Nick Budd

Digging their way through an AT ditch.

Feeling better?

Load no.87 with our friends at White Eagle Club.

Winter clothes and mobility aids.

#wewontstop 🇺🇦🇬🇧

Load 86 has been completed. Aid going to our partners in Kyiv and Kharkiv.

High quality generators with oil and adapters, medical supplies, food, hygiene products and mobility aids.

2.5 tonnes.

#wewontstop 🇺🇦🇬🇧

With only 40 seconds from Belgorod to Kharkiv, it’s a lottery living there.

A Ukrainian lady I know, who’s mother is in occupied Kherson oblast, has had to take Russian citizenship to receive any social support.

Property is being seized.

Russian men feel entitled to harass Ukrainian women.

Horrible stories heard virtually everyday.

**WW2 German casualty treatment/evacuation exercise**

By KB Ernst Baumann, attached to 3WSS Totenkopf, date considered 1940.

Pic 1 - mock explosion near a mg34 Gruppe.

Pic 2 - Mg1 is wounded & Mg2 has taken over the weapon. Two Gruppe members move to aid the casualty.

1)

Don’t die. I’ve not visited you, yet.

👍🏻

This Truppenverbandplatz seems well manned, with another Artz removing the foot dressing & administering an injection.

The Medical Officer is a Hauptsturmführer (Captain), and the Rod of Asclepius cypher on his shoulderboard marks him as serving in the medical services.

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Our training casualty is next in line for triage & administrative processing.

Now placed on a stretcher for preparation for further evacuation, approximately 6km to the rear.

13)

The other casualty is given water.

Note his Erkennungsmarke (ID disc) & ‘wound tag’ (pic 2 & 3) detailing his condition, wounds & treatment thus far etc, for the next step in the evacuation process at the Hauptverbandplatz.

12)

The casualty arrives at the Truppenverbandplatz (possibly that of the III Btl).

Pic 4 shows the Dressing Station’s Medical Officer, seemingly a Untersturmführer (Leutnant) with another casualty.

Note the possible Phänomen Granit ambulance in the background. 🤔

11)

The casualty is carried to the combination & made comfortable for evacuation to the aforementioned Truppenverbandplatz, where a Medical Officer (Artz) will triage/assess him for further treatment.

Notice the zeltbahn now used as a support for the injured leg in pic 4.

10)

A leg wound is also dressed in pics 1 & 2.

Notice the sling that’s been applied in pic 2, as highlighted in pic 3.

9)

With the arm wound dressed, water is offered (pic 3).

The Sanitäter carried 2 water canteens, his own personal 1L & a 1.5L for the casualties. In this instance, he is holding a 1L canteen.

8)

Pic 1 - The Sani (either from the casualty’s Kompanie or the Truppenverbandplatz (dressing station) located 1-2kms behind the Hauptkampflinie), investigates his arm wound.

Pic 2 - dressing the wound with iodine/sterile gauze/wadding/dressing as indicated in pic 3.

7)

Although we can’t be sure he is a Sani, his rank of Unterscharführer (Unteroffizier) indicates as such.

Pic 1 - he has an unusual canvas bag that would likely contain much of the items in pic 3 (introduced in 1942).

Pic 2 - Using clothes shears to access the wound.

6)

As a side note, it’s worth re-looking at this image as it gives a clear view of Palmenmuster (Palm tree pattern camouflage), a rare issue.

The others wear Platanenmuster (Plane tree).

These items and the insignia on the combinations also point to this being 1940.

5)

Now in a safer environment at the Verwundetennest, a Sanitäter on (I think) a BMW R75 combination has arrived to assess & administer first-aid to the casualty.

Note the Totenkopf emblem & the other combination in the background. Possibly these men are Kradschützen. 🤔

4)

They continue to drag their casualty to a Verwundetennest - a place where casualties are placed that is ideally out of further immediate threat - and where first-aid can be administered.

3)

Pic 2 above shows them with versatile zeltbahn in hand - that they use to place the casualty on in pic 3 - as a makeshift stretcher/carry.

Pic 4 - The two men start to drag the casualty away from immediate danger. (I don’t believe these men are designated Krankenträger).

2)

**WW2 German casualty treatment/evacuation exercise**

By KB Ernst Baumann, attached to 3WSS Totenkopf, date considered 1940.

Pic 1 - mock explosion near a mg34 Gruppe.

Pic 2 - Mg1 is wounded & Mg2 has taken over the weapon. Two Gruppe members move to aid the casualty.

1)

*The German Zeltbahn of WW2*

A deep dive into what I consider a superb piece of WW2 German personal kit.

1)

Get better soon, mate.

Love the range poles. 👍🏻

I understand it’s difficult, but those who support Ukraine, know Ukrainians and listen to Ukrainians, know both the gratitude and frustrations.

I would be exactly the same.

🇺🇦🇬🇧

The source for some of these illustrative pics is the excellent MP44.nl

The owner of the site is a high quality collector of WW2 German equipment. Recommended viewing.

And also the.....

17/End)

Finally some random pics.

Pic 1 - Where’s the zeltbahn? 🤷🏼‍♂️

Pic 2 - makeshift cover for Schützenloche.

Pic 3 - In training....

Pic 4 - A roomy 8 man. What’s odd though? 🤷🏼‍♂️

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