III. Othelia's Story - 95th Evac Hospital: Death in the Mediterranean

Lt. Rosten

95th Evac - Invasion of Italy

Editor Note:  After the successful Allied invasion of Sicily, there was a debate on "what next".  Candidate targets were Sardinia, the Balkans, various places in Italy or a stand pat strategy to build for the invasion of France. Churchill favored a landing in Italy to try to force their quick exit from the war.  Winston won out, terming it the "soft underbelly of the axis". General Mark Clark was later to call it "one tough gut".  On Sep 9, the Americans landed at Salerno and the British at Taranto.  From there on, things did not go exactly as planned.  

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_invasion_of_Italy

Operation Avalanche - Invasion of Italy (Salerno)

Destination Salerno

Editor Note:  The following account of the sinking of the British Hospital ship HMHS Newfoundland is taken from a BBC account. "WW2 People's War" is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC.  This particular archive can be found: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/71/a3412171.shtml, Author: Chris Cole, nephew of British nurse Dorothy Cole.

HMHS Newfoundland - leaving Algiers harbor

In September 1943, the Allies invaded Italy and HMHS Newfoundland was assigned as a hospital ship to the 8th Army. She was a large ship. Entirely painted in white except for large red crosses painted amidships and on the funnel. At night she sailed with all her lights on so that enemy submarines and aircraft would be able to tell that she was a non-combatant and therefore protected by the Geneva Convention.  She was commanded by Captain John Eric Wilson O.B.E. 

The HMHS Newfoundland was one of 2 hospital ships that had been sent to Salerno Beaches on 12th September, where they were to deliver 103 American nurses. [Editor note:  Among them, Lt. Othelia Rosten.] There were only 2 patients on board so it was quiet for all the nurses and doctors on board. That evening there was a party held in honour of the American Nursing Corps and after this Dorothy (Cole) and another Sister named Vera Schofield showed some of the American Sisters around the operating theatre on board the Newfoundland. Although the Americans had not been on board for very long they had made firm friends with the British nurses.

The Luftwaffe had already attacked the Newfoundland twice that day. The first occasion they were anchored with another hospital ship when they were dive-bombed. All the bombs missed although one landed between the 2 ships. A few hours after this incident they were dive bombed again. A third hospital ship had joined them and the bombs fell all around and amongst them. After this incident a decision was made to move further out to sea and anchor for the night. The 3 hospital ships were joined by a 4th and about 40 miles off the Salerno Beaches they all anchored for the night. They were all lit up like Christmas Trees to highlight the fact that they were hospital ships.

HMHS Newfoundland shortly after being struck

Around about 5 o’clock in the morning of the 13th September, a single aircraft was heard and Captain Wilson, who was on the bridge heard a bomb falling. It was thought to be an aerial mine and it landed on HMHS Newfoundland on the boat deck behind the bridge. It caused a large amount of damage. The communications were lost and more importantly the fire fighting equipment was completely shattered.

Fire immediately took hold.

The surviving British nurses and all the American sisters went straight to their stations in the smoke and flames and waited to be told what to do. There was another explosion and it became clear that the oil tanks had also caught fire so the order was given to abandon ship.

The survivors took to the lifeboats. The 2nd Officer who had a broken leg, a broken arm and splinter wounds took command of a lifeboat full of nurses

Meanwhile Captain Wilson and 17 volunteers stayed behind to fight the fire. They were soon assisted by USS Mayo who put a party on board and together they spent around 36 hours trying to put out the fires and search for survivors. They did not succeed and the ship was declared beyond all hope of recovery. Those on board were taken off and HMHS Newfoundland had to be sunk by USS Plunkett.

Of the 14 British staff nurses on board, 6 had been killed including Dorothy Cole. She was aged 29. All the medical officers too had been killed.

Vera Schofield survived as did all the American nurses.

The reason or motive for the Luftwaffe had for attacking HMHS Newfoundland has never been known. One theory has been put forward that the American nurses were mistaken for troops because of their green uniforms and maybe the Luftwaffe believed that the hospital ship was being used as a troop ship.

Editor note: The following is compiled from multiple 95th Evac veteran accounts, among them American Nurse Mary Fischer, Sgt. Stanley Polanski and others

In August, 1943, we evacuated all our patients and began preparation for the transfer of our activities elsewhere. Our equipment was re-packed, trucks loaded and sent to Algiers and we went on to Oran, Africa. 

We saw many German and Italian prisoners in Bizerte. They were poorly dressed, and an ill nourished looking lot, but seemed always to be in good spirits. This was true especially of the Italians. The German prisoner is, in GI parlance, inclined to be an “arrogant cuss”.

On Sep 10th, we again set sail for Italy. The nurses were put on a British hospital ship, the HMHS Newfoundland.  Our officers and enlisted men were on a different ship on their way to the beachhead of Salerno, Italy.  The Newfoundland was a luxurious hospital ship and the crew treated us as though we were honored guests. They carried no patients on this particular trip, so the 95th Evac nurses slept in the patients' wards. It was rather a luxury to again sleep between sheets. We enjoyed excellent food and practically gorged ourselves on Cokes as we hadn't had them for months.  We were glad to think that soon we would be with our unit again, as our enlisted men and officers were already in Italy.


The Bombing

On Sat morning, Sep 12, we came into the Salerno harbor near Paestum, Italy, and a message went ashore that the nurses of the 95th and 16th Evac hospitals were in. We could hear the artillery fire and several times heard planes overhead. Several other hospital ships were nearby and at noon we had our first taste of real war when a bomb landed near our ship. We were supposed to land at Salerno. In the forenoon, the enemy threw a bomb only 30 yds from us, which gave the ship a bad jolt. They kept it up all day.  As we got close to Salerno harbor, our captain signaled that he had 103 nurses on board and what was he to do. The answer was to get back out of the harbor and stay overnight. So we went back to sea about 30 miles. We heard that we were to land on Monday AM. Our luggage was brought upstairs ready for debarking the next day. We played cards and sang songs, and visited with the British nurses and doctors aboard the ship and went to bed anxious to pass quickly so we could join our hospital units which were set up and working night and day just a few miles away from us.

Sunday was a lovely day. In the evening one of the British nurses had a birthday and we all helped her celebrate. When we finally decided to go to bed it was very warm so that's why none of us had on a lot of clothes. At 5 AM were were awakened by a noise which we thought was a bomb close by - and it was. I got up and walked to the bathroom and met a few girls on the way. I also met our chief nurse who was wondering if she should call the girls and have them get dressed.  I came back and sat on the bed and then I arranged my purse, musette bag, blanket roll and shoes under the bed. At the foot end of the bed, I had my fatigues and life belt. Then I lay down and a minute or so later the bomb hit its target and all hell broke loose.

The first sensation was that of smothering. I threw up my hands and arms to brush away the debris that had fallen on me. A door had fallen on my legs. Everyone was coughing and choking. Some had the presence of mind to close the portholes.

I shall never forget what a feeling that was - the sudden stopping of the ship's engine, after hearing it all night, even in one's sleep. The blue lights of course went out, smashed to bits. Wood and glass were flying all over. The room was full of smoke.  Flames were spreading fast. We couldn't find our things, as we were in total darkness.

The girls were all very calm, but suddenly from another room, we heard calls for help. Some of our girls were trapped in a room. They got out but only by the grace of God, as the walls had completely covered them in bed.  Shelves had collapsed and fallen on them. In our rooms were shouts such as "I can't find my fatigues", "where are my shoes", "where's my life belt" ..

We had had many fire drills but that night we needed none. Everyone knew instinctively what to do.  There was no siren. No one was selfish and we all helped each other as much as possible. My fatigues were 6 beds down and someone threw them at me. The miraculous thing was that my stuff under the bed was all gone, except my shoes hadn't moved, although the anklets in them were gone, apparently sucked out.  Also found my helmet and life belt and started out of the room. We had to hurry as we saw and heard the flames crackling away. We barely got up the steps when they collapsed. Then came a problem.

We walked all over the deck. For awhile the crew waited for orders but there was no one to give them, so the enlisted men had to do all and they did a marvelous job. The life boats were on fire. The smoke was horrible. We had to cover our faces with wet cloths. We waded in water on the deck. There were only 2 lifeboats that we could use, all the others were burning. No one was hysterical. There was hardly a sound out of anyone except an occasional "where is <--->", "are you alright", .

Some of the nurses, especially the ones that were trapped, came on deck with just sheets wrapped around them. One girl was in the bath when the bomb hit. The hot water pipes exploded and the door jammed. She tried to get out and lost her way. The only thing that saved her was her friend calling her name and she followed her voice.

Up on deck, everyone was saying a silent prayer. Then finally came the lowering of the lifeboats. Some jumped into the lifeboats and others of us had to get down on the rope net. The St. Andrew hospital ship, also British, was nearby and they sent over their lifeboats. If they hadn't we would all have gone down, as we were packed in like sardines. They towed us in. In the boat was one of the bravest men I'd ever seen. How he hung onto that rope and commanded all the maneuvers, never thinking of himself. He had to be carried on a litter when our rescue ship finally picked us up.  He had chest injuries and a fractured arm.

HMHS Newfoundland, 13Sep1943

There were no deaths among the 103 American nurses, but there were many casualties among the British: 7 nurses, 5 doctors and 6 enlisted men were killed.  As we were leaving the Newfoundland, it was a horrible sight to see the blazing ship and to hear the screaming of one of the British nurses, trapped in her cabin with her head out of the porthole, her body on fire. One of the boys picked up a plank and knocked her unconscious.  There was no possible escape for her.

HMHS Newfoundland, 13Sep1943

As we stepped on the St. Andrew, we were each given hard candy and were met with a cheery "Good Morning, How are you? Would you like a cup of tea?"  It was most welcome.

The St. Andrew took us back to N. Africa to get re-equipped and for rest and treatment. This time we were tagged “survivors” and were taken as patients ourselves to the 74th Station Hospital near Mateur. Several of the girls needed hospital care. The rest of us rested up and slept for the first time in several weeks. They might have dispensed with their watch aboard the ship that took us back to Bizerte. We heard every noise and watched closely and rather fearfully any planes going overhead.

Editor note:  From the 95th Evac Unit History.

The 95th Evac had 250 of its 400 beds ready for occupancy by 0600 on 12 September. The Nurses had been aboard HMHS Newfoundland when she was bombed. Some suffered minor injuries but all lost personal belongings. After the raid, they were taken back to Bizerte, Tunisia, and did not rejoin their respective units until 25 September 1943. 

To be continued ...   

Copyright © 2015 Dave Hoplin