Hi all,
A friend's mother was an Army nurse in the ETO during WW-II, she heard many, as is said, 'shots fired in anger'. She passed away a few years back and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery - I've visited the columbarium where her remains are interred. (I have visited Arlington many times but it is somehow different when you visit a grave there where somebody you knew is buried.)
My friend thinks that his mother was issued a pistol during the war - I've been told that doctors and nurses could carry a sidearm for 'defensive purposes only'.
The following is a quote from mail he sent me:
////
I'm going through paperwork today and found my
mother's orders. On 18-SEP-44, in preparation
for shipping out to Europe, she was issued
"Belt, pistol, M-36"
This must be the item I was thinking of. There
isn't any explicit evidence of her actually
getting a sidearm. However, I'm reasonably
certain that she said she had one during the
Bulge when they were worried the Germans might
breakthrough.
////
So, could any of the historians who read this forum help us out? Is the M-36 the standard pistol belt and does anybody know if medical people in the ETO were actually issued sidearms?
Thanks in advance for any information you all might be able to share.
Owen
A friend's mother was an Army nurse in the ETO during WW-II, she heard many, as is said, 'shots fired in anger'. She passed away a few years back and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery - I've visited the columbarium where her remains are interred. (I have visited Arlington many times but it is somehow different when you visit a grave there where somebody you knew is buried.)
My friend thinks that his mother was issued a pistol during the war - I've been told that doctors and nurses could carry a sidearm for 'defensive purposes only'.
The following is a quote from mail he sent me:
////
I'm going through paperwork today and found my
mother's orders. On 18-SEP-44, in preparation
for shipping out to Europe, she was issued
"Belt, pistol, M-36"
This must be the item I was thinking of. There
isn't any explicit evidence of her actually
getting a sidearm. However, I'm reasonably
certain that she said she had one during the
Bulge when they were worried the Germans might
breakthrough.
////
So, could any of the historians who read this forum help us out? Is the M-36 the standard pistol belt and does anybody know if medical people in the ETO were actually issued sidearms?
Thanks in advance for any information you all might be able to share.
Owen