Medics and weapons

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Liebstandarte
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Re: Medics and weapons

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Salacious Crumb
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Re: Medics and weapons

Post by Salacious Crumb »

There are pictures known of Dordrecht (NL) 1940 where FJ San. Abt. 7 has jumped and they have weapons and grenades on them.
There was a first aid station in one of the houses. Perhaps the guys in combad gear are there to protect the others who didn't have weapons...
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Re: Medics and weapons

Post by Gott Mit Uns »

Were they medics? Or were they KT's? Or were they just soldiers? Youl find that the field hospital of the Brit Paras at Arnhem (read Oosterbeek) was guarded by armed troops who were in the area. This doesnt make them medics.
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Re: Medics and weapons

Post by Salacious Crumb »

http://www.grebbeberg.nl/dordt/

Beeldmateriaal > Wieldrechtse Zeedijk [28]

There you will find the pictures of Wilfried Koch, part of Fj San. Abt. 7. He survived the war and after the war he corresponded with the author of the website.
As you can see they have battle gear and others don't, but they are all of the same unit.
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Re: Medics and weapons

Post by Gott Mit Uns »

Yeah Im not convinced thats an argument for Sanis actually being armed with grenades and assault weapons....theres no insignia, no armbands...nothing. Most Sani photos (including FJ ones!) have some form of recognition symbol on them. This just looks like a few "possible" Sanis or KT's (with pistols only), surrounded by a load of armed FJ. Does this mean we're going to see FJ re-enactors with red cross armbands and armed to the hilt with grenades and pistols now? :roll: I really hope not, because thats just farcical.
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Re: Medics and weapons

Post by Bauer »

There is certainly evidence within H.Dv 208/4 that gives credence to sanis being armed. It explains why the sanitätstasche zum umhangen replaced the pair of sanikoppeltaschen. Page 21 speaks of making space on the belt to carry patronentaschen. Sanitäter/Krankenträger being armed by a rifle was probably the evolution of a process (the sanitätstasche zum umhangen was introduced in 1942, about one year into the Soviet conflict) to both recover and secure casualties. The brutality of the Russian conflict was most probably the catalyst for this.

As a result of the broad disregard of medical services by the Soviets, this more than likely prompted similar behaviour of "sanis" arming themselves in the west in the latter part of the war. Certainly Spaeter in "The History of Panzer Corps Grossdeutschland" speaks of several instances of GD medical personnel being armed and actually engaging in combat (in one instance, the first kompanie of the GD medical battalion was required to fight, filling a gap during the defensive battles of late 1941). Paul Carroll in "They're coming!" speaks early on of a US paratrooper Leutenant in Normandy being captured after injuring his leg, and objecting to the sani treating him being armed with a P38. Anecodotal evidence leans towards the Germans having more confidence in the Western allies respecting medical staff as the Normandy invasion progressed, and correspondingly the German sani being more relaxed in not having to carry a weapon as a result.

This subject is very difficult to be completely clear on as there is little written or photographic evidence on the German sani in general, let alone this contentious subject. Tom (in my opinion) rightly says that we should adhere to the rule rather than the exception, but in this case - in certain scenarios - I suggest the rule may well be blurred and the exception hard to distinguish.

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Re: Medics and weapons

Post by rednas »

According to the KSTN's the medics who were between the regular infantry had to wear a pistol. How this was done in practice is unknown to me. Photos where you can clearly see the place where the pistol was worn shows some with and some without pistols (though these may be worn on other places?).
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