U S Army Ambulances Medical Vehicles In World War Ii

A “cool compendium” of photos and information about the vehicles that helped save American troops’ lives (Cybermodeler). Of all the armies involved in World War II, the U.S. Army developed the most sophisticated system for the transport and treatment of injured and sick soldiers, pushing the boundaries of available technology to give their men the best chance of not only survival but a full recovery. Each infantry regiment had a medical detachment tasked with conserving the strength of the regiment by not only providing medical and dental treatment but also undertaking all possible measures to keep the regiment healthy. In combat they would provide emergency medical treatment on the battlefield, then move casualties to aid stations they had established. At aid stations, casualties would be triaged, stabilized, and treated before being moved on for further treatment. Vehicles formed a crucial part of the Medical Detachment’s equipment. This fully illustrated, comprehensive book covers all types of medical vehicles used both in-theater and in the United States, including ambulances and technical support vehicles. It details vehicle markings modifications, for use in the evacuation of troops from the battlefield, and the other uses these vehicles were adapted for during the war—including their use as “Clubmobiles” and “Chuck Wagons” by the American Red Cross.

A fully illustrated book covering all types of ambulances and medical vehicles used bythe US Army during World War 2.

In 1940, the U.S. Army began to standardize the production of vehicles it required to fight a modern war—including support and medical vehicles. The first deliveries of the 3⁄4-ton Dodge WC54 ambulance arrived in 1942. Built by Chrysler, and utilizing the same chassis and engine as the entire Dodge WC series, the WC54 ambulance has specific features to use for the rescue and transport of injured soldiers. In all, more than 26,000 Dodge WC54 vehicles would be built during the war. Used by the U.S. military and its allies, it remained in service after the war in a number of countries including France. The Dodge WC54 ambulance is an iconic vehicle from this period, and remains highly sought after by collectors—it is still possible to find ambulances in varying states of repair available for sale. Based upon his own painstaking restoration of a WC54, the author presents in detail every element of this vehicle—chassis, cabin, electrical circuitry, accessories, and markings. He explains the adaptations made to the body, mechanics, and markings of the ambulance during the war, and shows the differences between the Dodge WC54s used by the U.S. military and those of the French army. Abundantly illustrated with more than 450 photos, this book is a perfect reference for all enthusiasts of military vehicles.

A detailed, pictorial history of the 1 1/2-ton Chevy truck and its use by the U.S. Army during World War II. From 1940 to 1945, large numbers of trucks of all categories were delivered to the U.S. Army by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors. Over 160,000 of these trucks were G-506 light four-wheel-drive trucks—which became the standard 1 1/2-ton, 4x4 truck for both the U.S. Army and Army Air Corps during the war. In addition, many more thousands were delivered to Allied forces as part of the Lend-Lease program, including nearly 50,000 delivered to the Soviet Union. Tough, well-built, and more agile than the deuce and a half, the Chevy 11⁄2 ton played a part in every theater of operations during the war. Its durability and mechanical reliability made it ideal for a wide range of missions. Not for nothing did Chevy advertise the trucks during the war as “Vehicles of Victory.” More than 75 years after it was designed, the small Chevrolet truck is still a favorite with collectors. This fully illustrated book details the different series of trucks and their many uses within the U.S. Army including cargo trucks, panel delivery trucks for the Signal Corps, dump trucks for engineers, telephone trucks, tractors, and bomb service trucks for the air force. It also covers their part in the Lend-Lease program, and their continued use after the war.

In this first history of the military ambulance, historian John S. Haller Jr. documents the development of medical technologies for treating and transporting wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Noting that the word ambulance has been used to refer to both a mobile medical support system and a mode of transport, Haller takes readers back to the origins of the modern ambulance, covering their evolution in depth from the late eighteenth century through World War I. The rising nationalism, economic and imperial competition, and military alliances and arms races of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries figure prominently in this history of the military ambulance, which focuses mainly on British and American technological advancements. Beginning with changes introduced by Dominique-Jean Larrey during the Napoleonic Wars, the book traces the organizational and technological challenges faced by opposing armies in the Crimean War, the American Civil War, the Franco-Prussian War, and the Philippines Insurrection, then climaxes with the trench warfare that defined World War I. The operative word is "challenges" of medical care and evacuation because while some things learned in a conflict are carried into the next, too often, the spasms of war force its participants to repeat the errors of the past before acquiring much needed insight. More than a history of medical evacuation systems and vehicles, this exhaustively researched and richly illustrated volume tells a fascinating story, giving readers a unique perspective of the changing nature of warfare in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

A detailed summary of all the types of Diamond T vehicles used by the US Army during World War II, packed full of period photos and diagrams. Between 1940 and 1945, Diamond T Motor Car Company supplied just over 50,000 vehicles to the US military, and also to the Allies. Of this, just over 30,000 were heavy 4-ton 6x6 trucks of varying types: cargo, tow truck, pontoon carrier, engineer, cartographic, etc. The "Diamond" would serve in all theaters of operations, wherever its robustness and reliability were necessary to complete the mission. Due to its expertise, Diamond T also produced the famous half-track, with more than 10,000 manufactured. All of these models are described in this work by Didier Andres, an expert in the subject. The text is illustrated throughout using archival and period photographs and diagrams.