My grandfather died from wounds on September 12 1944. 23rd Infantry, Co E.
We don't know if he died instantly or if he was originally hospitalized. Do I share his name publicly?
My grandfather died from wounds on September 12 1944. 23rd Infantry, Co E.
We don't know if he died instantly or if he was originally hospitalized. Do I share his name publicly?
Died of/from Wounds has a specific meaning in casualty reports and is different from Killed in Action:
Died of Wounds (DOW): A casualty category applicable to a hostile casualty who dies of wounds or other injuries received in action after having reached a medical treatment facility
Killed in Action (KIA): A casualty category applicable to a hostile casualty who is killed outright or who dies as a result of wounds or other injuries before reaching a medical treatment facility.
From "THE BULLETIN OF THE U. S. ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT #83":
The company aid man renders the first emergency treatment
for the soldier where he finds him and then directs or carries
him to the battalion aid station in a protected area which may
be 300 to 500 yards behind the fighting line. Here the soldier
is given emergency medical care under the supervision of a
medical officer, his emergency medical tag is started, and, if
he cannot be returned to duty, he is prepared for immediate
movement to the rear.
The second echelon, which takes over when the man
leaves the aid station, generally includes all of the remaining
service furnished by the division. Collecting companies
evacuate the aid stations to the division clearing station.
There are three collecting companies in the medical battalion,
and each may evacuate two or more aid stations. A collecting
station is generally located a mile or so behind the front and is
merely a stop-off where dressings can be checked, morphine
given, or emergency procedures carried out which will prepare
the casualty for the ride back to the clearing station,
which is usually 4 to 7 miles on to the rear.
The divisional clearing station receives casualties from the
entire division. Here there are greater medical facilities and
more medical officers. If the man can be returned to duty
within a few days, he is kept here, but if not, he is prepared
for further evacuation to the rear.
Ambulances transport casualties from the division clearing
station to the third echelon of medical service, i. e., an
evacuation hospital which is generally several miles behind
the division rear boundary, out of range of enemy artillery.
The evacuation hospital has equipment and personnel qualified
to carry out difficult surgical procedures, also nurses and
x-ray, laboratory, bathing facilities, cots, and other equipment
necessary to make a casualty comfortable. In this general area
there may be also a convalescent hospital to which casualties
can be sent from the evacuation hospital if they can be returned
to duty within a short time.
If you have access to ancestry.com, you can search the WWII Hospital Admission Card Files to see if he is listed: U.S., World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954 | Ancestry®. As the original records did not contain the name of the soldier, a search by service number would yield better results. Ancestry.com is available at no charge at many public libraries. If you don't have access to either, you can post his service number and I or someone with access to Ancestry.com can search for the record. The soldier's name may show up in the record as the names of some patients were added by Ancestry after comparing the service number to other military record collections
Died of/from Wounds has a specific meaning in casualty reports and is different from Killed in Action:
Died of Wounds (DOW): A casualty category applicable to a hostile casualty who dies of wounds or other injuries received in action after having reached a medical treatment facility
Killed in Action (KIA): A casualty category applicable to a hostile casualty who is killed outright or who dies as a result of wounds or other injuries before reaching a medical treatment facility.
From "THE BULLETIN OF THE U. S. ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT #83":
The company aid man renders the first emergency treatment
for the soldier where he finds him and then directs or carries
him to the battalion aid station in a protected area which may
be 300 to 500 yards behind the fighting line. Here the soldier
is given emergency medical care under the supervision of a
medical officer, his emergency medical tag is started, and, if
he cannot be returned to duty, he is prepared for immediate
movement to the rear.
The second echelon, which takes over when the man
leaves the aid station, generally includes all of the remaining
service furnished by the division. Collecting companies
evacuate the aid stations to the division clearing station.
There are three collecting companies in the medical battalion,
and each may evacuate two or more aid stations. A collecting
station is generally located a mile or so behind the front and is
merely a stop-off where dressings can be checked, morphine
given, or emergency procedures carried out which will prepare
the casualty for the ride back to the clearing station,
which is usually 4 to 7 miles on to the rear.
The divisional clearing station receives casualties from the
entire division. Here there are greater medical facilities and
more medical officers. If the man can be returned to duty
within a few days, he is kept here, but if not, he is prepared
for further evacuation to the rear.
Ambulances transport casualties from the division clearing
station to the third echelon of medical service, i. e., an
evacuation hospital which is generally several miles behind
the division rear boundary, out of range of enemy artillery.
The evacuation hospital has equipment and personnel qualified
to carry out difficult surgical procedures, also nurses and
x-ray, laboratory, bathing facilities, cots, and other equipment
necessary to make a casualty comfortable. In this general area
there may be also a convalescent hospital to which casualties
can be sent from the evacuation hospital if they can be returned
to duty within a short time.
If you have access to ancestry.com, you can search the WWII Hospital Admission Card Files to see if he is listed: U.S., World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954 | Ancestry®. As the original records did not contain the name of the soldier, a search by service number would yield better results. Ancestry.com is available at no charge at many public libraries. If you don't have access to either, you can post his service number and I or someone with access to Ancestry.com can search for the record. The soldier's name may show up in the record as the names of some patients were added by Ancestry after comparing the service number to other military record collections