Self-Inflicted Wounds in World War II
harryted
would appreciate it if any of the people who frequent this newsgroup
could help me with their expertise. I am curious to know what I can
find out about the frequency and nature of self-inflicted wounds in
the European theater. More particularly, I would like to know about
the common techniques soldiers used to get out of combat. Of
particular use would be any memoirs or first hand accounts (or even
fictional accounts) of soldiers shooting themselves. But I am also
curious about the following:
1) were such wounds treated differently from other wounds
at military hospitals?
2) were they investigated and what punishment came about?
3) are there any outrageous anecdotes about soldiers who tried to
get out of service by shooting themselves?
4) did most servicemen know the techniques used?
5) when were such wounds most common?
I recognize this is an extremely unpleasant subject, but I truly would
appreciate it if you could assist me with this. Any other information
you might have on the topic would be gratefully welcomed. Thank you.
Matt
> 1) were such wounds treated differently from other wounds
> at military hospitals?
> 2) were they investigated and what punishment came about?
> 3) are there any outrageous anecdotes about soldiers who tried to
> get out of service by shooting themselves?
> 4) did most servicemen know the techniques used?
> 5) when were such wounds most common?
Stephen Ambrose has a short chapter in his book "Citizen Soldiers"
that deals with this topic, among others (martinets, thieves,
sad-sacks, etc.). From my reading, if it was known that a man
intentionally wounded himself, he usually had to make it back to the
field hospital under his own power, even if this meant crawling or
whatever. Usually on principle alone, the field medics would not
offer any assistance to them.
Maybe start there and reference the bibliograpy, etc.? It's huge.
HTH,
Matt
--
Don Phillipson
news:3bc1014f...@news.pacific.net.au...
> I am curious to know what I can
> find out about the frequency and nature of self-inflicted wounds in
> the European theater. More particularly, I would like to know about
> the common techniques soldiers used to get out of combat
This is obviously a topic in the official histories of
various military medical services, e.g. US Army
and USN Medical Corps, Royal Army Medical Corps,
Canadian Army Medical Corps, etc. You probably
need to cite (a) their definition of self-inflicted wound
and (b) epidemiological patterns found (if any) in
case there were differences at home vs. overseas,
in hot vs. temperate climates, etc.
--
Donald Phillipson
dphil...@trytel.com
Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada)
613 822 0734
Cub Driver
>Maybe start there and reference the bibliograpy, etc.? It's huge.
Is it huge or just bloated? Ambrose seems to have written "The Wild
Blue" out of three references: Craven & Cate, Sherry, and the history
of McGovern's bomb group. Even when he quotes another book and another
author (Speer's book on the Third Reich, for example) when you turn to
the chapter notes you find that he's really quoting Craven & Cates's
air force history. On the basis of this book, I would take Ambrose
with a large grain of salt, preferably on a taco chip.
all the best -- Dan Ford (email: let...@danford.net)
see the Warbird's Forum at http://danford.net
and message board at http://forums.delphi.com/annals/start/
--
Ian McConnell
> Hello, I am doing a research project on the Second World War and I
> would appreciate it if any of the people who frequent this newsgroup
> could help me with their expertise. I am curious to know what I can
> find out about the frequency and nature of self-inflicted wounds in
> the European theater. More particularly, I would like to know about
> the common techniques soldiers used to get out of combat. Of
> particular use would be any memoirs or first hand accounts (or even
> fictional accounts) of soldiers shooting themselves.
There is a short account in Spike Milligan's memoires "Adolf Hitler - My
Part in his Downfall". They are travelling on a train to Liverpool (bound
for Africa) when one of the soldiers shoots himself in the leg with a tommy
gun. Unforturnately he has it on automatic and wounds two others in the
process.
--
DLS
or if the doctor noticed the telltale powder burns on the wound (and dug out
a slug from a Mauser rather than a Garand, Tokarev, or Lee-Enfield) and
reported it, summary execution - by hanging or strangling if that could be
arranged as the soldier was considered too cowardly to merit dead by
shooting.
DLS
--
WH Ralph
autobiography "Too Young to be a Hero".
Probably not a "common" method, but interesting.
W
harryted wrote:
> Hello, I am doing a research project on the Second World War and I
> would appreciate it if any of the people who frequent this newsgroup
> could help me with their expertise. I am curious to know what I can
> find out about the frequency and nature of self-inflicted wounds in
> the European theater. More particularly, I would like to know about
> the common techniques soldiers used to get out of combat. Of
> particular use would be any memoirs or first hand accounts (or even
> fictional accounts) of soldiers shooting themselves. But I am also
> curious about the following:
--
Now Really
Have you checked the U.S. Army Medical Corps histories? If not? why
not? There are at least 3 volumes on Europe alone.
harryted wrote:
--