English items?

[Akko]

Did the US army use medical items for operating ,from the English when they were in the ETO?

Regards,
Nicolas

[Alain]

Hi Nicolas,
Hi Nicolas,
Yes they did !

The British provided a number of items under Reverse Lend-Lease agreements.
This not only included buildings, miscellaneous equipment, vehicles, uniforms, but also British-made or British-developed Medical Items. A number of Hospitals arrived in the British Isles w/o equipment or had to wait for it, or were ordered to pass it on to other US medical organizations that became operational before they did. So they either borrowed, ordered, or used British items (mind you, some problems were encountered with respect to the different specifications, characteristics, and operating features of British items vs. similar US items)

Due to missing and/or shortshipped medical items, many improvisations were necessary when operating under combat conditions. When due to the rapid advance of the Allied Armies, the supply lines collapsed, Hospitals often used captured enemy stocks for a while.

Best,
Alain

[johan willaert]

Even Austin K3 Ambulances, especially on USAAF airfields...

[Akko]

A great relief! Thanks for answering my question! Really thanks a lot!
It's because I bought a lot of medical items, but I didn't saw that they were mainly English.
I will post a picture when it's in my display
I really didn't expected that there were medical British made items
We learned something again

Would "S S Pakistan" be an English or American producer?

[PAdoc]

Nicolas,
Sorry to have to tell you this, but "S.S. Pakistan" is a marking found on inexpensive, lowest grade modern surgical instruments imported from Pakistan. "S.S." refers to stainless steel. These are currently marketed by American surgical instrument suppliers, and I would imagine UK suppliers as well. Unfortunately they are not WWII vintage.
Dirk

[Akko]

Ow to bad ...
It were only 5 scissors, and they looked indeed a bit to modern ...
I also had this feeling when I received them, could happen!
Now I can re-use them for my medic reenacting

Thanks Dirk!

[PAdoc]

Nicolas,
Now just because they are of modern manufacture and made of stanless steel, does not necessarily mean they cannot be used for some displays or demonstrations. We just cannot try to pass them off as originals. There are, and were in the 1940s, many patterns of surgical scissors. Most of those popular during WWII are still manufactured and used today. Stainless steel was the latest thing in surgical instruments so that is OK too, certainly for mid-war on. I routinely use some new instruments in my office that are of 1920s pattern. Things dont always change that much.

Why dont you post some pictures of the ones you have and we can identify them and see if they are of a WWII period style. Dirk

[Akko]

Here are some photo's!
Mostly English items ...

Thanks for the clues!
It's going to take a while when I will be a combat medic, due to reenacting of VN

[PAdoc]

Nicolas;
Thanks for sending the photos of your finds. The 2 scissors look like standard genreric operating scissors. The hemostat on the R. looks like a Rankin pattern, and the one on the L. is a Kelly. All are clearly period patterns and popular in the 1940s. They are of course stainless steel but that is OK. So fine for demonstrating what the instrument looks like and how it was used, until you find an orignal.
The syringes are not American, but German or Eastern European. I dont think British but I am not the expert here. Ben would know.

[Akko]

Thanks for telling me! This helps me a lot!
If I found original items, I would store them in my collection, to valuable to use ( in my opinion about MD items)
I will contact Ben for the syringes... Hopefully there worth something..