WH2: The Industrial Revolution

Read the article here by Tyler Cowen and post your reaction to it by this Friday!

WH1 Reading Assignment

In addition to 10.1 this weekend....

Feudalism!

AH2: Wounded

We skip ahead a few months in 1944.  In the time we missed, the Allies have moved from Rome into southern France to prepare for a final assault on Germany.  These are the final entries from Larry's journal that we will be looking at:

October 30, 1944

Up at 0800, had a cup of coffee.  We are going to move our Aid Station up.  We all got our equipment on and started out.  About ¾ mile up the road in the Vosges Mountains (Foret de Mortagne) near St. Die, France, in a wooded area the Germans sent in 88 mm artillery barrage in our direction.  There was a jeep about 7 yards behind me and the first shell hit it.  A gragment hit me in the left thigh, middle third, posterior aspect at 10:00.  I was able to get half way back to the Aid Station then a jeep took me the rest of the way.  Other shells landed nearby.  I felt a stinging sensation in my left leg and my pants were full of blood.  Felt like I jumped in a tub of hot gravy.  A small fragment also hit my left ear.

My leg started to stiffen up.  Jack put a bandage on the wound.  I was lucky I survived.  There were other casualties and deaths.

I got into the ambulance along with others and was taken to the 59^th Evacuation Hospital about 12:50.  I was X rayed at 14:00.  They wheeled me to the operating tent at 16:00 for the operation to remove the shrapnel from my leg.  I was given a shot of sodium penathal and told to count.  I remember counting to 3 and I was in dream land.  I woke up in a recovery room later.  Wondering if my leg was still there.  Leg was heavily bandaged.

This was my brother (Harry Ronald Bennett) 14^th birthday.

October 31, 1944

The nurse gave me a bath and changed the dressing on my bed.  My wound bled all night.  I have been receiving shots in my arm every three hours (penicillin).  Arms are getting sore.  This bed pan stuff is for the birds, not comfortable.

November 1, 1944

I was able to get to the wash room on cruches.  All my meals are served in bed.  Leg is really throbbing.  Still getting shots in my arms.

November 2, 1944

Still in bed but leg does not throb so much.  There are a large number of casualties here in the hospital.

November 3, 1944

Another day on my back.  Can’t straighten my left leg out.  This is Dad’s (George Henry Bennett) 51^st birthday.

November 6, 1944

A hospital train pulled in at 13:00 and we were loaded aboard at 16:00.  I was carried on a litter.  Madlin Carol was the Red Cross worker on the train.  She played records for us and handed out tooth brush, paste, and candy, etc.

November 8, 1944

Another day in the hospital.  I am not feeling all that great.  Don’t seem to be getting any better.  They doped me up with some kind of medicine tonight.

November 9, 1944

I was operated on this morning about 09:40.  They gave me morphine beside the regular anesthetic.  I started to recover about 15:00 and I was sick to my stomach.  I was served some soup.  My leg is stiff and sore.

Shell fragment founds, unlike smooth bullet wounds, leave countless shreds of flesh as it tears through.  These shreds die and cause infection and gangrene unless removed.  The surgeon has to cut and lay open the route of the fragment and carve out the tissues.  The wound is left to drain.  Consequently a long recovery period.

November 10, 1944

My wound continued to bleed all day.  The nurse gave me a sleeping pill so that I could get some rest.

November 11, 1944

Another day, my leg is still bleeding and smells terrible.

November 15, 1944

Getting along about the same, no improvement.

November 16, 1944

Mom’s (Grace Lillian Bennett) 50^th birthday.  I’m still laid up.  It was just a year ago that I was wounded on Mount Rotundo in Southern Italy.

November 17, 1944

The Major (Doctor) changed the dressing on my wound this morning.  My wound had opened up again.  He said that it may have to be sewn up again in the next week.  I hope not, I’m getting discouraged.

November 18, 1944

I was a year ago thoday that we got relieved by the 36^th Infantry Division just south of Cassino in Italy and returned to Naples area (Pozzuoli) to train for the Anzio beachhead invasion.  A lot has happened since then but I’m still alive.

November 22, 1944 Wednesday

Received hot soaks on my wound, trying to take the infection out.  The smell is driving me nuts (must be the dead tissue).

November 23, 1944 Thursday

Thanksgiving Day, thankfull that I am still here.  We were served a very nice meal.  Roast turkey, potatoes, culaflower, cabbage salad, cranberry sauce, roll, coffee, and pie.

November 24, 1944 Friday

Received hot soaks to my leg again today.  I don’t know if this is doing any good.

December 4, 1944

I was discharged from the 35^th Station Hospital about 1530.  Boarded the Hospital Train at 16:00.  We pulled out at 16:30.  They served chow at 1800.  Headed south down the Rohn Valley to Southern France.

December 6, 1944

At 0630 this morning my wound started to hemorrahage and I had lost about a quart of blood.  They offered me a glass of water but I was too weak to hold the glass and dropped it.  I had a blood transfusion this afternoon.

December 7, 1944

I had a visit to the Dentist and started having my teeth fixed, several cavities.  Extractions of a front tooth (upper) and a partial made.  I haven’t had my teeth taken care of since I’ve been overseas.  My teeth are soft and need attention.  I went to a Church service here in the hospital.  Feeling better today.

December 25, 1944

My stay in the hospital continues and I spend Christmas here.  We were served a very nice dinner.  Luckier than the poor doggies (GI) on the firing line  This is the second Christmas that I have been unable to be with Betty, Family, and friends.  I feel a bit sad but I am one of the thousands of GIs away from home.

December 31, 1944

Today is Betty Rendell’s 20^th birthday and she is far away.  Can’t celebrate

January 1945

The Doctor checked my wound and decided to perform a skin graft to my wound to see if it would help the healing process.  An operation was scheduled and a layer of skin was shaved off the back of my right leg and laid over my wound.
As I continue to recuperate in the hospital my Division (3^rd) is involved in the winter fighting near Colmar and Strasbourg, France.

February 1945

Still remain in the Hospital in Southern France.  The graft did not help to heal the wound.