TRANSPORTATION OF CASUALTIES

[Music] one of the roads that leads toward the front lines a road where convoys rumbled forward with men who will see action and battle many of the soldiers who move forward along this road are men who will face combat for the first time and there are fears and doubts that torture the mind will I be able to take will I remember everything they taught me what will happen to me if I get hit guess what will happen if he gets hit this question demands a frank answer a reassuring answer that will bolster confidence when the going gets rough [Music] one of the most important things that supports the morale of any fighting man is the knowledge that when she goes into action the Army Medical Service goes into action to yes when soldiers become casualties the Army Medical Service is there on the job ready to take over emergency treatment first of course then get the casualty back where there's full medical care ideally there'd always be literally what wars aren't made up of ideal situations when a casualty has got to be moved there may be no choice but to carry him as best you can let's look in on a demonstration of some manual carries see just how they're done the best all-around carry for handling injured men is the familiar fireman's carry it's particularly appropriate when a casualty is unconscious [Music] for a slight wound in a lower extremity or a sprained ankle the supporting carry is practical since it allows the casualty to support much of his own weight without aggravation to his injury with a wound in the abdomen the arms carry is good for short distances [Music] considerable distances can be covered using the Saddleback carry piggyback the children call it ease in covering long distances is its strong point but of course the Saddleback is impractical for handling casualties who are unconscious [Music] in instances when casualties are unconscious but have no broken bones the pack strap carry is useful when it's important to keep low on the ground the next drag may be used until cover is reached take advantage of the terrain a medic is no help if he becomes a casualty himself [Music] you [Music] another carry that has the advantage of presenting a low silhouette is the pistol belt drag of course the sling may be made of any handy material utilizing the principle of the sling again is the pistol belt carry it leaves both hands-free for rough terrain when two men are available a casualty can be carried farther and with less danger of aggravating his injury here we see the two-man saddle back carry if there is injury to the head or feet the forehand carry is effective provided the casualty is conscious and can hold on to the carrier's if the man is unconscious the to hand-carry may be used when it's important to place minimum strain on the body and legs the two man arms carry should be used the two men supporting carry is simple and serviceable yes military action isn't made up of ideal situations and ideal means of transportation aren't always available what injured men still must be taken to where they can get the additional treatment and care that they need [Music] it isn't enough to know most of the carries medical service personnel must know them all know their principles well enough so if they have to they can improvise a few others that aren't in the book useful though they are manual carries have definite limitations when any kind of litter is available and when there are men to carry it a litter offers better safeguards for the careful handling of seriously injured patients in the case of broken extremities broken backs or broken necks a litter is essential moving any severely injured man may do more harm than good except in extreme emergencies a litter should be used it's no picnic this matter of getting casualties back out of the lines but it's a job that has to be done and the men of the medical service somehow find a way to do it back again to a demonstration at one of the schools where a medical service personnel receive their trainings there's more than one kind of litter the Stokes litter which is frequently used for Shore to ship evacuations afford security for the patient when the litter is tilted wooden supports in the semi-rigid canvas litter give the litter firmness the straps hold a patient securely so that he may be moved in a vertical position if necessary like the mountain basket type litter not shown in this demonstration the semi-rigid canvas litter is particularly appropriate for mountainous areas though manufacture of the straight steel and straight wood litters has been discontinued they are not uncommon equipment in the matter of weight the straight aluminum litter has a very real advantage over the straight steel and straight wood types since it weighs only 15 pounds you there is also a slightly heavier folding type of aluminum litter not demonstrated here which is used extensively in airborne operations [Music] such are the more common letters with which the members of the Army Medical Service must be familiar [Music] out in the field the specific type of equipment used by a litter squad depends upon the kind of military operation going on and the availability of equipment medical servicemen will always find ways and means of getting casualties back to more definitive medical care whether it means slogging through overgrown swamplands or over the snowy wastes in the far north sleds and other over snow vehicles are the ambulances of the far north [Music] improvised litters may be used when others aren't available the pole and blanket litter may be improvised from blankets shelter halves tarpaulin or similar materials tent poles rifles any such things can serve as poles [Music] two or more blouses shirts or field jackets serve as the bed for the pole and jacket litter jackets have been buttoned linings on the outside and sleeves inside and the poles have been inserted through the sleeves [Music] a serviceable litter can be improvised by opening the ends or clipping the corners of sacks or mattress covers such an arrangement is called the pole and sack litter when there's nothing to use for poles a blanket or square of canvas can be rolled from both sides toward the middle the end of the roles become handgrips [Music] a litter for a seriously injured casualty can make the difference between life and death nobody knows this better than medical service personnel and their old hands at improvising [Music] [Music] moving casualties down a mountain slope an assignment like this can be as much a problem in mechanical engineering as it is a problem in medicine [Music] a Stokes litter or a mountain basket with the standard mono cable evacuation apparatus would be a better way to meet a problem like this but it's a mistake for anyone to underestimate the adaptability of traditional straight Army litters there are ways that competent medical service personnel can improvise to meet the challenge of formidable physical obstacles [Music] but no to emergencies are ever exactly the same what may be a practical improvisation under one set of circumstances could be wholly impractical in enough [Music] there's only one must every casualty must somehow be gotten out exactly how it's done will depend on the equipment available the personnel available and of course the all-important matter of the physical condition of the patient for short hauls to a rearward area the light easily maneuverable liaison type aircraft may be employed particularly in instances when the patient's condition demands a speedy evacuation [Music] there were times during World War two when the only practical expedient for getting casualties out of some areas was to employ a glider pickup airborne personnel received training on carrying out just such operations [Music] today the helicopter is more convenient and more commonly employed for evacuating seriously injured casualties from relatively inaccessible areas of course by far the most common means of starting casualties along their chain of evacuation is the ambulance or other motor vehicles which have been adapted for use as ambulances practically any army vehicle can be converted for temporary use as an ambulance let's look in on a demonstration of some of the possibilities two casualties can be carried on standard litter racks installed on a Jeep Organic through the regimental medical company for transportation of casualties the casualties securely bound to the litters are lashed to the vehicle by straps or ropes [Music] when standard racks are not available for a jeep improvised racks can be constructed [Music] a quarter-ton trailer can carry two casualties here again it is essential that casualties be bound securely to their litters and these litters fastened securely to the vehicle [Music] [Music] a weapons carrier can accommodate five litter borne casualties two on the floor with their heads toward the front end and three others crossways on the Box braces the two and a half ton truck can be rigged to carry up to 18 litters [Music] a duck can carry five casualties on its floor and six more above them when special rails have been installed along each side they operate efficiently as ambulances both on land and on water a river may be a smooth natural line of evacuation rafts may also be used as water ambulances Amtrak's and other amphibious landing craft such as lcvps and LCMS may be used as ambulances not only on rivers but also to evacuate casualties from the shore to seagoing transports and hospital ships yes making an ambulance out of anything that rolls or floats isn't just some theory taught in the classroom when there's a war going on the same vehicles that carry troops and supplies forward must sometimes be adapted to carry back the wounded [Music] it's much better of course when the most seriously injured casualties who have to be moved overland and be transported by ambulances ambulances are normally used to evacuate from battalion aid stations to rear areas the interior of a standard three-quarter-ton knockdown ambulance is gas proof ventilated meited and heated eight sitting casualties or four litter cases are a normal load however in emergencies two extra litters can be placed on the floor a door just behind the driver's seat enables the assistant to enter the body of the ambulance to observe the condition of patients and administer such treatment as may be required along with ambulances hospital trains may be used for moving casualties within the theater of operations patients can be made a good deal more comfortable on a hospital trail medical care can be administered as required and the feeding problem can be handled without making special stops but railroad facilities can always be first-class and there are times when there's no choice but to make the best of whatever is available boxcars are far from perfect they're hard to light and keep and since there's no passageway from one car to the next the care and feeding of patients is difficult but with all these shortcomings an adapted freight train may be the best method available after casualties have sufficiently recovered they may be further evacuated by ship transports or hospital ships hospital ships contain all the elements of a complete hospital they have a professional staff and full medical facilities in some instances ships of this sort are employed as offshore hospitals and sometimes they are used as ambulance ships that make the trip from foreign ports to the United States [Music] a hospital ship is a very satisfactory way to bring casualties back but it's also a comparatively slow way not infrequently casualties in the communication zone may be carried by ambulance directly to an airfield the military air transport service does the work of transporting casualties from theaters of operation to the zone of the interior [Music] it's a shuttle service casualties may go back on claims that have landed only a short time before with fresh troops which may be their replacements [Music] the medical facilities aboard these planes aren't is complete as those on a hospital ship but because of the special selection of patients for flight and the shorter time involved there's no need they should be these casualties are on their way to hospitals that supply the specialized treatment they require [Music] with larger transoceanic planes greater numbers of patients are taken at one time and there can be more complete facilities for their care and treatment while traveling in any case the destination is the same an American Airport [Music] [Music] from here patients may be transported by ambulances or by other claims to military hospitals or as is sometimes the case to hospital trains that will carry them to other medical centers that have the appropriate facilities for their extended care and treatment it's a long way from the combat zone back to peaceful USA and the only reason any casualty is able to make this trip or even get started for that matter is because of the work of nameless men and women who have conscientiously been watching over that casualties life and health from the very hour he suffered his injury yes the reason the casualties get back the reason there's such high hope for the lives of soldiers injured in combat is because the Army Medical Service has skilful resourceful personnel who know their job and know its importance [Music]