1st Lt. Doc Sanders

We arrived in Ireland with World War I equipment and helmets. On our cartridge belts we had bandages, in what appeared like sardine cans dated 1918. They were practical and, presumably, still sterile.

The “un-canned” bandage could well be used for a sling, a head bandage, and to wrap around a limb wound or could even be used as a tourniquet. I taught the few men assigned to my medical detachment first aid, and together we practiced parade drills on an open field.

The men assigned to the anti-aircraft guns were equipped with World War I Springfield bolt-action rifles. These were replaced with automatic rifles prior to the invasion of Africa.