Sanitäter!
From the collections of the Imperial War Museum.
Great War-era German sanitäter’s (medical orderly’s) pouch, with contents.
IWM SUR 821
Contents:
Rectangular brown leather pouch, stamped on rear “Frank Lutges & Co. Berlin 1915” containing a roll of adhesive tape, a rectangular Seife soap tin containing a fragment of soap, a round tin of antiseptic ointment, a tube of tartaric acid tablets, an empty tube of charcoal tablets (Dopp. Kohlens.Natron) and empty bottles for tincture of opium, ammonium hydroxide (salmiakgeist), oil of turpentine, and ether/valerian tincture. Contents: pouch, adhesive tape, soap tin, mustard papers in wallet, antiseptic ointment tin, tube of tartaric acid tablets, empty tube of charcoal/soda (?) tablets, and 4 empty bottles: tincture of opium, ammonium hydroxide, oil of turpentine, and ether/valerian tincture.
A German infantry regiment in World War I typically had a regimental aid station (Truppenverbandplatz) serviced by a dedicated medical detachment (Sanitätstrupp) staffed with 4–7 officers and 31–43 enlisted men (Sanitätssoldaten, medics/corpsmen). This team included a medical officer, 4–6 specialized Medical Corpsmen, runners, and stretcher-bearer squads, with dedicated personnel at both company and battalion levels. Once stabilized, wounded and injured would either be returned to their units, sent to the rear for recuperation, or rushed to field hospitals (Feldlazarette) for more care.
Then, as now, the regimental band would double as stretcher bearers during combat.