A Bunch of Iwo Era Corpsman Gear Questions that need Answers.

[uplandmod]

I'm finally gathering some of my information on Corpsman gear from the many Iwo Books I have read.

 

What I would like to see is the following items if possible:

 

1) Battle Wounds of Iwo Jima stated that his unit had specially made modified corpsman bags made for the Battle. Only 21 were produced. Has anybody seen what these bags looked like. He was in the 2nd Battalion 27th Marines.

 

2) Red Casualty tags were used to fill out wound info and tag the wounded Marines. Has anybody seen these tags or have one in their collection?

 

3) In treating burns, Vaseline and gauze was used. What did the Corpsman use to carry Vaseline in his bag or was the Vaseline premixed into the Gauze. I would like to know whatever type it is looks like.

 

4) Some Blood plasma came in powder form and had to be reconstituted with liquid, does anybody have any pictures of this type of plasma or have one in their collection?

 

5) Tinture of Green Soap was also carried by Corpsman. What did it look like and how was it carried?

 

6) Mertiolate was also carried by Corpsman. I can't seem to find what these containers looked like. These were also used to draw "M"s on Marines forehead before they were evacuated.

 

7) Does anybody have a photo of ACE brand 3inch bandages?

 

8) And yes I still want to see a photo of the WWI USN Medical Brandy 2oz bottles.

 

I really just want to see pictures of these items.

 

Thank you!

LF

[subsystem4]

I'd be interested to see what the specially made bags looked like as well. I wonder if its like the medic bags some of us have that are like a modified m41 lower knapsack?

 

I have a packaged vaseline gauze bandage especially made for burns in my collection of medical items. that may be what your looking for. I'll post pictures when i get home from work.

 

-Jay

[uplandmod]

Thanks Jay! Would love to see that bandage!

 

LF

[subsystem4]

Here is a tincture of Mertiolate on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW2-VINTAGE-FIRST-AID-TINCTURE-MERTHIOLATE-IODINE-WOOD-CASED-VIAL-MEDICAL-/161248735201?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item258b2c6fe1

[Dirk]

Don't know if this would help but here are a series of tags to a Marine who was wounded several months before Iwo.

[uplandmod]

Thanks Jay and Dirk! Very nice!

[subsystem4]

This is the Vaseline guaze I have in my collection of medical items. I think its WWII. I'm not 100% sure but its probably what they were talking about. This one came out of a mouse eaten 1943 Aeronautic First Aid Kit that I saved the contents of.

[subsystem4]

and just for fun, a US Navy contract carlisle bandage.

[subsystem4]

Tincture of green soap is a mild disinfectant but i know they often made a solution by dissolving soap shavings in water to clean wounds.

I know bars of soap were commonly carried in the corpsman's bag too. Palmolive was green colored soap if i remember correctly. I may have an old 1940s bar around here.

-Jay

[uplandmod]

Nice items! Thank you for posting

 

I remember somebody here went over the medical Stock Numbers will have to find that thread. Good to know what these items look like, I would have never guessed "Vaseline" would also be called Petrolatum, but yes that make sense now.

 

That is a good guess about the soap, I wonder if there was a medical issue soap specially made for these kits.

 

A local surplus store has a bunch of those navy bandages, when I come back from Japan I will be picking some up.

 

Thank you again,

 

LF

[subsystem4]

Nice items! Thank you for posting

 

I remember somebody here went over the medical Stock Numbers will have to find that thread. Good to know what these items look like, I would have never guessed "Vaseline" would also be called Petrolatum, but yes that make sense now.

 

That is a good guess about the soap, I wonder if there was a medical issue soap specially made for these kits.

 

A local surplus store has a bunch of those navy bandages, when I come back from Japan I will be picking some up.

 

Thank you again,

 

LF

There would have been an issue bottle of some type of tincture of green soap. From what i know its soap with isopropyl alcohol and glycerin that was used on instruments. Probably more of a hospital/surgical item. I have never personally seen a container for it.

Bar soap was issued to corpsman. I seen a number of 1940s household brands in pouches that had their original contents.

If you do pick up some Navy carlisle bandages would you be willing to pick up two for me?

-Jay

[uplandmod]

Yes when I head over there I will pick some up for you.

 

If you haven't read Battle Wounds of Iwo Jima yet its a fantastic book. They have one on Amazon for $6.00 right now.

 

I made a huge list of items he used in the battle, which include the items stated above. The best part he talks about how used them.

 

A must read!

 

LF

[subsystem4]

I will have to pick that book up.

 

 

Do you have Jeff Warner's book "sailors in forest green"? its all about WWII hospital corpsman. It has some errors but its still great.

 

Tincture of green soap is listed in the medical unit supply catalogue, as coming in a "3 once bottle in a container", as part of the Field Medical Unit no. 5A, for aid stations. I would like to see what it looks like.

 

Also the only navy casualty tags I have seen aren't red. They come in a book and the cover is a rusty brown color but the tags are off white. There are pictures in the book i mentioned.

 

-Jay

[subsystem4]

Link to a emergency medical tag book http://www.paratrooper.fr/en/pages/produit.aspx?cp=634569003723259722&t=cf-83

[dustin]

This is the Vaseline guaze I have in my collection of medical items. I think its WWII. I'm not 100% sure but its probably what they were talking about. This one came out of a mouse eaten 1943 Aeronautic First Aid Kit that I saved the contents of.

Bandages1.jpg

This package has a post war stock number on it. It is typical to find repacked aero med kits sometimes retaining WWII items but mostly current items at the time of repacking.

 

also if you recall the corpsman equipment listings I posted sometime back, note the * at bottom of page stating that Army MD type tag booklets are to be used and substituted as soon as applicable.

[subsystem4]

Thanks for the info on the burn bandage.

 

I must have missed your post about corpsman equipment.

The army medical tag books I have seen had blue covers with off white tags.