What was it like being a medic in WW2?

Their job was not to conduct extensive treatment of the wounded, but to stabilize them and to prepare them for evacuation to field hospitals or medical centers to the rear. They were trained to stop bleeding, apply dressings, sprinkle sulfa powder on wounds as an antiseptic, and to administer morphine as a sedative.

Did the Japanese have medics in WW2?

The Imperial Japanese Army wasn’t known to have any issue with wasting the lives of its troops, but even still, they had medics to provide aid to wounded men.

Did medics get shot in WW2?

However, in World War 2, the Japanese deliberately killed medics. As in they concentrated their fire on medics, so a red cross was basically a death sentence. This is actually touched upon in “Hacksaw Ridge” which if you are any respectful person interested in WW2 you would have seen.

How many medics died in WW2?

Prior to D-Day, June 1944 ETO medical personnel totaled 132,705, of whom 62,000 were with combat forces and the rest with the Services of Supply (S.O.S.) – by March 1945 the number had increased to 245,387 men. During WW2 the Medical Department’s field forces totaled 13,174 casualties, of which 2,274 were killed.

What did medics carry in WW2?

During World War II, for example, Allied medics serving the European and Mediterranean areas usually carried the M1911A1 pistol while those serving the Pacific theater carried pistols or M1 carbines. When and if they use their arms offensively, they then sacrifice their protection under the Geneva Conventions.

Are medics safe in war?

According to the Geneva Convention, knowingly firing at a medic wearing clear insignia is a war crime. Vice versa, the convention also states that no medic should carry a weapon, or be seen engaged in combat.

Is it a war crime to hurt a medic?

Originally Answered: How is it a war crime to shoot medics? It isn’t a war crime to shoot a medic. If you knowingly engage an ambulance, hospital or a medic who is marked as such and treating wounded then yes, it is a war crime. Firing rounds across a battlefield and hitting a medic, isn’t a crime.

How were Japanese medics treated in the Pacific War?

The question of how were Japanese medics treated in the Pacific War is misplaced because so few Japanese soldiers surrendered. Japanese soldiers including medics for the most part simply did not surrender. Other posters pointed out that Japanese medics had not identifying markings like red cross arm bands.

What was it like to be a World War II medic?

Saying that a WWII medic had to be good under pressure is an understatement: since they were deployed alongside their units, it was often up to them to head out into the line of fire and try to save their fallen friends. Ben L. Salomon was a dentist when, according to the Jewish Virtual Library, he was drafted in 1940.

Why did Japanese medics not surrender?

Japanese soldiers including medics for the most part simply did not surrender. Other posters pointed out that Japanese medics had not identifying markings like red cross arm bands. Many of the captured Japanese soldiers were men so badly wounded that they could not resist.

What was the military’s attitude towards medics during the war?

The attitude towards the medics wholly depended upon the combatants and theatre. In the North African region and most part of Western Europe, troops were very considerate of the medics, and mostly restrained from engaging with any personnel associated with the medical team.