Wounded German Prisoners of War | Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs

German orderlies and an Italian Doctor, all prisoners of war, are helping the overworked British orderlies care for these wounded German and Italian prisoners of war. (Italy was still fighting on the side of the Germans at that time.)

Earlier, during a rapid advance, we found the 12th LFA [Light Field Ambulances] had moved up even beyond the ill-defined front lines. It had been taken over by the Germans. The British Doctors and staff were still there caring for their patients. We left our patients there. The next day when we returned with more, we found it again under British control. The German and Italian doctors and staff were still working there.

Experiences like the above with the British Army Medical Corps convinced me that I, too, wanted to be a doctor. It seemed to me that the Medical professions were sanely trying to put people back together while everyone else in that crazy war-torn war had gone mad ripping everything apart.

My Decision to Become a Doctor

I applied in the summer of 1943 and was lucky to be admitted to Harvard Medical School when I got home 9 months later.

Location: 12th LFA [Light Field Ambulances] near El Hamma, Tunisia