GUARDIANS OF FREEDOM
Saluting Those Who Served in the U.S. Army
Mary (Kelly) O'Connor in World War II, Part 2
by Janis Stein

Join in the continuation as Mary Kelly works as a World War II nurse, treating soldiers suffering from trench foot after the Battle of the Bulge.

The 103rd General Hospital saw their fair share of fractures - mainly leg bone fractures - but a good many arms were fractured as well. During the Battle of the Bulge in January 1945, soldiers who sought the care of the 103rd suffered from a different injury: trench foot.

Soldiers with prolonged exposure of their feet to dampness and cold often suffered from trench foot. If affected, their feet would become numb and then change in color from red to blue. If a soldier’s trench foot was in an advanced stage, he might also suffer from blisters and open sores, which in turn might lead to infection. While these patients were doing o.k. physically, they had to lie in bed with their feet exposed. Many soldiers, though, had not been treated in time; gangrene set in, and they faced amputation of their feet or even part of their leg. For most patients, the 103rd would be their last stop before returning to the states and, though they would be going home alive, many grieved for the loss of their limbs, and likely too, the loss of friends and fallen soldiers.

Though the old hospital’s windows did not have screens, the warmth of the summer heat made it necessary to open the windows in hopes of capturing even the slightest breeze. With the breeze, came the flies, swarms of flies, annoying the patients and wreaking havoc among all who spent their days and nights trying to create a sterile environment.

When Mary reported for duty one morning, she was informed of a patient who had complained to the night nurse. The soldier had been involved in a tank battle and now found himself lying in bed in the 103rd’s burn unit. While he had survived the fight, his struggle was far from over; throughout the night sleep had escaped him, for he felt like something was crawling under his skin. He’d have preferred another tank battle.

Mary tended to the patient immediately, requesting the aid of a red-headed officer on duty. Officers were in charge of the ward and were usually doctors. Donned with their masks – masks were required to be worn during every dressing change – the pair went to work removing the patient’s bandage. The wound had been infected from the flies, and Mary took a deep breath as she exchanged glances with her assistant. She was glad she was wearing a mask. Maggots – maggots too numerous to count – crawled over and around the infected area. In reality, Mother Nature had gone to work; the maggots had effectively cleaned the wound, though Mary would have preferred handling the job herself.

With a new dressing in place, the patient felt much better. Mary kept a watchful eye and was pleased to see the patient recover quickly; in no time at all, the soldier was so very happy to be out and about. So good did he feel, he decided to take in a movie.

The 103rd General Hospital was located in Southern England, and the complex consisted of several buildings, which included barracks to house roughly 300 Army personnel, a mess hall for the officers and nurses, another for the enlisted men, the many different buildings that housed the patients and a movie theatre. Anyone with a bit of time off enjoyed watching a good movie, as did the patients when they were able to move around.

When Mary was off duty, she might retire to her room for a bit to rest, a room she shared with three other women. Four single cots and four small lockers filled the room; it wasn’t much, but it was a place to stretch and recoup. Bathrooms could be found down the hall and, there, too, were the shower stalls. Before they left the states, Mary and her comrades were advised to bring as much toilet tissue with them as they could, for only two strips were allowed each time nature called.

Mary, a half a world away from Iowa, was pleased to see the letters from home arrived quite regularly. Mary’s room was near the front door and, when the bundles of mail arrived about once each week, the stacks were deposited in the open area just inside the door. Mail day was a big deal, and people emerged from every nook and cranny to sift through the letters, hoping one bore their name.

While American soldiers received top-notch care from the 103rd, so did any POWs who required care. Usually of German descent, though a few were Russian, the prisoners of war were held in a separate spider – or one section or room of a spider – depending how many they numbered. U.S. officers from the Red Cross Headquarters in London would travel to Southern England from time to time to interview the POWs to ensure they were being treated well. Most always the POWs gave the 103rd a favorable review, for they were treated with care and respect. What the POWs hungered for most, it seemed, was to learn the English language, and they sought an impromptu English lesson at every opportunity.

Going to the movies proved to be the most easily accessed form of entertainment, and Mary saw many a good one. One evening when Mary and her friends completed their duty for the day, they decided to catch the movie. Their fun was short-lived, however, because they received word they needed to report back to their assigned area in the hospital immediately.

Those POWs who were able to walk around were allowed to use the men’s latrine, located within their spider. Though under guard, a fight broke out in the latrine between the POWs. All off-duty Army personnel were required to return to their station until everything calmed down.

While Mary generally worked eight-hour days, seven days a week, that was not always the case. It seemed as fast as they sent recuperating soldiers back to the states, their beds would fill with another round. Regardless of the time of day or night, when the next convoy of patients arrived, everyone reported for duty. All patients had to be checked; all dressings had to be changed; and the nurses and enlisted men worked while they listened to the front-line news told by their most recent arrivals.

Be sure to look for the conclusion in next month’s issue when Mary (Kelly) O’Connor reflects on her service in World War II.

© 2008 Stein Expressions, LLC