelled to over three hundred. Not only cots, but also litters had to be used to accommodate them, and the halls as well as the wards were filled. This group of patients included both American and British forces who participated in the invasion of Algiers." "On the 20th of November orders were received [by] the Clearing Company to move to BOUZAREA, we took up our station in a Normal School building. At this same location were situated the Regimental Headquarters and the 2nd Battalion of the 168th Combat Team. All patients with the exception of those not seriously wounded from the 168th Infantry Regiment were transferred from the Civil Hospital to the 94th General Hospital, British." "A clearing station was maintained at the site in BOUZAREA until our departure and return to the remainder of the Division on January 3, 1943." On the date of January 3rd, the Headquarters staff and the larger part of the 109th Medical Battalion landed at MERS EL BEBIR on the north coast of Africa. We were met on the long dock, which the ships use at MERS EL BEBIR, by Captain John R. Connell, and an advance party who had made provision for us to occupy a site the other side of ORAN, below the Mountain of the Lion, toward ST. CLOUD, as a bivouac area. It was eighteen thirty hours when we reached our camp site below the Mountain of the Lion, but such was the congestion in the port area that sleeping bags and tents, and barracks bags which had been left in the dock area to be picked up by trucks, did not reach us until 0230 hours of the following morning. Four days after the landing at ORAN, which was in the Sunday-Monday period, for we were not effectively set up until the following days, the whole Battalion was reunited. It was on the Thursday of that week that Company C and the 2nd Platoon of Company D rejoined the outfit. The latter part of the week in the ORAN bivouac was characterized by continuous rain, and rather bitter cold. It seemed that Northern Ireland is by no means the land of deep and succulent mud. The area became so churned up by the passage of trucks, and vehicles, that in order not to sink up to the knees in a black African morass, we had to build walk ways of rock from the kitchen areas to Headquarters, and so on. Even so it was a wet and black business getting around in it. On Saturday the ninth of January the 109th Medical Battalion moved out of their area near ORAN, and entrained for a city to the west of us named TLEMCEN. This was accomplished in the middle of the night. The Artillery Barracks at TLEMCEN compose a most impressive block of Moorish buildings. On the inside there are muddy halls, completely devoid of any furniture, and well inhabited by lice. The latrines were primitive to a degree, consisting in a small series of metal-doored cells with a cement foot elevation in the middle, and a hole in the floor. The medics were the last to reach this picturesque area and were of course unable to find any beds or lights, since what there were had already been commandeered, and were also assigned the undesirable duty of cleaning latrines. We did so, and by closing up half of the latrines, and digging a new plumbing system, and daily renewing the function of the remaining ones, we managed to improve conditions so that it was quite livable by the time we had to move. The time at TLEMCEN was spent on an already familiar training schedule. Our stay at TLEMCEN provided the men with many opportunities to talk French, and [make] some friendly contacts with people in the community. French classes were held for the various companies of our command, and by a liberal use of the hands and facial expressions, our men managed to do very well whenever they were permitted to leave quarters. It was towards the end of our stay in TLEMCEN that Major Paulus was advanced to his well earned rank of Lt. Colonel and the officers celebrated the event with a delicious dinner and suitable toasts. On the first day of February the Battalion moved out of TLEMCEN, by truck convoy. Travel was by easy stages, stops were made at SIDI BELL ABES, at ORLEANSVILLE, at L'ARBRE, at a station near BLIDI SETIF, and GUELMA, and the last part of the trip was made by night driving through mountains without lights to reach MAKTAR in the midst of a snow storm. The 109th was six days on the way, and as they progressed eastward the terrain became more and more rugged. It was on the way through GUELMA that the roads separated for the officers and men of Company C, who were assigned as a collecting company to the 168th Combat Team. At the same time Company A, was assigned to the 133rd Combat Team. This was on [February] 5th, Company B, accompanied Headquarters Detachment, and the two platoons of Company D, into the area beyond MAKTAR. Unfortunately due to being in different areas they lost contact with the rest of the Battalion. It was quite a little while later that Lt. Colonel Gerald C. Line came through the clearing station to tell his story of what happened to our comrades of Company C. The battalion historian made it a point to visit Division Headquarters, and the following is an excerpt taken from the record submitted by Lt. Colonel Line of the action in which the men of Company C were captured by the enemy. We submit the same without any change in the wording of the report, omitting the greater section of the same which did not have to do with the 109th Medical Battalion, and appended below it the list of officers and men engaged in that operation. Taken from report of activities of 168th Infantry in the SI BOU ZID FAID area 17 February 1943. Lt. Colonel Gerald G. Line, Executive Officer. Filed with C. O. 168th Infantry, February 24, 1943. I. The following report of activities of 168th Combat Team under command of Colonel Thomas D. Drake for period of 14th to 17th February 1943 in the SI BOU ZID FAID area. II. Disposition of 168th Combat Team including a number of units, among them: Company C, 109th Medical Battalion (T-6052) 14th February 1943 About 0730 hours a report was received from the 3rd Battalion that many tanks were advancing on DY LESSOUDS. At approximately 0830 hours word was received at Regimental Headquarters, that 2nd Battalion of 168th Infantry, located in vicinity of DY LESSOUDS was completely surrounded by enemy tanks. At approximately 0930 hours a phone message was received at Regimental Headquarters from C.C.A. [Combat Command A, 1st Armored Division] that plans should be prepared for withdrawal of 3rd Battalion. This information was passed to Colonel Drake, and to Lt. Colonel Van Fleet, commander of 3rd Battalion. The Colonel's decision was for the 3rd Battalion to remain in position for the day and retire [at] night, as a daylight retirement appeared impossible, that the Headquarters and Headquarters Company would withdraw to GARET HADID, and take up the defensive position on this high ground. At 1100 hours conversation over the phone from Headquarters to General McQuillan was interrupted with announcement "No More Over This Line, We Are Leaving". Colonel Drake immediately notified and ordered that all units carry out his plan of retirement to GARET HADID area. The Headquarters of Company C, Medical Detachment was ordered to start moving back immediately. But no communication could be secured with the team bivouac area or Company C, 109th Medical Battalion. The latter two units, as far as is known, never received word of the retirement. ------ BATTLE CASUALTY REPORT Company C, 109th Medical Battalion 21st February 1943 Verified by ROBERT E. RION, 1st Lt., Infantry, Personnel Officer [Army Serial Numbers omitted] REPORTED IN GERMAN HANDS: 1st Lt. James T. Godfrey Jr, MC REPORTED IN ITALIAN HANDS: Capt. Francis Gallo (NMI) 1st Lt. Harry H. Abrahams, MC 1st Sgt. Darlyl G. Betten Cpl. Uhl A. Haworth T/5 Burdette A. Bergman T/5 Leonard A. Wallenmeyer PFC Lawrence Buckley Jr. PFC Marion De Vries PFC Roy M. East PFC William A. Lindemen PFC Bernard E. Lynch PFC Edwin P. Martin Pvt. George L. Addington Pvt. James P. Caparell Pvt. Jerry J. Ellerbroek Pvt. Clarence L. Prosser Pvt. Harold E. Simmons Pvt. Marvin L. Thompson NOT REPORTED OTHERWISE THAN MISSING: Capt. Thomas E. Corcoran, MC WO(JG) Austin L. Knapp S/Sgt. William B. Craig S/Sgt. John P. Ondrejka Jr. S/Sgt. Dale L. Reichert S/Sgt. Ivan L. Sanders S/Sgt. Keith B. Smokstad Sgt. Dennis E. Berry Sgt. Merrill J. DeVries Sgt. Kenneth P. Saylor T/4 John O. Davis T/4 Arron D. Gaulke T/4 Charles L. Slavens T/4 Charles I. Summers Jr. Cpl. Francis E. Haglund Cpl. John D. Jones Cpl. Murray T. Prichard Cpl. Francis L. Wicklund T/5 Donald K. Chiquet T/5 Gerald J. Fetter T/5 Morris B. James T/5 Benjamin Salvatore T/5 George E. Strawser PFC Grant D. Collins PFC Joseph P. Creegan PFC Herbert P. Echter PFC Charles F. Foster PFC George Habben PFC Harry J. Hass Jr. PFC Robert J. Houghton PFC Luther C. Hutchinson PFC Martin C. Johnson PFC Paul J. Jordan PFC Russell C. Lathrop PFC August E. Nein PFC Fred H. Otte PFC Winfred A. Tidwell PFC Leopold S. Vaccaro PFC Harvey J. Vack PFC Lloyd A. Walhaug PFC Max G. Zavitz Pvt. Michael Belansky Pvt. William F. Bregin Pvt. Chester S. Campbell Pvt. John W. Carlson Pvt. Bernard J. Carlton Pvt. James A. Compton Pvt. Leo E. Earl Pvt. Leo L. Gagliardi Pvt. William Giambalvo Pvt. Raymond Habben Pvt. Clarence V. Haeglin Pvt. William H. Jopp Jr. Pvt. Alex Luskevich Pvt. Bub P. Martin Pvt. Paul W. Martin Pvt. Martin C. Osten Pvt. Louis E. Palma Pvt. Edwin A. Ristow Pvt. Tony L. Robles Pvt. Robert J. Smith Pvt. John M. Spiegal Pvt. Richard P. Thompson Pvt. William J. Vovra Pvt. Frank C. Zisa On February the seventh the Headquarters Company with Company A, and the two clearing platoons of Company D, pulled into MAKTAR in the night, and found the mountains in that bitter cold section of North Africa covered with snow. It was raining and snowing alternately in that first week which the men experienced in the field. Perhaps the night of February 16th will stand out more than any other of the African campaign in the memory of the 109th Medical Battalion. It was immediately following the German breakthrough in the KASSERINE PASS area. Word was sent out from Division Headquarters that the clearing station, and Headquarters, and Headquarters Detachment of the 109th Medical Battalion were to move to an area on the road from ROHIA to THALA, leaving not later than the time of 1818 hours in the afternoon. Actually the instructions did not reach us until 2245 hours. The period of two hours and fifteen minutes which followed found the ward tents taken down, the kitchen packed, and the men's personal equipment piled on top of the normal load so that by 0115 hours the Battalion was on the move. We proceeded a distance of approximately thirty miles on rough and slippery roads, without lights, and at 0300 hours the clearing station was erected in the dark, on a bleak and windy plain below the mountains behind, ten miles north of ROHIA. Casualties began to come in almost immediately and among them some of the Fighting French. The men of the hospital, both officers and enlisted personnel, pitched in with every ability at their command to bring warmth and medical treatment to these casualties, and they worked through a full day immediately following an uninterrupted night. Due to the intervention of the Allied Air Force, and a successful stand by the British and American tank forces outside of THALS, the German advance was brought to an abrupt standstill. The furthest they reached in our direction was a cactus patch, just south of SBIBA. The 34th Division moved into defense positions on the SBIBA-ROHIA sector. It would be of interest to record the casualties received in and passed on through the clearing company from the dates of February 16th to February 22nd. There were 850 wounded men received, of them 15 died on the way to or before they reached the clearing station, 5 died while with us, and the remainder were either returned immediately to the lines or went back to the medical installation at LEKEF, to which we were clearing the cases that needed a larger period of treatment or operative procedure which we were not able to render them on the field. Seven dead were buried in a British cemetery along the road towards LE KEF at EBBA KASSUR. In the absence of the regular Chaplain of the 109th Medical Battalion, who had been kept in a rear area hospital with jaundice, Chaplain Markham of Division Headquarters, and Chaplain English, of the 125th Artillery [Battalion], were most helpful. Rations of cigarettes and fresh oranges were received through the agency of our own supply detail, and the American Red Cross distributed daily to the patients who were most grateful to receive them. The Division with its medical support maintained itself in this position for about four weeks from February 16 to March 18. Daily communications were kept up with the different collecting companies. Company A, being in support of the 133rd Regiment, Company B in support of the 135th, and Company C, which was completely reconstituted, in support of the 168th Regiment. Word was received on February 23rd of the tragic capture of Capt. Thomas Corcoran, and Company C in the retreat from FAID PASS. A new Company C was reconstituted on March 7th under the command of Captain John R. Connell with Lieutenant Isadore Bernstein and Lieutenant Elmer G. Geronsin, MAC, associated with him. Men were drawn from the other collecting companies to join with those who had fortunately escaped the attack to make a new Company C. On March 19th Chaplain Kumm at last returned to the Battalion, after some difficulties surmounted in getting back to them. He celebrated the event by making a round of all units on the first day after his return, and it was with a grateful heart indeed that he took up his tasks once more. Up to the date of March 21st, we remained in our locations near to ROHIA, and activity on the front was almost entirely in the nature of patrols. We were receiving intermittent casualties, but none of too serious a character, the Battalion saw something of enemy air activity from time to time, but we were pretty well assured the Germans were not bombing hospital installations when, on the day after the move of February 16th, three German Messerschmitts passed directly over our installation, one peeling off in a dive, but did not bomb or strafe the red cross. There were moreover other occasions when enemy planes left us alone. In the retreat from the MAKTAR area, a number of our vehicles had been assigned to transport duty of the infantry units, while on such duty they were not of course under the protection of the red cross. Credit should certainly be given to the transport section of the battalion, at no time were vehicles out of commission for more than twenty-four hours. Trucks were hit by shrapnel, one ambulance received a direct hit from a German shell, which passed through the vehicle from side to side, fortunately at the time it was not carrying patients, and the driver was in a declivity a little distance from the machine. But when the shelling was over he got back to his vehicle and drove it back. II - The Battle of FINDOUK The period of time following the retreat from MAKTAR was advantageously used by the 109th Medical Battalion in reorganizing and reforming our collecting companies, and setting up a more efficient combat organization. It might be of interest to set down these changes whereby this end was accomplished. On March 16th Captain John Parke was promoted to the rank of Major, and on the 17th Lieutenant Alex R. Josephs was promoted to the rank of Captain, and was made the Adjutant of the Battalion. The roster of Headquarters officers therefore went as follows: Commanding Officer Lt. Colonel Edward W. Paulus Executive Officer Major John Parke Adjutant Captain Alex R. Josephs Plans & Training Officer Captain George S. Kuntz C.O., Headquarters Detachment Captain Theodore E. Murphy, MAC Bn. Transportation Officer Warrant Officer Vernon E. Johnson On March 24th, 2nd Lieutenant George H. Miller Jr. was assigned to Headquarters Detachment. On March 15, Warrant Officer John P. Jaeger was assigned to the duties of personnel Adjutant at the rear echelon which at that time was located at KALA DE DJERDA. The clearing company [Company D] was divided into two platoons under the general command of Captain Loyd K. Sheperd, the 1st Platoon was commanded by Captain Arthur W. Welling, with Captain Jesse L. Sarr Jr., Captain Leo G. Severa, and Lieutenant Archibald Fishberg in support. On April 24th Captain Leo M. Curtis was assigned to the 1st Platoon. The 2nd Platoon was commanded by Captain John Lepore, who had with him most of the old campaigners who had come through the ALGIERS landing, namely Lieutenant Sidney M. Schnittke, Lieutenant Edward V. Platt, and Lieutenant Milton W. Barry. Lieutenant Walter Berlin was assigned with the Chaplain, Lieutenant Earl G. Kumm, to the 2nd Platoon of the clearing company, and on April 12th Lieutenant Sidney M. Schnittke received a well earned promotion to the rank of Captain. It was on March 31st that we received a very capable addition to the surgical staff of the 2nd Platoon in the person of Lieutenant Ross E. Hobler, who had cared for a number of our officers and men when they had been sick and assigned to the 64th Station Hospital. He arrived among us as an old friend. To Company A, under the command of Captain Roger M. Miskel [were] assigned 1st Lieutenant Theodore Perl, and 2nd Lieutenant Ezra Davis, who arrived at Headquarters on March 22nd and was detailed to service with Company A on March 24th. With Company B, commanded by Captain Donald C. Deters, was Captain Merritt A. Auld, so that these two old campaigners went into action together, and with them were associated 1st Lieutenant William P. Appel and Warrant Officer Francis A. Murphy. Lieutenant Albert A. Kurland was transferred to the 3rd Battalion Aid Station of the 135th Infantry Regiment on the 1st of February, 1943. As previously mentioned, Company C was reorganized on March 6th at SBIBA under the command of Captain John R. Connell with 1st Lieutenant Izadore Bernstein and 1st Lieutenant Elmer Geronsin, MAC. On April 20th Lieutenant Isadore Bernstein was promoted to the rank of Captain. New recruits to Company C included 1st Lieutenant James A. Herrod on April 1st and Captain William Wright who was assigned from Headquarters to Company C on May 31st at the same date Lieutenant Herrod was transferred to the 133rd Infantry. Replacements were received through Headquarters in the following order: On March 31st Captain John P. Jones and seven men, and of April 3rd forty-two replacements almost all of whom were assigned to the collecting companies. We were in defensive positions throughout February 22nd to March 26th, the Headquarters being in a valley directly below the mountains behind ROHIA, the two platoons of Company D being in the open a mile and a quarter to the rear of them, and Companies A, B, and C in the valley in support of their assigned regiments between ROHIA and SBIBA. During this time the most that we saw of the enemy was some air action, for there was approximately sixty miles between our lines and that of the enemy, in which area reconnaissance patrols were constant. On February 19th, Company A received its first battle casualty from among our own personnel, Private Lee Gomez was injured by the explosion of an enemy mine. The ambulance in which he and PFC Marvin V. Wolterman and PFC James F. Shoemaker were riding was destroyed and the award of the Purple Heart was made to Private Gomez. On March 4th, while riding in a truck to the clearing Company D for breakfast, PFC Lyle N. Doane and Privates James Anderson and Lyle V. Rasmusson were strafed by an enemy plane and wounded by 20mm cannon fire. Oddly enough this was before the Division got into its heaviest action. While in support of the attacks on FONDOUK and MAKTAR we received no casualties to our ambulance drivers or to other operators of transport vehicles, and this most certainly [was] attributed to greater experience, and a very efficient care of vehicles, and missions, for the men were increasingly under fire. On March 26th, a sudden change of plans of operation occurred, we moved from the defensive to the offensive. Orders were received to Headquarters for the Battalion to move forward to the HADJEB area in support of our attack on FONDOUK. This move was accomplished at night time. In the afternoon the 168th Regiment moved off in the direction of SBEITLA, and Company C naturally moved in support of them. At night the 168th Regiment made a complete change of front, and moved through the KEF EL ALIMAR Pass to the area of HADEB EL AIOUN. They were replaced in the southerly area by the 133rd Regiment which moved off into SBEITLA. In the meantime the other two regiments, namely the 168th and the 135th, moved through HADJEB under the cover of night for our opening attack on FONDOUK Pass. The two collecting companies, C and B, moved up in support of them. The arrangements for the movements of the clearing companies were that we were to pull out at 0100 hours on March 27th, and the ward tents were not to be taken down until after dark on the night of the 26th. A clearing station was set up by the 2nd Platoon of Company D in the battle pitted area beyond Hill 620, and before the men came up the ward tents were erected and the hospital unit was in working order. We began to receive casualties at once, some of them seriously wounded, and our surgeons were busy throughout the following day, Saturday, March [27th]. The 1st Platoon of the clearing stations set up in a field about 150 yards to the east of the cross roads outside HEDJEB EL AIOUN. Across from them on the other side of the road was the Battalion Headquarters. The 2nd Platoon moved up to reinforce the 1st Platoon of Company D the following morning, although Captain Lepore and Lieutenant Berlin had already come forward for the work was proving pretty heavy for the surgeons and attendants at the clearing station. During the FONDOUK action. Company C evacuated 219 patients to the clearing station, and Company B, in support of the 135th Infantry, 583 men. In addition there were of course instances of wounded being brought in from strafing on the roads, from Engineer and Quartermaster Corps men, and from the Artillery. Company A remained back at SBEITLA with the 133rd Infantry, but on March 29th they sent up two ambulances with drivers to assist Company B in the evacuation of their wounded. We were sending back the more serious cases, and all men not capable of being returned to the lines, to the 15th Evacuation Hospital, just beyond SBEITLA. However on April 3rd conditions became so busy at the 15th Evacuation who were receiving wounded from the 1st Armored [Division] to the south of us, as well as from the 34th Division, that they had to pull ambulances out of our end of their service, and for that night wounded had to be accommodated in every available space, so that our four ward tents, our evacuation tent, and our administration tent were filled. That was the night that most of the surgeons worked continuously without sleep in both the surgical tents, and Captain Shepard and the Chaplain were up all night tending to the admissions, and caring for those who had to be put up as best we might devise under the circumstances. The following is an excerpt from the history of Company B, taken for this period from March 26th to April 14th. "On March 26th, we accompanied our Division, plus heavy reinforcements of artillery and armored units on a surprise attack on FONDOUK Pass. Our route of march was from SBIBA to HAJEB EL ARIOUN, and then forward on the KATROUAN-HAJEB highway. Our station set-up was about five miles east of HAJEB, but as the action increased in violence, enemy long-range artillery sought our location, and caused us to move our station a mile to the rear just beyond their fire. On March 28, the enemy struck directly at us for the first time. As casualties were heavy, and our road network good, we were running ambulances directly to the Battalion Aid Stations during daylight hours, and bringing all casualties directly back. This practice had to be abandoned on the afternoon of the 28th, as mortar and artillery fire found our range, hitting four ambulances and putting two of them out of action. We remedied this by withdrawing our ambulances a short distance to the rear in a protected area, setting up forward ambulance relay posts. Serious casualties were brought back to the relay post during daylight hours, either by peep or litter squads. At dusk we would move a convoy of ambulances to the Battalion Aid Stations in sufficient numbers to bring out all casualties. As estimated by the Battalion Surgeons, ambulances would remain at the Battalion Aid Stations until dawn at which time they would return to the relay post. This method was continued throughout the first phase of the FONDOUK battle and proved very satisfactory as we suffered no further loss of vehicles in this sector. Due to our heavy casualties and slowness of blackout driving, we were reinforced by Company A, 109th Medical Battalion, to the extent of two ambulances with drivers to use for rearward evacuation." "March 29, all vehicles are now back in action, casualties are still running high, but evacuation was prompt and uninterrupted." "March 30, our company area was strafed by a German plane at 1030 hours. The strafing plane swooped in low from out of the sun leaving a trail of explosive bullets across our entire area. The first burst knocked one ambulance out of commission setting it on fire. Two bullets hit our station tent, exploding on contact and riddling the tent and equipment, making replacement necessary. Fortunately, all men were in their foxholes at this time due to enemy bombings just ahead of our area. No casualties were suffered within our company due to this action. This action was done in clear disregard of the rules of land warfare, as set out at the Geneva convention. The station tent was clearly marked with a red cross on a white background 5x4 feet, and also a large red cross panel 12x18 feet was laid out in clear view. March 31, the action still continues, but casualties have decreased. There was considerable enemy air activity." "April 1st, action is quieting down and casualties much lighter. April 2nd, the Division made a withdrawal of a few miles, and set up a defensive position. We remained in the same place as during the action. April 3rd, 4th, and 5th things were rather quiet. Action confined to patrol activity, and spasmodic artillery fire. April 6, preparing for heavy action, picked out new station site near southwest end of MOUNT TROZZA. April 7, moved to new site, action and casualties light as yet. April 8, moved station four miles forward to speed up evacuation. Action and casualties very heavy. A terrific amount of artillery is being used, and all our activity is on the part of the Allies. Afternoon brought the much sought breakthrough, and gave us the opportunity of clearing the field of the dead and wounded. April 10, moved our station forward near FONDOUK Pass, mopping up and collecting of prisoners is being carried on. Very few casualties are coming in. April 11th, 12th, and 13th there was very little action. Our total casualties handled during the FONDOUK action was 583 men. April 14th we loaded up and started to move to the Division assembly area." From the Company C history the following excerpt is taken which is descriptive of the part which the latter played in the FONDOUK battle. "March 26th, Division began move toward DADJEB. PFC Pettengill, driving an ambulance, attached to the 168th Medical Detachment, won the dubious honor of suffering the company's initial and only battle casualty. A peep in the detachment's new area struck a Bouncing Betty, one of the balls of metal striking Pettengill in the calf of the leg, necessitating evacuation beyond the clearing station. March 26th, company following the 168th Infantry moved about ten miles south of SBIBA, taking off early in the following morning to arrive four miles east of HADJEB and establish the aid station. Casualties light." "Began the first phase of the assault upon the hills south of FONDOUK Gap on March 31st, the first wounded prisoner came through the station, getting besides excellent medical attention, a thorough searching for souvenirs." "March 31st, in the vicinity of FONDOUK, Tunisia, the 1st Battalion Aid Station of the 168th Infantry was subject to heavy artillery shelling, during that time Corporal Spofford and PFC Jobes were on special duty. Many shells landing directly in their area, they were forced to take cover in foxholes. Shells were landing twenty yards in front of their ambulance, shattering their windshield, damaging the body of the vehicle, punctured two tires and the radiator. They left their foxholes while shelling was still in progress, leading two patients, one seriously wounded, and began the return to the collecting company. Three quarters of a mile from the aid station, the ambulance stalled, due to damage, in full view of the enemy. PFC Jobes went in search of another ambulance while Corporal Spofford remained in the ambulance administering first aid. Upon arrival of commandeered ambulance, they reloaded the patients, and returned to the collecting station." "By April 4th the strength of the company was 96 enlisted men and four officers. Ten ambulances were available for duty. On April 7th replacements were transferred to 135th Medical Detachment, one of them being T/5 Leo D. Snapp, who shortly thereafter was crushed to death in his foxhole by an Allied tank." "April 10th, during the second phase of the attack upon FONDOUK, the company moved to the left flank of the Division, at the foot of DJEBEL TROZZA, but because the 168th Infantry was not actively engaged, few casualties passed through the station. Three ambulances were attached to Company A to assist that organization with the relatively heavy casualties it was being called upon to collect." "On April 11th the company moved into an assembly area with the 168th Combat Team halfway between HADJEB and the recently captured FONDOUK Gap." The FONDOUK battle naturally divides itself into two phases, for those in the Headquarters and clearing companies the division was marked by a move forward into an area about five miles northeast of HADJEB EL AIOUN. The first phase lasted about a week, then came the move to go back to the area from which we started out. Shortly after we had resumed our positions near the crossroads north of HADJEB the second phase began. Once more our Infantry doggies went up against that damned saw-toothed ridge at FONDOUK. Again we had the casualties, but this time the rumors were a little more encouraging, on the second day American and British tanks broke through. On the third day the British turned the flank of the German lines, attacking through PICHON, and the 135th reached the top of their sector on the fourth morning to discover that the Germans had had enough of our artillery and had decamped during the night. Oddly enough, our casualties were not as heavy in the second attack at FONDOUK. Many of them were shrapnel cases, and there were some high-ranking officers who came through at the end of the action having been right up in the front lines with their men, and many of them having continued hours in action after they had received their first wounds. We had some British tank casualties, the heroism of those boys was amazing. You couldn't make them complain even when you had to strip the burned skin off their hands and faces. III - INTERIM For a few days after hostilities ceased we found ourselves suddenly in a vacuum. The German had beat a precipitant retreat northward, hotly pursued by the British 8th Army. We were no longer at the front of the fighting, we were suddenly left behind it. Company D moved its clearing station back to the area which we had occupied in the days between the first attack on FONDOUK and the second. The Chaplains were very busy collecting casualties. In the height of the battle we had cleared 282 cases through the clearing station in one twenty-four hour period. Of the 282 who came to us, just two died in that twenty-four hour period, so our record for that time at least stood that if a man came to us alive he had 99 1/3 % of a chance of being saved. To do this our surgeons worked for hours without rest. and litter bearers, ambulance drivers, and attendants went without sleep, and toiled day after day without complaint. We would like to add to our account of the FONDOUK battle the list of men from the 109th Medical Battalion who received commendation for brave conduct under fire, and citations for the same, of Company B. PFC Sylvester P. Schuster PFC Herbert F. Wiegel Pvt. Walter P. Dorovich The citation for these three men who were together in the battle reads identically the same for each. "For exceptionally meritorious conduct on *** March 1943, at *** Tunisia, North Africa. While the First Battalion *** Infantry Regiment were advancing (these men) were assigned to their unit as ambulance drivers. During the attack the battalion area was heavily shelled by enemy artillery. One of the shells set fire to the camouflage net covering the ambulance. (These men) with utter disregard for their own safety, and in the face of heavy enemy fire, left their cover to remove the burning net from the ambulance. The courage of PFC Schuster, PFC Wiegel, and Pvt. Dorovich, and their coolness under fire was a credit to the Armed Forces of the United States." "PFC Schuster resides in Jessop, Iowa; PFC Wiegel in Ida Grove, Iowa; and Pvt. Dorovich [in] Hanshaw, Pennsylvania" The 34th Division cut back, going on the road bypassing FONDOUK, and up the narrow gorge to PICHON. From there we went still further to the rear, going over the dustiest roads most of us had ever seen to an assembly point just east of MAKTAR. Suddenly, as we had moved in the first place, we went on again. The collecting companies [were] now attached to their various fighting regiments, and it was more and more difficult for us to maintain contact as the moves were made. Leaving at night, the Headquarters and the 2nd Platoon of Company D passed through MAKTAR, and then took the road to the northwest; we bypassed LE KEF, going across to the west of it, and arrived around noon at SOUK EL ARBRE. That evening, and by strange coincidence, it was April 23rd, Good Friday, [when] we set up the clearing station just outside a French village called LE CROIX, the Cross. On Monday afternoon, April 26th, we went on again. This time we took the last arc of our horse-shoe course from FONDOUK to MATEUR. The point was that the last which the Germans had heard of the 34th Division was when we were behind the British 8th Army at FONDOUK. Now, by passing northwest to MAKTAR, then north to TABARKA, then west [?] to BEJA, we struck the battle line on the northern flank. Our course was almost that of a horse-shoe, and this last move on April 26th brought us back to the firing line again. IV - THE BATTLE OF 609 We made camp that night near a crossroad at a little railroad station called KSAR MEZOUAR, it was a spot ideally located from the standpoint of being readily available to transport from three intersecting roads, but also ideally located for aerial interference from the enemy, who would naturally wish to bomb a good crossroad near a water point and railroad station. We were to discover that in very short order. The clearing company reached their destination at MEZOUAR on April 26th, and the following day the 1st Platoon joined us having come more directly from the MAKTAR area. However we were not the first units of the 109th Medical Battalion to take the field for the battle that led to 609 and MATEUR. The Headquarters Detachment were already engaged in the field directly across from us, and the collecting companies had taken up their stations somewhat in advance. It is necessary now to break up the story once more into three parts, since the men in the collecting companies were leading entirely different lives from the men in the clearing company which supported them. Here is an account of the men in Company C, who were in support of the 168th Regiment. "On April 25th, the 168th having taken up a position in the middle of the line, 9th Division on the left, 1st Division on the right, Company C moved into a battle station at J3655." "April 26th, Captain James C. LeFon reported to the Company." "April 27th, strength was four officers and 90 enlisted men. On this day a TD [Tank Destroyer] unit, about a half mile ahead of us, became the object of artillery fire, and several shells passed over our area, most of them not exploding." "In this location flares were dropped [at] several heights by enemy planes, lighting up our area with an alarming brilliance. Though anti-personnel mines were usually dropped in the light of these flares, they were directed on other targets and none landed within a mile of us, to our relief." "May 2nd, the Company moved to J 3759, following the advance of the Division on SIDI NAIR STATION and Hill 609. With the fall of 609 the Division again moved by motor convoy east into another assembly area at the foot of DJEBEL ANA, prior to their taking off on the attack upon the hills about EDDEKHILA. Company moved to J 3739 into an old artillery position, thought to be out of range of enemy fire. Remaining here from May 5th to May 9th, we were surprised [in] the afternoon when artillery fell within 50 yards of the kitchen and supply trucks, causing a few uneasy moments for baker George Gilpin who had a cake in the oven and was afraid on it 'falling'." "During the fighting for the EDDEKHILA-CHOUIGUI Pass, the main road from the station to the Battalion Aid Stations was mined and impassable, necessitating using a trail along the foot of the hills on the right side of the valley. This trail was under direct enemy observation, and at times all vehicles passing over the road were fired upon by enemy artillery. Few ventured out, but the ambulances continued during the shelling and in the lulls, day and night, evacuating the wounded. The drivers earned their dough, and all of them are deserving of citations for brave and meritorious conduct." "Following the capture of the hills guarding the pass, and the completion of the Division's work, the 168th Combat Team moved into an assembly area at the west end of the pass, devoting time to relax, cleaning of vehicles and other equipment, and convoys to Tunis." Of Company B the story seems to be shorter than is the account in their company history of the FONDOUK affair, but Company B had the honor to be in support of the 135th Infantry, who were the lads that took Hill 609. The following is the very modest account of their experiences taken from their company history. "April 24, at 1830 hours we started a move; destination unknown. April 25th arrived at a new assembly area north and east of BEJA, about 12 miles. April 27th, combat team moved north and east into a line. We moved in behind them and set up for action. Our road network was very poor, casualties light. April 28th, we set up an advance collecting station on BEJA-MATEUR road to facilitate better evacuation of casualties from Hills 435, 490, and 609. April 29th, considerable number of serious casualties are coming in from Hills 490 and 609." "May 1st, we have a number of men sick from the dosage of atabrine [anti-malerial drug]. A high fever is run with constant vomiting and diarrhea. Average case runs its course from two to four days. Casualties are lighter, and the hills are nearly won. May 2nd and 3rd, hills are taken and prisoners being rounded up. Casualties during this period were 348 men. May 4th and 5th, moved to new area, 12 miles south of MATEUR. Some local action, many Allied planes are going over. May 6, moved forward a few miles. The 6th, 7th, and 8th of May are spent in same area. Action is light and casualties small. Some artillery fire concentrated in area just forward of us. May 10, moved back to MATEUR-BEJA road junction." Of Company A the record is even more concise, it is merely a series of dates and locations, although the Chaplain may testify that, even in his flying visits to Company A, he realized that a great deal was happening at these named locations. Here they are. "April 26, left area at 0800 hours. Saw Mediterranean Sea at TABARKA. Arrived at destination, 10 miles east of BEJA at 1730 hours." "April 28th, moved to area near SIDI NSIR, and set up station prior to battle of Hill 609. First casualties from this battle arrived 2000 hours." "April 29th, casualties heavy. Litter squads forward with infantry." "April 30th, casualties still heavy, Artillery and plane action heavy." "May 1st to May 5th, cleaning-up action in nearby hills by infantry. Casualties light. End of fighting for 133rd Infantry." On May 1st the clearing company at the crossroads near KSAR MEZOUAR was straddled with bombs, one fell across the road at about the distance of seventy yards from our installation, and fragments of shrapnel passed through two trucks and a number of pup tents, and whistled directly over the ward tents, where the men were lying, not on, but under their beds. As the advance moved forward, we went with it, setting up in a wheat field just north of the road about six miles further up the valley. Here we were treated to nightly shows over the ridge of hills directly south of us, for the American artillery was doing itself proud, and the reflection of their firing in the sky was, to say the least, spectacular. On the 2nd of May our men, having broken through Hill 609, moved on up to a position below the hills just to the east of it. On Saturday, the 8th of May, the Americans broke through the final ridge of hills at the EDDEKHILA-CHOUIGUI Pass, and again our medical units moved forward. This time the collecting companies went across the well-mined valley and up into the hills beyond. The end came so suddenly it was hard to realize. A final resume of the work done by the Medical Battalion in the African Campaign follows: A. In the retreat to ROHIA Casualties 226 Deaths 20 B. In the two battles of FONDOUK Casualties 733 Deaths 36 C. In the battle along the roads to MATEUR and TUNIS Casualties 468 Deaths 6 Total Casualties cared for 3,222. Total number of fatalities 62. [The document as presented here is - within the limits of the my vision, alertness, and stamina - an accurate rendering of the original; but it is not a "true copy". Occasional misspellings and typographic errors in the original have been corrected. Further annotations - primarily abbreviation and acronym expansions - and insertions of clearly dropped words may appear in 'square brackets'. - Patrick Skelly, for milhist.net] [Transcribed 2002-07-04]