Medicine Under Canvas: A War Journal of the 77th Evacuation Hospital by ALLEN, Max S

Kansas City, Missouri: The Sosland Press Inc. [& the University of Kansas, School of Medicine, 1949]. First Edition: apparently only 500 copies were printed for unit members. This is an extremely detailed history of an evacuation hospital in the European and North African theatres of World War II, one of only a few such histories published. The 77th Evacuation Hospital was formed at The University of Kansas Medical Center in 1942. Although preliminary organization began earlier, the unit was not actually drawn up until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941. The unit, comprised of 40 doctors, 60 nurses, and 300 enlisted men, was shipped out to England in May of 1942. They were active in Oran after North Africa was invaded by the Allies and in Sicily until the surrender of all axis forces in that theatre in 1943. They then returned to England and prepared for service on the European mainland after the anticipated invasion. On July 7th, 1944 the unit crossed the English Channel and supported Allied troops until the end of the war.A second edition appeared in 2008, as well as a documentary film containing interviews with unit members and original colour footage shot by Mervin Rumold, MD, a surgeon in the unit. The documentary premiered on Veteran’s Day, 2008. 4to. pp. [10], 196. text in double columns. profusely illus. in b/w, some map illus. map-illustrated endleaves tracing the movement of the 77th Evacuation Hospital from May 1942 – June 1945. cloth (some light wear, light damp staining to lower outer margins of last few leaves)