Japanese Medical Corps–evacuation and hospitals (General page)
Module name: Operations (Japanese perspective)
This page was contributed by Mr Alan Hawk (National Museum of Health and Medicine)

The first line of medical care for the sick or wounded soldier was an enlisted corpsman assigned to each platoon. He was responsible for water purification, treating minor ailments, and rendering first aid. He would move the wounded back to a first aid shelter, usually located very close to the front, only if litter bearers were not available. The Company Commander would detail four soldiers to each platoon to act as litter bearers. The Battalion Aid Station was staffed with three surgeons, five non-commissioned officers and two corpsmen. Medical officers were responsible for carrying out sanitation and epidemic prevention measures within the battalion and providing treatment for the sick and wounded and, afterwards, evacuation to the rear. When a casualty was picked up, according to Sergeant KONDO Yuso, "Particulars of patient’s name and unit were obtained from casualties themselves if they were able to speak, or if not, from identity disks. If no identity discs were available, ...he obtained details from stretcher-bearers or patient’s companions. When possible, tags were attached to the tunic of the wounded men with particulars of name, unit and type of wound. Usually there was so much confusion that this could not be done." [1] The Division Medical Unit would send between 15 and 30 litter bearers to the Aid Station to take the sick and wounded to the Field Hospital. During the Kokoda campaign, the sick and wounded who couldn’t move on their own were hand carried by litter bearers, who moved the wounded in relays between intermediate clearing stations before getting to the Field Hospital. Medical 1st Lieutenant OKUBO Fukunobo described their plight; "As the (transport) of the sick and wounded from the field of operations is very dangerous, litter bearers are at a great disadvantage. In the daytime, they have to endure air raids and at night heavy rain. At the same time, they have to endure the hardships of long journeys over bad roads and with insufficient food." [2] The resulting delay in getting the patient to medical care reduced his chances of recovery. Those who were ambulatory were required to walk the entire distance to the hospital. The Field Hospital provided basic medical and surgical care within the division combat zone, performing most types of surgery, blood transfusions and convalescent care close to the front line. Patients were not provided beds and had to convalesce on the ground. If necessary, the Field Hospital could be split into two smaller units and deployed to different locations. In keeping with the Japanese practice of treating the sick and wounded close to the front to allow speedy reintroduction to their units, these hospitals could admit up to 500 patients. Hired or impressed natives and Korean "volunteers" generally carried patients needing further medical care to the Line of Communication Hospital. The litter bearers had to deal with rain, mud and the thick jungle while carrying the patients. They generally travelled at night due to air raids. If necessary, clearing stations were established along the evacuation route to serve as relay stations for the litter bearers. Other patients were loaded onto trucks, the use of which was limited by frequent rains and poor quality roads. The 1,000-bed Line of Communication Hospital was the first link in transporting patients overseas. It provided comprehensive medical and surgical care available within the combat zone; including surgery, treatment of gunshot fractures, a casualty sanatorium, a casualty assembly station, isolation units for patients with infectious diseases, and other specialised care units. In 1942, the No. 67 Line of Communication Hospital in Rabaul was divided and a 500-bed detachment was established in New Guinea. It was soon swamped with casualties. In September 1942, it admitted 604 Japanese Army patients and 527 patients from the Korean Volunteer Group treated in a separate section. [3] Getting out of New Guinea was even more difficult than getting to the hospital due to the low emphasis on medical evacuation by the Japanese and allied interdiction of shipping. In September 1942, only 198 patients were evacuated by ship to Rabaul The next month, 395 of the 1,160 patients admitted were evacuated out of the combat zone on the only merchant ship to arrive that month. Due to the haste required to board the ship, only patients who were able to walk boarded. In December 1942, a hundred seriously wounded patients were laid in trenches under a simple roof to await transportation, but no ships arrived and a number died from exposure and lack of attention. Interrogation report 50: 5. By 1943, the wounded were sent along the coastline in small boats and barges to Rabaul or Palau. [4] Notes 1. Interrogation report 50: 7. 2. Enemy publication 24: 48. 3. Enemy publication 24: 5. 4. National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. Government, "Research report no. 83, Organisation of medical units in the Japanese Army", 29 July 1944: 12.

Japanese medical: Overview text Images Evacuation Gastroenteritis Hospitals Malaria Nutrition Physicians Surgical WATANABE Tetsuo Click images to enlarge.