Letter of the Day: June 1

[this is a 3 ½” x 4 ½” handwritten order, and is a result of the Spanish-American War]

 

W.D. [War Department]

S.G.O [Surgeon General’s Office]

June 1. 1898

 

Orders:

 

Dr. William M. Gray, Microscopist Surgeon General’s Office will proceed without delay to New York City and report in person to Major George H. Torney, Surgeon USA for duty in the US Hospital ship “Relief.”

 

(signed) Geo M. Sternberg

Surg. Genl USA

 

To Dr. Wm Gray

Microscopist

Through Col. Dallas Bache

Asst. Surg. Genl USA

In charge of M+L Div.

S.G.O.

U.S. Hospital Ship, the Ernestine Koranda

The Ernestine Koranda


Verso of the photograph, includes signatures of what we presume to be her crew.

Whenever we have a new donation, no matter how small or large it is, it is accessioned and catalogued into the Museum’s collection database. Today I’ve been working with a photograph of the World War, II hospital ship, the Ernestine Koranda. She was named for the real-life Ernestine Koranda, an Army nurse who was deployed to Papua, New Guinea during the war. Koranda died tragically en route to Australia when her plane crashed, not long before her wedding, planned for Christmas 1943. The Ernestine Koranda was named for Lieutenant Nurse Koranda before the end of the war, one of a small number of service personnel to be honored in this way.

Ernestine Koranda’s personal papers and photographs can be found online at the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS).

Ernestine Koranda, MHS

The NMHM has quite a few examples of hospital ships in our collections. Here are a few of my favorites:

US Hospital Ship, the "D.J. January," was used on Ohio and Mississippi Rivers from 1862 - 65. Photograph of model at Army Medical Museum constructed for Centennial Exposition 1876 at Philadelphia.

U. S. Army Hospital Ship, Marigold: "Men Sunning on the Deck." [The Marigold, aka Old North State, President Van Buren, President Fillmore, was first deployed during World War, II on 07/19/44, bound for Italy.]

"(SE4-Dec.17) Casualty Evacuated - Yanks load a wounded GI [?] aboard a landing barge at Hungnam for transport to a waiting hospital ship in the harbor of the northeastern Korean evacuation port. UN [United Nations?] defense forces were compressed into a tight perimeter around Hungnam today as Chinese Reds pressed toward the escape beachhead. (APWirephoto) [Associated Press?] (jdc11305stf-md) 1950.

"Number 43. Taking wounded on board U.S. Hospital Ship 'Relief' from hospital at Siboney - Siege of Santiago, Cuba." [This USS Relief, pictured here, was constructed in 1895-96, commissioned in 1908, decommissioned in 1910, and sold into merchant service in 1919. her fate is unknown.]

Photo of the day, March 24

USS Solace. Commissioned on 08/09/1941; the Solace joined the Fleet on 10/27 and was the first hospital ship to be present in a naval battle when she cared for casualties from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

She won eight engagement stars for participation in this and seven other military operations:
Gilbert Islands, 11/24-26/1943;
occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 02/03-04/1944; capture and occupation of Saipan, 06/18/1944-07/02/1944;
capture of Guam 07/24 to 08/15/1944;
occupation of Southern Palau Islands, 09/06 to 10/14/1944;
capture of Iwo Jima 02/23 to 03/10/1945;
and the Okinawa Gunto operation, 03/24 to 06/20/1945.

The Solace was the first hospital ship to be refueled at sea while carrying a full load of patients, near the Gilbert Islands in 11/1943, and the first to receive patients directly from the combat area (in the same campaign).

As an illustration of her activity, during 1943 she traveled 37069 miles, took part in 10 evacuations, 6 of them to transport patients from the New Hebrides area to Aukland and Wellington, New Zealand. Total admissions to the sick list that year amounted to 6465, and she spent 5 months as a station hospital.

During the Iwo Jima and Okinawa operations 1800 units of fresh whole-blood, 1200 units of plasma, 136000 sulfa tablets, and 2.5 billion units of penicillin were administered. She admitted and treated about 25000 patients altogether, 70 percent battle casualties, and steamed over 170000 miles before VJ Day. Thereafter she engaged in transporting Pacific war veterans home and was decommissioned 03/27/1946.

The SOLACE had an overall length of 410 feet, displaced 8650 tons, had a top speed of 18 knots and a cruising range of 7000 miles.

Hospital ships. Solace (AH-5) Folder 3 12/10/1916; U.S. Navy BUMED Library and Archives