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Lt. Gertrude A. Brazil Nursing Corps album- Italy, France

Date1944

Mediumalbum 1: 466 photographs album 2: 531 photographs album 3: 660 photographs album 4: 491 photographs

Dimensions30cm x 36cm (11.81 x 14.17 inches)

Credit LineAnonymous gift, 2020

Object number2021/265

ProvenanceThird of four albums by Lt. Gertrude A. Brazil, a US Army nurse from San Francisco on active service during 1944 invasions of Italy and France (Operation Dragoon). Her many snapshots document her crossing by Liberty Ship from Sicily to the Italian mainland, rare and interesting shots of life at the Anzio beachhead hospital and her transfer to the 11th Field Hospital at 'Pastum' (presumably Paestum). Included are photographs of wounded servicemen, medical operations and the New Patient, Shock, 'Phycho' and isolation wards at the Anzio tent hospital. Also included are snapshots of fellow nurses, their bunks and accommodation plus recreational activities (sightseeing trips to Naples, Rome and Sardinia, beach parties, water skiing and surfing behind a DUKW amphibious 'duck', and a meeting with Marlene Dietrich after her USO show at Caserta). In August 1944 Brazil took part in Operation Dragoon ('All Set for France Invasion') and photographs trace her journey north with the 59th Nurses (59th Evacuation Hospital) from St. Tropez to Carpentras (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region), Rioz in the Haute-Saône to Epinal in the Vosges (including side-excursions to Dijon, Mutzig and 'St. Evold' - presumably St. Auold). Images convey a sense of constant movement. The album - which contains 466 photographs - also includes professional/US Army postcards of Anzio, Salerno, Rome, Carpentras ('Battle Casulty', 'Kraut Patients'), Epinal and Paris. Ephemera includes a magazine article and Christmas card from Lt. Col. Fred J. Oldenburg. Captions.

LocationNot currently on display

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