3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group
This page is the homepage for the 3rd Aux contingent of Miss Drop 44. The 3rd Auxers were a U.S. Army medical unit providing surgical care close to the front lines, with very minimal equipment. The 3rd Auxers set up field hospitals to perform emergency operations that stabilized wounded soldiers so they could be evacuated for further treatment.
The inclusion of the 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group within Miss Drop 44 was in order to accommodate a wider range of members. We had previously decided not to allow female paratroopers in MD44 given they were non-existent until 1973... So we had to find another option. The solution was to include a medical department, something that people could be involved in, regardless of gender. After some research we came to the conclusion that it was certain that the 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group would be coming into contact with, and treating members of the 502nd PIR. This spawned a new branch for Miss Drop 44, the Nurses and Surgeons of the 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group.
The time period and location we portray is approx D+30 just outside of Carentan, which was the site of a HUGE field hospital that contained staff from the 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group. The plus point over being a paratrooper is that you'll get better sleeping accommodations! Small wall tents are on the menu and so are PUP tents. Let's also not forget that the 3rd Aux was another male-heavy unit; consisting of 132 male officers against the 70 female nurses, not to mention the 278 male enlisted soldiers it contained. So, if being a paratrooper isn't your thing, and you still have interest in the group, then this could be a unique alternative for you. If you want a bit of a deeper dive into the units structure, the TO&E for this unit is available on the company rosta page.
Minimum Requirements Nurse's Uniform
While the 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group was male dominated, the inclusion of the 3rd Auxers in MD44 was to include women in the ranks, thus this page will consist primarily of the nurses equipment, should there be future interest in male uniform, this will be added, but for now the nurses uniform takes priority. There are two routes to go down regarding nurses, completely down to personal preference.
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HBT Coveralls OR HBT Trousers/Shirt combo (with insignia – 1st army patch optional)
Both also require:
US Women’s boots
M1938 Leggings (gaiters)
Daisy Mae Hat
M1936 Pistol Belt
M1910 Canteen set
M1936 Suspenders
M1942 Carlisle pouch + Tin
Above is what we as a group would consider minimum kit requirements for attending a show.
The below picture shows two nurses from the 3rd Aux Surgical Group, both great examples of the expected kit.
The lady on the left (A nurse of the 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group) can be seen wearing the following:
- Shirt appears to be some sort of private purchase Officers OD 51 A Class Shirt
- US Army Officers Women's Trousers Slacks OD (OD Trousers)
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It is also worth noting the insignia on the collar, denoting this nurse as a Lt, despite the strangely placed captains bars on the breast pocket.
The lady on the right (Another nurse of the 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group) can be seen wearing the following:
- Women's chino summer service shirt
- Women's HBT trousers
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This nurse also appears to have something on underneath the tan shirt, but I'm unsure from this picture if it is a scarf or some other under-shirt.
Additions to your Nurse's Uniform
Tankers Jacket:
The tankers jacket is a fantastic addition to any nurses kit, not only because 3rd Auxers were pictured wearing them, but also because its one of (if not the most) comfortable items of clothing available to any US re-enactor. The tankers jacket come in two patterns, both are applicable however the second pattern would be more likely to be seen as it became the standard in early 1942 (its also easier to purchase a repro second pattern). The only difference between the two patterns are the pockets; the first pattern (left) had external patch pockets, whereas the second pattern (right) utilised 'slash' style in-built pockets.
Dog Tags STAMPED:
Dog Tags are a great first step to a brilliant impression. Tags should be stamped with your name and number. All nurse's numbers were a variation of N-7XXXXX.
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Early Brass First type (December 1940 – November 1941):
Line 1: First Name, Middle Initial, Surname
Line 2: Army Serial Number, Blood Type
Line 3: Name of next of kin
Line 4: Address of next of kin
Line 5: City/State of next of kin
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Second type (November 1941 – July 1943):
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Line 1: First Name, Middle Initial, Surname
Line 2: Army Serial Number, Tetanus immunization , Tetanus Toxoid, Blood Type
Line 3: Name of next of kin
Line 4: Address of next of kin
Line 5: City/State of next of kin and Religion (P, C, H)
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Third type (July 1943 – March 1944):
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Line 1: First Name, Middle Initial, Surname
Line 2: Army Serial Number, Tetanus immunization , Tetanus Toxoid, Blood Type
Line 3: Blank
Line 4: Blank
Line 5: Religion (P, C, H)
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Fourth type (March 1944 – April 1946):
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Line 1: Surname, First Name, Middle Initial
Line 2: Army Serial Number, Tetanus immunization , Tetanus Toxoid, Blood Type
Line 3: Blank
Line 4: Blank
Line 5: Religion (P, C, H)
Overcoat/ Raincoat:
It appears that neither the raincoat, nor the greatcoat are reproduced anywhere (at the time of writing). Every reproduction available is for WACs, and thus without the shoulder tabs that make it the officers variant necessary for a nurses impression.
Sweater:
Once again the reproduction market seems to have a gaping hole here. While finding women's sweaters is nigh impossible, as the 3rd Auxers were short on kit, it is not unlikely that they would be using male sweaters as a replacement, and these are not too hard to find (especially in smaller sizes). When the 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group started, they were first issued with men's clothing as the supply chain for women's clothing had yet to be developed.
M1910 Carlisle pouch
Gas mask bag
Musette bag
M1 helmet and liner
Duffle bag
Mess Tin and KFS set
Small wall tent or PUP tent
Cot bed
Brown wool blanket
K ration boxes for ‘furniture’
Bucket
Ditty Bag
Wash Bag
laundry Bag
B4 Flyers bag
Wash kit - Towel (bath and face if desired), Soap in container, toothbrush and paste/powder, hair brush, mirror, talcum, toilet water, deodorant, hand cream or lotion
Hair pains, bobby pins, hairnets etc
Manicuring equipment – tweezer, razor blades, nail file
Bandage scissors
Scout knife and or can opener
Lighter fluid/matches
Flashlight
Writing materials for letters – ink, air mail stamps, envelopes, writing paper
Finishing touches
Identity bracelet
Camera
Radio
Plastic drinking ‘glass’
Books, magazine, playing cards
Alarm clock
Pocket book/Pen/Pencil/Staionery
Cosmetics
Matches/Lighter
Asprin/Soda Mints
Clothes line and pins
A-class/ ETO + Overseas/garrison cap
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Rank – all 2nd Lt for every 16 2nd Lt we’ll have 1 1st Lt. (2,056 First Lieutenants – and over 33,000 Second Lieutenants. With well over 90% of ALL Nurses in 1942 holding rank of Second Lieutenant, (this gave them a certain protection in an ALL-male world of G.I.s)