Introduction

Medics played a major, but often overlooked role in WW2. Unarmed, medics would exhibit enormous courage in caring for the wounded, often of both sides. Significantly, because of innovations, morbidity and mortality among combat wounded decreased, although not as much as during the Vietnam conflict. It was during WW2 that medics started to deploy sulfa antibiotics and plasma in the field, potentially reducing the incidence of infection and replacing lost blood prior to surgical intervention.

Review

Verlinden Productions kit 2803 consists of 5 pieces cast in a creamy resin and packed in a white cardboard box labeled with a photo of the painted figures. The wounded figure is cast as one piece, while the medic consists of legs/torso, head, arms and separate musette bag. The wounded figure is cast with improvised splint and bandages to the chest. Both figures are wearing the US M-1943 uniform, which may restrict the use of these figures to settings during warmer periods of the year given the lack of warmer gear. The musette bag, M1936, could benefit from a strap.

Conclusion

From research on the web, this is actually an older kit from Verlinden Productions, but still worthwhile, because of the general lack of US medical personnel subjects (there is an older Dragon German medical personnel set, but no equivalent for American troops to my knowledge). While generally well molded, the details are not up to those of Hornet or similar, more modern figure makers. Additionally, if the wounds were severe, more action items could be included, such as a plasma container or the medic attempted to control bleeding with a hemostat or similar.

References

WW2 US Medical Research Centre. http://www.med-dept.com. Accessed January 21, 2015.