1 Reply Latest reply on Jun 22, 2020 1:23 PM by Sylvia Naylor

    Seeking records of 113th Evacuation Hospital & 105th Evacuation Hospital

    Newbie
    lisa wardle Jun 10, 2020 4:17 PM

      Hello, my aunt, Patricia Dunphey, joined the Army (2nd Lieutenant), July 31, 1944, as a nurse. She lived in Merchantville, NJ, a small town outside of Philadelphia. She left for England in 1944 and her unit moved from England, France and she was eventually stationed in Germany, near Viersen, in April 1945, having been reassigned to the 105th Evacuation Hospital . She wrote letters home during her time in Europe but all communication ceased in April and letters sent to her were returned.  According to what I heard from family, she was missing for a few weeks and there was no record of what happened to her. In July, my grandparents were informed that she had been transferred to  Mason General Hospital in NY due to a psychiatric breakdown based on her "incidence of service".  I'm not sure what that means?  She lived until she was 70 but she was forever changed and never spoke of her war experiences.

       

      In the letters she wrote to my grandparents while serving, the young nurse bears little to resemblance to the unhappy aunt I grew up around. From history, we know the war was due to end in 1945 but for those still serving, the outcome was unknown.  I have always wanted to understand her experiences and wish I had the courage to ask about what may have caused her breakdown although I'm not sure she would have shared them.  I am interested in any information that may be available regarding battles/skirmishes or hearing of other nurses/soldiers experiences during that time. Thank you.

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        • Re: Seeking records of 113th Evacuation Hospital & 105th Evacuation Hospital
          Sylvia Naylor Scout
          Sylvia Naylor Expert Jun 22, 2020 1:23 PM (in response to lisa wardle)

          Dear Ms. Wardle,

           

          Thank you for posting your inquiry on History Hub!

           

          The records of the units she served in may provide insight to what your aunt experienced. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the series titled “Unit Annual Reports” in the Records of the Office of the Surgeon General (Record Group 112) that includes one file unit for the 105th Evacuation Hospital and one file unit for the 113th Evacuation Hospital. We also located the series “Records of Historical Unit Medical Detachments (HUMEDS), 1940-1955” in Record Group 112 that includes a report of the 105th for January to June 1945 (Box 85). We were unable to locate additional records of the 113th. For access to these three file units, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) via email at archives2reference@nara.gov.

           

          Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT2. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

           

          Lastly, you may want to request a copy of your aunt’s Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). OMPFs and individual medical reports for officers of the U.S. Army who were separated from the service after June 1917 and prior to 1958 are in the custody of NARA's National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. In many cases where personnel records were destroyed in the 1973 fire, proof of service can be provided from other records such as morning reports, payrolls, and military orders, and a certificate of military service will be issued. Please complete a GSA Standard Form 180 and mail it to NARA's National Personnel Records Center, (Military Personnel Records), 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO  63138-1002.  You also may fax the form to 314-801-9195. Veterans and their next of kin also may use eVetRecs to request records. See eVetRecs Help for instructions. For more information see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests.

           

          Please note that due to the coronavirus public health emergency, the National Personnel Records Center is servicing only urgent requests related to homeless veterans, medical emergencies, and funerals. Once operations resume requests will be filled in the order in which they were received.  We apologize for any inconvenience.  We thank you for your patience and look forward to resuming normal operations when the public health emergency has ended.

           

          We hope this information is helpful.  Best of luck with your family research!

           

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