Diaries, Narrative Histories, and Reports, 1942-1981.

Series

Diaries, Narrative Histories, and Reports, 1942-1981.

This series contains chronological records of the 21st General Hospital. Much of the series is Cady's postwar narrative history, Diary of the 21st General Hospital (Subseries 5), and two revisions, The fighting twenty-first (Subseries 6-7). The unit histories, the nursing reports, and the log of inactivation of medical officers and nurses are the wartime records in Series 1. Unit histories, according to Cady's memorandum regarding reports, 2 June 1944 (Box 6, Folder 1), "go below the surface of bare events." Content includes organization; training and development; and problems of assembly, embarkation, movement, and debarkation; and operations (amount of work). Where applicable they cover the character of country and terrain, the attitude of military and civil officials and of the population of the region and the resources of the country. Of particular interest were methods employed to restore operation of damaged buildings, sewage, water, and electricity; and methods adopted for control of discipline, police and fire protection and health. Supporting documents attached are photographs, directives, orders, statistics, and charts.

Preferred Citation:

Item description, Reference Code, Bernard Becker Medical Library Archives, Washington University in St. Louis.