A new question

[ssgtsattilaro]

Okay I was wondering if a medic would have been using the same basic equipment as he he used in WW2 in the beginning of the KW? Would he had his things in those two bags with the Yoke connecting them, and did he still have the use of things like Morphine syrettes in his kit bags? As you probably guessed I do a WW2 medic's impression in WW2 reenacting and for the February event I told John that IF he needs me as a Medic I will step up and do that impression. IF I do a medic's impression I just want to make sure I do not have to go and eBay myself to death trying to find all good, useable things for Korean War reeacting. Let me hear from someone or some people who knows how a Medic would have looked in the KW.
PS, I do remember that someone wrote that almost from the onset the medics began to arm themselves because the Chinese and NK soldiers shot at them even though the red cross symbol was plain to see.
I was just curious. ssgtsattilaro

[foxholetom]

Earlier in the year I looked into Korean War medics. Seems they did use WW2 medic bags, but I haven't seen pictures of the yoke yet, so they may have simply used GP straps and slung them across their body. Later there is a single large side bag of the same kind used during Vietnam. I'll see about posting a picture if I can find a good example.

One explanation I have heard about them shooting up medics is that the Chinese us a different symbol for medical facilities/personnel, just like people in the Middle East use the Red Crescent. In other words, the NKs may not have realized they were shooting up medics. The medics of course took this personally, painted over the red crosses and went around armed.

[ssgtsattilaro]

Thanks Tom, okay I understand. So if I get the chance to do a KW medic's impression I can probably use almost all my things as well as use the butt pack from VN soldier's impression. Good. I have my impression set-up for a medic-in-the-field impression so I usually make sure that me and my equipment LOOK like we have been in the field! Anyway, if I am needed for February I'm confident I am set. Tony

[John Abshire]

The bag Tom is talking about is the Unit-1 Bag used in vietnam, the butt pack didnt come out until the introduction of the M1956 gear. Id suggest if you want to do a medic impression you do alot of research into what KW medics did and what they carried. Simply put, the Korean War was not ww2 and was not Vietnam, so its going to require as much if not more research than every other time period...dont fall into the mistake that this is WW2.5


For this event I will be putting you in a squad and loaning you one of my M1s. Go ahead and plan to come as a replacement...so look as clean and tidy as you can.

[DocDon]

Don't have my Koran War issue Unit One handy, still packed from the move, however, Like John said, it aint WW2.5, and it aint VN.
The tri-fold bag came out in 49/50, in heavy canvas. NOT nylon, or the rubberized canvas as used in VN. Early war, say Pusan, you could probably use WWII stuff, but by Inchon, the Navy Corpsman were being issued the tri-fold bag.
By 1950, the DOD was established, and all those beaurucrats had to have some thing to do, so they did. One of the things they did was change the stock number system. Early WWII stock numbers were five digets (XXXXX), late WWII were seven(XXXXXXX). In 1948, they went to seven digets with a hyphen (XXX-XXXX). In 1952 it went to nine (XXXX-XX-XXXX).These are Army SNs, trying to figure out Navy SNs is tougher than Chinese math
Bottom line, post Jan 51, try and find an early tri-fold bag, and seven diget, hyphenated fillers. I'll get more up later.

Doc Don