Interview of Betty Thompson on her service as a physical therapist in the U.S. Army during WWII

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Description:

Betty Thompson talks about her service in the U.S. Army during World War Two. Thompson recalls working in Chicago as a physical therapist before she enlisted in October 1943 and was sent to the 48th General Hospital in Memphis, TN. Thompson says she was first shipped overseas to Glasgow, Scotland and later to Stockbridge in England to help set up a hospital. She describes her quarters in Stockbridge, her rations, the weather, and how the nurses were treated. She also remembers the D-Day preparations that were going on around her, the conditions on the Normandy beaches when her unit finally arrived in August, how busy she was with casualties and the chaos of the Battle of the Bulge. Thompson says she returned to the States in October 1945, took a discharge at the end of 1945, was married, continued to work, and raised a family. Thompson also says that her time in the Army Nurse Corps was the highlight of her professional life. Thompson is interviewed by Lilah Ramsey.

Date Issued:

1984-05-14T00:00:00Z

Data Provider:

Michigan State University. Libraries

Collection:

Women's Overseas Service League Oral History Project

Place:

Great Britain, France, and Normandy

Subject Topic:

Military life, Physical therapists, World War, 1939-1945, Hospitals, Operation Overlord, Ardennes, Battle of the, 1944-1945, War casualties, Medical care, World War, 1939-1945, Veterans, Women veterans, World War, 1939-1945, World War, 1939-1945, and Participation, Female

Subject Name:

Thompson, Betty, 1919-2004, United States, Army, United States, and Army

Subject Genre:

Interviews, Interviews, Interviews, Interviews, Interviews, and Personal narratives, American

Language:

English

Rights:

In Copyright

URL:

https://n2t.net/ark:/85335/m5hd94