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Blue Devils Clear Hospitals of 9,264 Kraut Prisoners
Despite brow pains caused by finding spots of hospitalized nationals of 13 European states and two "men without countries", nearly all invalid German POWs were cleared from the 88th's POW Command this week.
"We had more trouble with the handful of nationals than with all the more than 9,000 German patients," declared Lt. Col. Maurice Kane, division surgeon.
A total of 9,264 have been returned to Germany from hospitals in Italy, and one more shipment of hospital cases is expected to clear the remaining patients.
A train-load of 370 cleared the remaining "long-term" patients, not releasible before Saturday [8 September 1945], from the 351st's Ghedi concentration area. This shipment also included 90 litter cases from Pisa and Florence hospitals, bound for a German hospital center at Goppingen.
This group was shipped on a 3rd Army hospital train, accompanied by German medical personnel, two 350th Infantry officers, one a medical administrative officer, and eight enlisted men as guards. The train will remain in Germany, and the American personnel are to return through an arrangement with rail authorities in Germany. [Prior train movements had generally been round-trip.]
Various nationals, largely wounded members of German labor units hospitalized at Merano, were previously unacceptable anyplace. Disposition of the group was arranged by USFET [US Forces European Theater], which arranged to accept 24 French, three Dutch, five Belgians, three Danes and a Luxembourger. This group was to have been evacuated by air this week to the Bichot Hospital, Paris, pending repatriation.
Italian authorities accepted 425 Italians at the PWE 337 infirmary at Pisa this week. Other Italian patients are being sent there and to an AMG hospital at Merano from other division units.
Five Russians and four Latvians, who swore allegiance to Russia, were returned to the Bruck, Germany, repatriation camp, by motor transport Monday. Sixteen Czechs were scheduled to be evacuated by motor ambulance to their homeland. Authorities in British District No. 2, now controlling Merano have agreed to accept 149 Polish and 16 Yugoslavs still outstanding in hospitals there. Five Americans and a Turk were shipped to the American 99th Field Hospital at Pisa.
Two White Russians, who left their country as the Communists seized power and settled in France, but never became citizens, were left in the hands of the AMG hospital at Merano. "Men without countries", this pair has threatened to be the biggest problem in clearing the hospitals in Italy.
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