The Mediterranean Theatre from
an Evacuation Hospital
 |
| Lt. Annette Heaton 38th Evacuation Hospital From the author's collection |
Annette M. Heaton of Detroit, Michigan joined the Army
Nurse Corps as a Second Lieutenant on 2 February 1942. After several stateside
locations, she returned to Camp Kilmer following a Washington, DC weekend to
find her bags packed and ready for deployment overseas. 2nd Lt Annette and four
other nurses from the Midwest were assigned to the 38th Evacuation Hospital,
where, except for the death of one, they would stay together for the duration
of the war.
The 38th Evacuation Hospital was a unit from Charlotte,
North Carolina with the nursing staff equally divided between the North and the
South. This mixture of personnel would often result in reenactments of the
Civil War.
When the ship carrying the 38th Evac arrived at Arzew,
Oran on 9 November 1942, they were ordered to wait at sea until completion of
military action to reclaim Oran. Once landed, they began operations, and on 11
November 1942 a hospital unit with the American flag flying over the
administration tent was opened. Until 2 September 1943 the 38th Evac was moving
across the northern coast of Africa, establishing Evac Hospitals at Arzew, St
Cloud, El Guerrah, Telergma, Bega and Tunis. It was while in Africa that Annette
would have her picture taken with Ernie Pyle, a newspaper picture seen across
the US.
 |
| Photo and caption from an undated article written by Ernie Pyle in North Africa. Ann kept the original article with her military papers. Now in the author's collection. |
These evacuation tent hospitals were often 10 miles or
less behind the front line. Ambulatory patients would arrive by truck transport
while stretcher cases were brought in by whatever method was available. The
38th Evac had approximately 250 beds split between medical and surgical units.
Annette was a charge nurse on the medical unit, having three or four 30-bed
tents to supervise and patients with all types of viral infections, malaria and
battle fatigue.
As the front line moved, the Evac Hospital unit would
follow.
Ward tents would be taken down as patients were returned
to duty or sent to the Station Hospitals. The nurses might find a full ward at
the start of their shift along with orders to begin packing up before truck
transports awaited them at the day's end.
On 2 August 1943 in recognition of service, Annette
received the African campaign ribbon. A month later the 38th Evac left Tunis to
begin their train trek back to Oran. The memories of those five days would be
of a slow train that seemingly dated to the Civil War, K-rations for food, and
Arabs looking in at every town.
They left Oran on 15 September 1943 and arrived at
Pasteum, Italy 21 September. Military transport on open waters means one went
over the side into a landing craft. Annette learned to do this with the best of
them.
In reflecting on the time in Italy, the Battle at Caserta
is one Annette remembers well, with the German army on the Hill overlooking the
valley where the Americans were stationed. Later at Anzio in April 1944, the
medical units and living quarters were sandbagged to shoulder height due to the
ongoing battles and the general location of the unit.
For her 33rd birthday at Vairano, Annette received among
other things, shoelaces, a bar of soap and an egg. An egg was always treasured,
and with the help of the unit dietitian who was among those present, the yolk
became mayonnaise, and the “egg white turned the available sugar into a batch
of divinity.”
Age set Annette and her four primary companions apart
from the rest of the nursing staff. Most were only recent graduates from training
and therefore close in age to their patients.
It was in an olive grove outside Rome that the 38th Evac
listened on field radios to the reports coming out of Normandy about D-Day.
By word of mouth news traveled of Roosevelt's death.
Other hospital locations along the Italian route were Carinola, Massa, St.
Luce, Pisa and Montecatini.
All day on 2 November 1944 trouble was brewing for the
38th Evac, and work was underway to prepare for an anticipated flood of the
Arno River. Patients were given early discharge to their units, medical
supplies were being moved out, and personal gear put up on boxes with the hope
that the water wouldn't get that high. Annette received a citation following
the flood for leadership in evacuating her patients in time of peril.
The citation Annette received following the flood tells much of the story
of that event.
Headquarters,
Fifth Army Commendation
 |
| Medal received with her commendation. Author's collection. |
Annette M.
Heaton
is hereby
commanded for outstanding performance of duty Annette M. Heaton, N30622, First
Lieutenant, Army Nurse Corps, United States Army. On the night of 2-3 November
1944, when a hospital area was flooded by an overflowing river, First
Lieutenant Heaton, as supervisor of the Medical Section, assisted in the
direction of the safe evacuation of all her patients, many of whom were litter
cases, and directed the recovery of necessary medical equipment so that treatment
could be continued. Her selfless performance in the face of an emergency reflects
great credit upon herself and the military service. Entered military service
from Detroit, Michigan.
Signed L. K.
Truscott, Jr. Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, Commanding.
Seniority has its privileges and Annette had a US furlough for the 1944 holidays, returning in March 1945. The last duty stations for the 38th Evac would be Marzabotto, Fidenza, and Salsomaggiore, Italy. Even when a building might have been available, the 38th Evac would set up their tent city, knowing that great numbers of bed bugs would inhabit the building. The one time they did try using a building, they were in and out before the equipment was even settled.
With the end of the European war, concern still existed
for transfer to the Pacific front. Finally, on 3 July 1945, the duties of the
38th Evac were completed and they could look forward to the return home in
September. On 16 December, Annette received her final promotion to Captain.
When Capt. Annette M. Heaton signed her separation qualification record at Fort
Dix on 17 December 1945, the list of decorations included the European Theatre Ribbon
with six battle stars, a Meritorious Service Plaque, and the 5th Army Citation.
Following her return to civilian life, Annette married
Franklin Bassette and moved to Interlaken, N.Y. where she continued her nursing
career. Here they raised three daughters and continued to be active with
their grandchildren and civic affairs.
Dewitt’s Diary November 2, 1941, 1943,
1944
Sunday, November 2, 1941
Pete
and I tried the hunting. Pete shot one partridge. Helped him put his boat in
and brought up his electric saw.
Mild
and cloudy.
Tuesday,
November 2, 1943
Election
day. I began shingling again this morning but soon rained me off.
Edna
went to the Burg [Trumansburg] and got 100 feet eave trough for barn.
I
took Spotty down to lower woods. Got a 15 pound coon in no time.
Lorraine
W. was in a minute.
We
voted.
Thursday, November 2, 1944
Southwest
wind and very mild. Clear, temperature 60 to 70 most of the day.
Very
dry weather lately. Went to town.
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