Hospital Ships were manned by civilian crews, employed by the Army Transportation Service, and received a contingent of medical staff provided by the Army’s Medical Department. Picture of British Hospital Carrier “Naushon” (converted American ferryboat with a capacity for 300 patients). Regulations were changed in many respects, but finally basic responsibilities were set up: Army Hospitalization and Evacuation were under the general direction of the Commanding General, Army Service Forces (ASF), while The Surgeon General was directly responsible for coordination and completion of evacuation plans and control of bed capacity in ZI General Hospitals, and for making available medical personnel, equipment and supplies for the care of patients, and the Chief of Transportation was responsible for providing adequate shipping (and rail) facilities, scheduling and operating the ships, debarking of patients at US ports, and transfer of patients to either Hospital Trains or Ambulances. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), it continuously sailed the Mississippi River treating almost 3,000 patients from both sides. Interior view of the surgical ward of the USAHS Shamrock. The earliest record of British hospital ship was Goodwill, which briefly accompanied a Royal Navy squadron in the Mediterranean in 1608 or 1609. This list may not reflect recent changes ( learn more ). There was a fifth vessel, the “St. The Hospital Ship could only be used for medical purposes and was therefore painted overall white and marked with the red Geneva Cross. In June 1804, a small vessel, in fact a 6-foot ketch named ‘Intrepid’ was fitted as a floating Hospital to receive sick and wounded for medical treatment. Cross-Channel evacuation looked impossible to improve, and sea evacuation to the United States was reaching its maximum capacity. 97% in 1943 – 75% in 1944 – 74% in 1945. In total 29 Hospital Ships had been authorized for the Army during WW2, but only 24 were in service when the war ended. They operated with British crews under the British Ministry of Transportation, and in 3 cases, with US Army medical complements on board (some were increased by adding extra personnel from the Auxiliary Surgical Teams and Hospital Trains). 14 Canadian General Hospital; No. They also served for evacuation of patients from forward to rear bases in the MTO and PTO Theaters. Commissioned 23 Mar 44 – US Navy Hospital Ship AH-9 ‘USS Bountiful’, ex-Henderson, built 1917 (former troopship) – 12 knots – 477 patients – San Francisco > Pacific 1 Apr 44 (decommissioned 13 Sep 46) by Larson, Harold cre. Originally a Liberty Ship, the St. Olaf was converted in 1942 in Boston on behalf of the US Army Transportation Service (USAT). In March 1944, as the number of transatlantic evacuees increased due to the expansion of American Forces and the drive to clear Hospital beds before the planned D-Day operation, the Army obtained temporary WD permission to embark non-ambulatory patients on Troop Transports. They served to transport, evacuate, and return patients from overseas Theaters to the Zone of Interior. During the early stages of the Tunisian Campaign (17 Nov 42 > 13 May 43) and as previously indicated, litter patients destined for the ZI were evacuated from Algiers and Oran to the United Kingdom on British Hospital Ships, while neuro-psychiatric and ambulatory patients were sent directly to the United States by unescorted Troopships. The patients were housed in 9 prefabricated buildings and numerous tents. Seventeenth century. 15 Canadian General Hospital (narrative) No. As a result of these problems, the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided to procure only 3 Army Hospital Ships (General Dwight D. Eisenhower initially had requested 5 ships by April 43). 13 Canadian General Hospital; No. It was to be unarmed and registered with both friendly and enemy powers, in accordance with the provisions of the 1907 Hague Convention. The ship participated in many of the Pacific campaigns during World War 2. In May 1942, it was decided to use cargo ship hulls and convert them into Hospital Ships. It later returned to the Palau Islands (Peleliu), and also took part in the Okinawa and Iwo Jima campaigns. 19 Sep 44 – WDGO 2 dated 5 Jan 45, US Army Hospital Ship ‘USAHS Louis A. Milne’, ex-Lewis Luckenbach, built 1919 (former cargo ship) – 12 knots – 952 patients – Boston > United Kingdom 19 Mar 45 – 200th Med Hosp Ship Co (decommissioned 22 Aug 46) Patient Capacity – 95 Litter, 246 Ambulatory, Hospital Carrier “Naushon”: Thousands of wounded veterans were treated in the handful of hospital ships that were anchored off of Korea ’s shores during the war years. During the Great War, Hospital Ships were mainly engaged in transport of sick and wounded military personnel from the Theaters of Operations to Hospital facilities at home. At the beginning of WW2 and during the gradual build-up of United States Forces in the British Isles, transatlantic evacuation from the United Kingdom back to the ZI was still an unresolved issue. For D-Day, June 1944, Navy shore parties loaded casualties onto LSTs and other vessels for evacuation to England. Although cold, damp, and unprotected by the Geneva Convention, the ships clearly demonstrated their effectiveness for moving casualties. During the Invasion of Sicily, both the ‘USAHS Acadia’ and ‘USAHS Seminole’ were on call, with additional support from British Hospital Ships and Carriers, while evacuation from the beaches was again handled by LST. and the AQUILEA … Some of the Medical Hospital Ship Platoons not only served aboard Hospital Ships, but were also involved with providing medical support on board Army and Navy Troopships. The US Navy operated its first Hospital Ship during the years of the Tripolitan War (1801-1805). Partial view of one of the medical wards aboard the AH-11 Refuge, former passenger vessel converted to a 626-bed Hospital Ship operated by the Navy. 3 May 43 – WDGO 27 dated 3 Jun 43, US Army Hospital Ship ‘USAHS Acadia’, built 1932 (former East coast passenger ship) – 18 knots – 787 patients – New York > N. Africa 5 Jun 43 – 204th Med Hosp Ship Co (decommissioned 11 Feb 46) Second Boer War. During WWII Australian-based hospital ships were operated by the Australian Shipping Control Board (ASCB) as HMAHS (His Majesty’s Australian Hospital Ship) although some sources incorrectly describe them as HMAS. The Hospital Ship unit was subdivided into a Headquarters, a group of Administrative Sections (Registrar-Supply-Chaplain-Chief Nurse-Laundry-Mess), and another group of Professional Sections (Surgical-Medical-Laboratory-Pharmacy-X-Ray-Dental-Receiving & Disposition). After the Battle of the Bulge, and the new and final offensive against Germany, extra patients began overcrowding many Hospitals placing a strain on personnel and bed capacity. Inter-service misunderstandings and rivalry, as well as incomplete specifications, and endless discussions, not only delayed the project, moreover it was even given a low priority! Studies and numerous discussions with Army and Navy representatives took place, doctrines and policies differed a lot. List of hospital ships sunk in World War II From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hospital … List of hospital ships sunk in World War II. After V-J Day, Hospitals Ships which could be released from patient evacuation were to be employed as passenger vessels for repatriation of American servicemen and women, and military dependents. 13 Feb 45 – WDGO 41 dated 23 May 45, US Army Hospital Ship ‘USAHS Frances Y. Slanger’, ex-Saturnia, built 1927 (former transoceanic passenger ship) – 19 knots – 1,628 patients – New York > United Kingdom 30 Jun 45 – 235th Med Hosp Ship Co – named after Army Nurse (decommissioned 7 Jan 46) Note: another Hospital Ship was the ‘USAHS Howard A. McCurdy’ (named after the first DC Officer killed in this war –ed), ex-President Tyler, built in 1920, and converted in Boston, Massachusetts. The USS Comfort, AH-6 (21 Jun 44 – 19 Apr 46) arrives at Hollandia, New Guinea, Dec 44. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. The list below identifies newly-built Army Hospital Ships and/or converted vessels. This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. It was decommissioned by WDGO No. an aggregate of 147 people (based on a capacity of 500). As stated before, the problem was that in mid-1942, Hospital Ships simply did not exist! There was however a serious risk, as contrary to Hospital Ships, which WERE protected by the Geneva Convention, Troop Ships did not bear specific Geneva Convention symbols, and thus represented legitimate targets for the enemy! Picture illustrating AHS Maetsuycker (converted Dutch-built liner, operating under Dutch Flag, but registered as an Australian Hospital Ship), which operated in the Southwest Pacific Area. That the DFID budget amounted to £14 billion last year many of the Pacific further... 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