Here's a grouping I sold about two years ago. I still regret it! Hopefully, one day I can get it back. Here's the write-up I made when I first got it.

 

Everything in these pictures belonged to 1st LT. Freida Margaret "Margie" Holbein (Maiden name of Himelwright). She was born in 1922 in Lancaster, PA. She remained there all her life until her death in 2014. She married Clyde R. Holbein, a Navy vet, in 1949. Below is a brief summary I have put together of her service.

 

Mrs. Holbein was a frontline nurse serving in France and Germany. She primarily served on hospital train No.75. Her time often consisted of caring for 66 or more patients at a time. "During the day shift, each nurse on Train No. 75 tended the wounded in two litter cars, with up to 33 patients per car. Another nurse was assigned to both ambulatory cars that were often filled with more than 150 wounded persons".

 

In 1944, "She cared for the severely injured young men who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, a decisive fight that raged from Dec. 16, 1944, to Jan. 25, 1945".

In a three-and-a-half-hour interview, she noted a time when two soldiers, one shot across the neck talked to her about his wife and children. It is noted that Margaret teared up and stated, "God only knows if he made it". Margaret endured unimaginable hardship on the frontline.

 

Near the war's end, she was transferred to the 236th General Hospital, where she rode in trucks across the frontline, here she witnessed the liberation of the camps. The interviewer Stephanie Bradford wrote down what Margaret described the sight as. "Driving from Ludwigshafen to Epinal, Holbein saw "this old truck full of bodies … nothing but skin and bones, no clothes, nothing on them, lying one on top of the other. Men, women, children, everything. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.""

 

She was shipped off to Japan for the frontline, but during her voyage, the capitulation of Japan was announced, where she recalled a tremendous celebration of more than 4000 soldiers, where she soloed "I'll be seeing you" by Billie Holiday.

 

She stayed in the army until January 1947. Her last post was Fort McClellan, where she helped deliver babies.

 

She was notably haunted by what she saw, but she notably found comfort that god was taking good care of the soldiers she helped in their final moments.

 

Thank you all for reading, and please take a moment to remember Margaret Holbein, a true hero.

  

Here's a news article about her detailing her experiences:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/former-army-nurse-remembers-the-days-she-spent-helping-soldiers-during-world-war-ii/article_ada4632e-f425-5f34-a202-d9fe8c49eca6.html

 

There are also some of her items on loan to a museum somewhere, and plenty more websites talking about her.

Can’t believe everyone missed this.

 

Love this type of group.

27 minutes ago, manayunkman said:

Can’t believe everyone missed this.

 

Love this type of group.

I mean no one really comments on much of anyone’s items anymore. 

Great group, can’t believe I missed it.

6 hours ago, Timberwolf said:

I mean no one really comments on much of anyone’s items anymore. 

How true

11 hours ago, manayunkman said:

Can’t believe everyone missed this.

 

Love this type of group.

It was one of my favorites! We all have those regrets however.

4 hours ago, manayunkman said:

How true

Yea the forum is dying

8 hours ago, doinworkinvans said:

Yea the forum is dying

I know a good amount of our members have passed away in recent years.  Does anyone belong to the Facebook USMF?  I wonder if more people go there.  I don’t belong to Facebook, so I don’t know.  My kids say forums are only for old farts (like me) these days 😆.

 

Your grouping is really gorgeous.  Hard to find such WWII groupings anymore.

I always look in the women's section on the forum. Never look in here because I do not collect groupings. Sometimes I think it depends on where you post an item.

 

Very nice grouping. I love anything to do with nurses.

 

...Kat

What a wonderful grouping of items to a nurse that gave care, comfort, healing, hope, and in some cases kind and loving words to those that were dying.  The unsung heroes of war whose lives were regrettably changed forever by what they witnessed.  Without a weapon and with only medical equipment and tools, they in their way fought our enemy and helped keep alive our soldiers that may've perished otherwise.  Thank you for sharing this grouping.  GOD BLESS all the doctors and nurses!