CHAPTER V
THE PERSONNEL DIVISION
ACTIVITIES
After the office of the chief surgeon was organized on July 28,1917, its personnel division was charged with all matters having to dowith personnel of the several branches of the Medical Department, A. E.F.1 As in the Surgeon General's office,a thisincluded all administrative control of their promotion and assignment tostation, and, in some instances, appointment.1 A dental sectionof the personnel division was organized toward the end of August, 1917,under the officer who was also dental surgeon for headquarters.2The chief of the Army Nurse Corps did not become a part of the personneldivision in the office of the chief surgeon, A. E. F., until that officemoved to Tours in March, 1918, when it absorbed the office of the chiefsurgeon, Services of Supply, in which the chief of the Army Nurse Corps,A. E. F., theretofore had been serving.3 The chief nurse thenbecame the head of the Army Nurse Corps section in the personnel divisionof the chief surgeon's office, A. E. F.3 Before August 29, 1918,officers and men pertaining to the veterinary service were assigned tothe remount service in the Quartermaster Department, and until that datethis personnel operated under that department.4 Subsequent theretothe members of the veterinary service were under the control of the veterinarydivision which was then established in the chief surgeon's office.4After the chief surgeon's office was fully organized the personnel belongingto the dental, veterinary, and nursing services were, generally speaking,under the administrative control of the chiefs of such services, and thehead of the personnel division exercised only an indirect supervision overtheir subordinates, but requests for changes of assignment and other technicalmatters came to his office as a phase of routine and in conformity withhis general control.5
Though the personnel division of the chief surgeon's office eventuallyexercised general administrative control, as outlined above, over all membersof the Medical Department in the American Expeditionary Forces, in certainfields such responsibility was, in some degree at least, in subordinateoffices.4 Thus before March 21, 1918, the personnel servingin the Services of Supply was under the administrative control of the chiefsurgeon of that jurisdiction, until his office was absorbed by that ofthe chief surgeon, A. E. F.4 After the chief surgeon's office,A. E. F., had moved to Tours its personnel division maintained contactwith the medical service in the zone of the armies through the chief surgeon'srepresentative at general headquarters.4 In the several armiesMedical Department assignments were controlled by the respective army surgeons.Authority was granted eventually to the director of professional servicesto procure travel orders for consultants direct from the general headquarters,6and the director of the division of laboratories and infectious diseases
aConsult Chap. III, Vol. I, of this history.
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was authorized to request travel orders for his subordinates without reference to the chief surgeon's office.7 With members of the Medical Department, who were serving with one or another of our allies, the personnel division maintained contact through the respective liaison officers accredited to the medical services of those countries.8 Members of the sections of the United States Army Ambulance Service, which were loaned to the French and Italian Governments, had a relationship with the chief surgeon's office in a few matters, especially those pertaining to technical reports; but when some of these sections were reloaned by those Governments to the United States, their members came more directly under the control of the personnel division as elements of the Medical Department, A. E. F., except in a very few matters; e. g., fragmentation of units.9 Authority for assignment of personnel within their jurisdiction, and for promotion of enlisted men to certain grades, was granted the chief surgeons of armies, corps, and divisions, to surgeons of territorial areas, and the commanding officers of such Medical Department formations as hospital centers.10
A part of the Medical Department of the United States Navy, servingin the American Expeditionary Forces, was under the control of the chiefsurgeon, A. E. F., in conformity with the regulation which prescribed thatwhen marines were serving with the Army they would come under the jurisdictionof the latter.11 Not only the medical officers and enlistedmen on duty with the marines, but also the personnel of Naval Base HospitalNo. 1, assigned to their service, therefore, came under the chief surgeon,A. E. F.11 This personnel of the Medical Department of the Navyincreased from 5 officers and 34 enlisted men in June, 1917, to 68 officersand 493 enlisted men in September, 1918, after which month its strengthgradually fell.12 The highest number of its officers on thisduty was reached in January, 1919, when these totaled 72.13This naval personnel included that on duty at Naval Base Hospital No. 1,14located at Brest, that serving with the marine bridge which formed a partof the 2d Division,15 and four surgicalteams.16 Naval Base Hospital No. 5, Brest, offered 200 bedsto the Army but this was a purely naval institution in all other respects.11
After the office of the chief surgeon, A. E. F., moved on March 21,1918, to Tours, orders affecting Medical Department personnel under thejurisdiction of that command, were issued by headquarters, Services ofSupply.4 Orders affecting personnel in the zone of the armies,or on duty with the United States Army Ambulance Service, were issued bygeneral headquarters on request of the personnel division of the chiefsurgeon's office or occasionally by telephone on request of that divisionthrough the representative of the chief surgeon with the general staff.5More frequently in emergencies orders from this source were obtained bytelegraphic request upon the adjutant general, A. E. F., at Chaumont.5
Headquarters of the special services-i. e., the professional servicesof the Medical Department-were established in September, 1917, at Neufchateau.4Here the professional services were directly under control of the chiefsurgeon's office, until the reorganization of the American ExpeditionaryForces in March, 1918, after which date the group was under concurrentjurisdiction of the hospitalization division of that office at Tours andof the representative of the
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chief surgeon with the general staff, A. E. F., at Chaumont.4The consultants supervised the professional work of the officers servingin their respective specialties, and acted as agents of the personnel division,in so far as they recommended assignments of the officers who were undertheir professional supervision. Such recommendations were approved in practicallyall instances, except that in some cases officers were held in certainpositions for disciplinary reasons.4
Orders issued on the recommendations of the senior consultants wereat first issued through the personnel division of the chief surgeon's office,but later, because of the large increase in work involved, and in orderto expedite service, they were issued through the director of professionalservices stationed at Chaumont who was authorized to procure them directfrom general headquarters, A. E. F.4 This led to complicationsat times because of the possibility of general headquarters and headquarters,Services of Supply, issuing conflicting orders concerning the same officer,but this system was otherwise so generally advantageous that it was continued.4
Until the two offices were consolidated the personnel division in theoffice of the chief surgeon, A. E. F., and in that of the chief surgeon,line of communications, maintained very close contact.5 Thepersonnel division of the chief surgeon's office, line of communications,exercised control over all medical personnel within its jurisdiction untilJanuary, 1918, when this authority was decentralized, the surgeons of theseveral territorial sections of the American Expeditionary Forces thenassuming supervision of all medical personnel within their respective borders,except that serving at base hospitals.5
Replacements were handled entirely through the Services of Supply.4A medical casual depot at Blois was planned and practically organized whenit was taken over as a casual officers' depot.4 It continued,however, to receive and distribute Medical Department casuals until July,1918, when this service was transferred to the 1st Depot Division at St.Aignan.4 This transfer was made with a view of establishinga short course of training in field work at the 1st Depot Division, butit was never possible to carry out this plan because of the constant shortageof Medical Department enlisted personnel which necessitated the promptuse of all available men, the longest stay in the depot being not morethan two weeks.4 The transfer was a disadvantage,since it occasioned some delay in getting officers and men to points wherethey were needed at once. This delay was due chiefly to lack of transportation.4
One of the greatest difficulties encountered by the personnel divisionof the chief surgeon's office was that of keeping record of the stationsof officers, nurses, and men.4 This difficulty was due to delaysor losses of documents in the mail, carelessness in rendering reports,and similar causes.4 Perhaps the greatestfactor occasioning this difficulty was the fact that under general orders,A. E. F., daily change reports were rendered direct to the central recordsoffice, and many officers thought that these records were forwarded tothe chief surgeon.4 It was not until after the armistice hadbeen signed, when service became somewhat more settled, that it was possibleto correct and complete records, and even at the best there was alwaysuncertainty concerning the actual location of many officers, nurses, andenlisted men.4 During the
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summer of 1918 orders were issued that all personnel records were tobe kept by the central records office and that no staff department shouldretain any of them.4 This order was the result of the beliefthat centralization of records was the only efficient method, and it undoubtedlywould have prevented duplication of them; but it was thought at that timeby the chief surgeon's office that such action would have utterly disruptedthe medical service.4 In point of fact the order was nevercarried into effect, and records of Medical Department personnel were retainedin the personnel division of the chief surgeon's office until the end ofthe war.4
It was much more difficult to obtain accurate records of the casualofficers assigned to the British Expeditionary Force in France who arrivedin the period June to September, 1917, than the records of those on dutywith Base Hospitals Nos. 2, 4, 5, 10, 12, and 21 which had been attachedto the British in May and June of that year.4 Officers connectedwith these hospitals were in much closer contact with the American Armythan those casual officers assigned to purely British units.4There was great difficulty at first in reaching these latter officers,and because of their ignorance of regulations, general orders, etc., theyvery seldom reported change of status.4 In many cases officersserved with the British for months before the chief surgeon's office hadrecord of them, and in general it was difficult to obtain from them personalreports.4
It was also very difficult to obtain recommendations for promotionsfor officers serving with the British, and many of those concerned cameto feel that the Medical Department was not sufficiently interested inthe matter.4 It would have been advantageous had there beena Medical Department representative attached to the British headquartersin France for the purpose of keeping in touch with these casual medicalofficers and of informing them of the various orders which might affecttheir status.4 The chief surgeon of the American Second Corpswas in liaison with headquarters, British Expeditionary Force in France,but only in so far as corps interests were concerned.4
STRENGTH OF MEDICAL DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL
Personnel of the Medical Department increased from 7 officers and about twice that number of clerks (including 2 enlisted men) in June, 1917,17 to a maximum of 174,083 on January 11, 1918,18 but this great expansion was effected only after repeated urgent requisitions.18 A most important function of the personnel division was to provide personnel to keep activities of the Medical Department up to standard despite a constantly increasing shortage of Medical Department personnel,4 especially of officers and nurses.19a
The acute needs of the Medical Department for personnel were considerablyrelieved by the cessation of hostilities, and by the splitting up of twodepot and four combat divisions.20 On November 16, 1918, a memorandumwas submitted to the effect that no more Medical Department units fromthe United States were desired, but that there was need for the followingpersonnel of that department as casuals: 200 medical officers; 125 officers,Dental Corps; 41 officers, Veterinary Corps; 1,500 nurses; 2,000 enlistedmen,
aFor details concerning shortage of Medical Department personnel consult Chap. I, Vol. VIII, of this history.
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Medical Department; and approximately 2,722 enlisted men of the VeterinaryCorps.20 The total personnel of the Medical Department in Europeon that date was 15,407 officers, 8,593 nurses, and 126,281 enlisted menof whom 944 officers, 656 nurses, and 1,314 men were serving with the British.20Arrival of additional personnel and the decrease in the number of admissionsled to a slight surplus in Medical Department personnel for the whole A.E. F., but it was soon absorbed through the return of officers and mento the United States.4
By November 30, 1918, Medical Department personnel totaled 163,841 officers,nurses, and enlisted men; i. e. 8.6 per cent of the American ExpeditionaryForces.12
The following tabulation of Medical Department personnel shows the bimonthlytotals from June 1 to November 30, 1918.4 In some cases thesetotals are only approximate, as reports of arrivals of personnel were oftendelayed in the mails.4
| Officers | Nurses | Enlisted men |
June 1, 1918 | 5,198 | 2,539 | 30,674 |
Aug. 3, 1918 | 9,601 | 4,735 | 67,140 |
Oct. 5, 1918 | 14,483 | 7,522 | 104,557 |
Nov. 30, 1918 | 17,487 | 8,951 | 137,403 |
Medical Department personnel pertaining to the Navy also served in theAmerican Expeditionary Forces supplementing that of the Army. In November,1918, this personnel numbered 62 officers and 416 enlisted men. The highestnumber of officers, nurses, and enlisted men reported severally in theAmerican Expeditionary Forces at any time was as follows:4 Officers,18,146; nurses, 10,081; enlisted men, 145,815.
Totals were not reached by the foregoing classes of personnel simultaneously.The highest grand total of Medical Department personnel collectively wasreported as follows under date of January 11, 1919.18
Officers | 17,767 |
Nurses | 9,994 |
Enlisted men | 145,815 |
Civilian employees | 507 |
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These totals should actually show as of the first week in December asthere were no Medical Department arrivals subsequent to that date, butbecause of delay in receiving reports the full strength was not recordedfinally until the week ending January 11, 1919.21
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The grades held by this personnel and the branches of the service towhich the members therein pertained were as follows:12
TABLE1.-Medical Department personnel, American Expeditionary Forces, January11, 191912
| Brigadier generals | Colonels | Lieutenant colonels | Majors | Captains | First lieutenants | Second lieutenants | Total officers | Total enlisted men | Total nurses | Total civilians | Grand total |
WITH UNITED STATES ARMY |
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Officers: |
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| M. C. | 3 | 102 | 302 | 1,409 | 4,315 | 6,672 | --- | 12,803 | --- | --- | --- | 12,803 |
| S. C. | --- | --- | 1 | 14 | 144 | 442 | 582 | 1,183 | --- | --- | --- | 1,183 |
| D. C. | --- | 3 | 9 | 42 | 321 | 1,430 | --- | 1,805 | --- | --- | --- | 1,805 |
| V. C. | --- | --- | --- | 52 | 107 | 330 | 396 | 885 | --- | --- | --- | 885 |
| A. A. S. | --- | --- | --- | --- | 1 | 27 | --- | 28 | --- | --- | --- | 28 |
Soldiers | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 139,788 | --- | --- | 139,788 |
Nurses | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 9,455 | --- | 9,455 |
Civilians | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 492 | a492 |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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WITH BRITISH |
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Officers: |
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| M. C. | --- | 3 | 4 | 25 | 203 | 624 | --- | 859 | --- | --- | --- | 859 |
| S. C. | --- | --- | --- | --- | 3 | 6 | 5 | 14 | --- | --- | --- | 14 |
| D. C. | --- | --- | --- | 2 | 5 | 4 | --- | 11 | --- | --- | --- | 11 |
Soldiers | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 1,313 | --- | --- | 1,313 |
Nurses | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 539 | --- | 539 |
Civilians | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 15 | 15 |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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WITH FRENCH |
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Officers: |
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| M. C. | --- | 1 | --- | 2 | 2 | 3 | --- | 8 | --- | --- | --- | 8 |
| S. C. | --- | --- | --- | --- | 4 | 1 | --- | 5 | --- | --- | --- | 5 |
| D. C. | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2 | --- | 2 | --- | --- | --- | 2 |
| A. A. S. | --- | --- | 1 | 3 | 8 | 99 | --- | 111 | --- | --- | --- | 111 |
Soldiers | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 3,704 | --- | --- | 3,704 |
|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| --- | --- |
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WITH ITALIANS |
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Officers: |
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| M. C. | --- | --- | --- | 4 | 10 | 4 | --- | 18 | --- | --- | --- | 18 |
| S. C. | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 1 | --- | 1 | --- | --- | --- | 1 |
| D. C. | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 1 | --- | 1 | --- | --- | --- | 1 |
| A. A. S. | --- | 1 | 1 | --- | 19 | 12 | --- | 33 | --- | --- | --- | 33 |
Soldiers | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 1,010 | --- | --- | 1,010 |
|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| --- | --- |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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Weekly net loss | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 159 | --- | 63 | 7 | --- |
Weekly net gain | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 712 | --- | --- | 483 |
aIncludes seven contract surgeons.
The work of the personnel division increased during December, 1918,because of the large number of applications for immediate return to theUnited States for discharge.4 It was estimated that 6,000 ofthese applications were received, 70 per cent of them from officers whohad arrived overseas after September 1, 1918.4 On December 2,in Circular No. 52, the chief surgeon issued instructions to personnelconcerning their return to the United States. Many casual officers werereleased shortly after the beginning of the armistice, mainly for the purposeof returning to the United States for discharge because of their affiliationwith colleges.4 On account of the number of these releases itbecame necessary to hold many other officers also desiring immediate return.4
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General Orders, No. 4, G. H. Q., A. E. F., January 4, 1919, directedthat individuals would not be discharged in Europe without specific authority-ineach case from headquarters, A. E. F. If applications for discharge inEurope were approved, individuals seeking such discharge were to be sentto the discharge camp, St. Aignan. Other instructions concerning returnto the United States or discharge in Europe were published during the samemonth by General Orders, No. 17, G. H. Q., A. E. F., January 25, 1919,and General Orders, No. 20, G. H. Q., A. E. F., January 30, 1919, and byother later orders issued by headquarters of the American ExpeditionaryForces, or of the Services of Supply. Instructions on the subject werealso published in Embarkation orders issued as a separate file, by headquarters,Services of Supply.22
Release of a large number of base hospitals for return to the UnitedStates within a few weeks after the beginning of the armistice, necessitatedremoving certain of the junior officers from each of these units, in orderto supply demands for personnel from the army of occupation and from thevarious base sections, and also to replace some officers of long servicein the American Expeditionary Forces who had urgent reasons for returnto the United States.4
By the middle of January, the weekly net loss of officers had reached400, and after that date it ran from 100 to 600 each week.4On March 1, it was reported that the drain on the Medical Department personnel,because of attendance at various universities, had again created a somewhatdifficult situation.4 A large number of applications for returnto the United States were now being disapproved except in unusual cases.4The movement of personnel belonging to base hospitals was increasing, butit was necessary to retain at least 50 per cent of the officers of thoseunits which had been in France less than one year, and assign them to otherorganizations.4 By March, personnel wasreturning to the United States at the rate of 300 officers, 300 nurses,and 2,000 enlisted men per week.12
The entire United States Army Ambulance Service on duty with the Italianforces was returned to the United States about April 1, l919.4
On April 26, 1919, when about one-half of the American ExpeditionaryForces had been returned to the United States, the Medical Department personnelremaining in France was:4
Officers | 12,544* |
Nurses | 6,238* |
Enlisted men | 21,351* |
Civilians | 347* |
By May 31, the figures were as follows:4
Officers | 9,7 6* |
Nurses | 4,837* |
Enlisted men | 95,957* |
Civilians | 243* |
[*sic - these numbers, as published in the original volume, are incorrect.]
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On May 31, only one medical officer remained on duty with the BritishExpeditionary Forces.4 By July 12 the personnel status of theMedical Department was as follows:12
TABLE2.-Medical Department personnel, American Expeditionary Forces, July12, 191912
| Brigadier generals | Colonels | Lieutenant colonels | Majors | Captains | First lieutenants | Second lieutenants | Total officers | Total enlisted | Total nurses | Total civilians | Grand total |
WITH UNITED |
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Officers: |
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| M.C. | 3 | 62 | 134 | 571 | 1,913 | 1,318 | --- | 4,001 | --- | --- | --- | 4,001 |
| S. C. | --- | --- | 3 | 38 | 188 | 187 | 219 | 635 | --- | --- | --- | 635 |
| D. C. | --- | 5 | 10 | 30 | 176 | 201 | --- | 422 | --- | --- | --- | 422 |
| V. C. | --- | --- | 2 | 12 | 38 | 89 | 72 | 213 | --- | --- | --- | 213 |
| A. A. S. | --- | --- | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | --- | 15 | --- | --- | --- | 15 |
Soldiers | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 27,846 | --- | --- | 27,846 |
Nurses | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2,239 | --- | 2,239 |
Civilians | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | a157 | 157 |
|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 5,286 | 27,846 | 2,239 | 157 | 35,528 |
LOSSES SINCE LAST REPORT |
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Officers: |
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| M. C. | --- | 3 | 10 | 92 | 145 | 95 | --- | 345 | --- | --- | --- | 345 |
| S. C. | --- | --- | --- | 4 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 37 | --- | --- | --- | 37 |
| D. C. | --- | --- | 1 | 10 | 37 | 48 | --- | 96 | --- | --- | --- | 96 |
| V. C. | --- | --- | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 16 | --- | --- | --- | 16 |
| A. A. S. | --- | --- | --- | --- | 1 | 2 | --- | 3 | --- | --- | --- | 3 |
Soldiers | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 24,583 | --- | --- | 24,583 |
Nurses | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 473 | --- | 473 |
Civilian | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 19 | 19 |
|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 24,583 | 473 | 19 | 25,572 |
aIncludes two contract surgeons.
The personnel status on August 31, when the American Expeditionary Forceswas succeeded by the American forces in France and the American forcesin Germany was as follows:12
TABLE3.-Consolidated daily field report of Medical Department personnel,S. O. S., August 31, 191912
| Officers | Enlisted men | Nurses | ||||||||||||
Medical Corps | Sanitary Corps | Dental Corps | Veterinary Corps | Master hospital sergeant | Hospital sergeant | Sergeant first class | Sergeants | Corporals | Cooks | Wagoners | Privates first class | Privates | Total enlisted | ||
Base Section No. 1 | 36 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 35 | 24 | 16 | 15 | 89 | 81 | 289 | 9 |
Base Section No. 2 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 6 | --- | 4 | 21 | 30 | 23 | 11 | 2 | 93 | 74 | 258 | 20 |
Base Section No. 5 | 127 | 14 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 63 | 146 | 63 | 102 | 81 | 648 | 482 | 1,598 | 98 |
Advance section | 25 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 49 | 66 | 154 | 18 |
Intermediate section | 13 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 29 | 38 | 98 | 15 |
District of Paris | 19 | 2 | 4 | --- | 6 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 4 | --- | 39 | 39 | 123 | 30 |
Arrondisement of Tours | 16 | 2 | 2 | --- | 2 | 1 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 45 | 11 | 104 | 12 |
Office of chief surgeon | 7 | 7 | --- | --- | 3 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 4 | --- | --- | 4 | --- | 37 | 1 |
|
| 268 | 35 | 43 | 15 | 20 | 37 | 150 | 274 | 142 | 150 | 101 | 996 | 791 | 2,661 | 203 |
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PROMOTIONS
Though the promotion section of the chief surgeon's office was never under the direct control of the personnel division, it is discussed at this point because of its close association therewith.4 This very important duty was under the immediate control of the executive assistant to the chief surgeon, who formulated the general plan for promotion, as prescribed in Circular No. 3, chief surgeon's office, and who gave this subject his immediate attention.5 He was assisted in this service by a commissioned officer who was engaged in no other duty.5
Early in the existence of the American Expeditionary Forces promotionswere made by the War Department upon the recommendation of the chief surgeonand the Surgeon General, but this system was later abandoned and all promotionsin the Medical Department had to be approved by the commander in chief.4
The need for making promotions in the Medical Corps of the AmericanExpeditionary Forces was especially urgent because most Medical ReserveCorps officers were commissioned in the lowest grade (first lieutenants),originally the only grade provided under the law.4 Among thesewere capable men who had been in the practice of medicine 15 or 20 years.It was the intention of the Surgeon General that these officers be givenprompt promotion as soon as their fitness for positions of increased responsibilitywas demonstrated; but the machinery for promotion presented unexpecteddifficulties in the American Expeditionary Forces, and for this reasonthe proportion of lieutenants at the cessation of hostilities was about60 per cent, instead of the 14 per cent provided by law.4
It is certain that many of the medical officers, serving with the Britishespecially, did not receive the promotions to which the law and the characterof their services entitled them.4 They failed to get meritedpromotions, because, in addition to the obstacles, delays, and accidentswhich characterized the history of promotions of Reserve Corps officersserving under the immediate jurisdiction of the American ExpeditionaryForces, there were the added delays incident to mail communications withthe British Expeditionary Force, and the great difficulty of getting fromthe nine hundred or more officers on duty with the British, the reportsof "Character of service and qualifications" upon which was based the rosterwhich determined their promotions up to and including the rank of major.4
Very few promotions were made during the first 10 months of the AmericanExpeditionary Forces.4 Those proposed by the chief surgeon weredisapproved, as a rule, on the ground that a definite and methodical schemeof promotion which would do justice to all, as nearly as possible, shouldbe presented before the commander in chief would be willing to make promotionsexcept in very special cases.4 A scheme was finally worked outand presented to the commanding general, Services of Supply, on May 17,1918, by whom it was forwarded on May 19 with the following indorsement:
Heretofore I have generally disapproved recommendationsfor promotions in the Medical Corps because they have come as isolatedcases and presented no facts by which a reasonable judgment could be formedas to the relative merits of the particular case, in comparison with
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the entire body of medical officers.4 As thispaper presents a plan which appears to me to be comprehensive, legal, andreasonable, I approve of it and recommend that it be adopted as the basisfor promotions of officers in this corps serving with the American ExpeditionaryForces in Europe.4
The plan in question is given in Circular No. 36, chief surgeon's office,June 11, 1918, which is reproduced in the appendix of this volume. It wasformally approved by the commander in chief June 27, 1918.4The first list of officers recommended for promotion under it was forwardedon June 15, and five other lists in July.4Later it was learned that these lists were not forwarded from general headquartersuntil about August 10.4 After that date lists sent in were forwardedmuch more promptly.4 As was true in other branches of the service,promotions of lieutenants were not cabled to Washington but were sent bycourier, and even in the case of those recommended for promotion to highergrades, the inevitable delays in the War Department made the process ofgetting them through very slow.4
On September 4 the chief surgeon in common with other administrativechiefs, was informed by the adjutant general, A. E. F., that no more promotionlists were to be forwarded to Washington, as a new War Department generalorder on the subject of promotions (General Orders, No. 78, War Department,August 22, 1918) was en route from the United States.4 It washoped that this order, which authorized the commander in chief, A. E. F.,to make promotions up to and including the grade of colonel (subject toconfirmation by the War Department), would greatly simplify and expeditepromotions in the American Expeditionary Forces, but this expectation wasnot realized, the opinion having been advanced that in order to determinethe question whether vacancies existed, an approved table of organizationwas necessary.4 On September 20 the chief surgeon, A. E. F.,wrote to the adjutant general, A. E. F., that as the law provided thatthere should be a certain proportion of medical officers in each grade,the number of these vacancies could readily be determined by applying theproportions to the total number of medical officers in the American ExpeditionaryForces.4 He added that an agreement had been made with the SurgeonGeneral, by which the commander in chief, A. E. F., could make promotionsup to the authorized proportion in each grade for the medical officersin the American Expeditionary Forces.4 These proportions, asestablished in Bulletin 59, general headquarters, A. E. F., August 16,1918, were as follows for the Medical and Dental Corps and presumably forthe Veterinary Corps:4 Colonel, 3.16; lieutenant col., 5.42;major, 23.70; captain, 53.90; first lieutenant, 13.82.4 Thestrength of the Sanitary Corps was 1 per 1,000 of the total strength ofthe military forces, the number in each grade being proportional to thenumber authorized by law for the corresponding grades of the Medical Corps.4No grade above that of major was authorized by this order.4To this the adjutant general, A. E. F., replied as follows on September24:4
It will be necessary to have the War Department approvethe agreement between the Surgeon General and the chief surgeon beforethe commander in chief will be authorized to promote by temporary appointment,subject to confirmation by the War Department, except where there is avacancy in a table of organization authorized by the War Department.
The question of the applicability of General Orders, No. 78, to theMedical Department of the American Expeditionary Force was then taken upand
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was referred to the War Department by the commander in chief in a cabledated October 11.4 To this the Chief of Staff replied on October19, stating that this order did not apply to the Medical Department, butit was learned later that the negative in this cable reply was an errorin coding.4 When the matter was again presented by the commanderin chief, on October 28, for reconsideration, he was informed by cableof November 5 that his request for authority to promote medical officerswas approved.4 The chief surgeon was informed on November 7of this decision, but four days later the armistice was signed and alltemporary promotions were stopped.4 The best use possible wasmade of this short period by securing 680 promotions, but there remainedabout 6,500 vacancies for men who were entitled to promotion by law andby the character of their service.4
On December 9, 1918, the following estimate of Medical Corps officerson duty in the American Expeditionary Forces, the legal allowances andvacancies on a basis of 1,500,000 men was formulated by the representativeof the chief surgeon with the general staff.23
ALLOWANCE
| Legal | Basis, | On duty, American Expeditionary Forces | Vacancies |
Colonel | 3.16 | 332 | 116 | 116 |
Lieutenant colonel | 5.42 | 569 | 333 | 236 |
Major | 23.70 | 2,489 | 1,543 | 946 |
Captain | 53.90 | 5,660 | 4,608 | 1,052 |
First lieutenant | 13.82 | 1,450 | 7,432 | 15,982 |
|
|
|
| --- |
1Excess.
On January 15, 1919, a list of recommendations was forwarded for promotions,including 85 lieutenant colonels to the grade of colonel, 282 majors tothe grade of lieutenant colonel, 932 captains to the grade of major, and2,457 lieutenants to the grade of captain.4 These were approvedand published in orders on February 17, 1919.4 This list didnot by any means exhaust the possibilities, as there yet remained the followingvacancies:4 241 in the grade of colonel, 293 in the grade oflieutenant colonel, 1,151 in the grade of major, and 1,323 in the gradeof captain. The regular officers recommended on this list were not promoteduntil about May 1, 1919.4 Another list of 1,171 names receivedfavorable action on May 2, 1919, but several hundred deserving officerswhose active service dated from 1917 remained unpromoted when the chiefsurgeon was notified that no further recommendations should be forwarded.4 In most of these instances the recommendations had not been forwarded atan earlier date because the medical officers whose duty it was to forwardthe reports of character of service and qualifications had failed to givethe necessary data which were called for by the scheme of promotion, suchas age, length of active service, date of last promotion.4
The following table shows the larger lists of recommendations for promotionmade by the chief surgeon, and favorably acted upon by the War Departmentor general headquarters, A. E. F.:4
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Recommended | To captain | To major | To lieutenant colonel | To colonel | Total | Where promoted |
1918 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
May 17 | --- | 2 | 76 | 34 | 112 | War Department. |
June 15 | --- | --- | 13 | 8 | 21 | Do. |
June 21 | --- | --- | 1 | --- | 1 | Do. |
July 6 | 40 | 63 | --- | --- | 103 | Do. |
July 15 | 8 | 16 | --- | --- | 24 | Do. |
July 18 | --- | --- | 11 | --- | 11 | Do. |
July 19 | --- | --- | 2 | --- | 2 | Do. |
July 29 | 120 | 33 | 8 | --- | 161 | Do. |
Aug. 5 | 36 | 15 | --- | --- | 51 | Do. |
Aug. 12 | 74 | 63 | --- | --- | 137 | Do. |
Aug. 21 | 82 | 54 | --- | --- | 136 | Do. |
Sept. 4 | 129 | 52 | --- | --- | 181 | Do. |
Oct. 10 | 49 | 24 | 35 | 28 | 136 | General headquarters. |
Oct. 27 | 58 | 27 | 53 | 3 | 141 | Do. |
Nov. 7 | 261 | 136 | --- | 6 | 403 | Do. |
1919 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jan. 15 | 2,290 | 807 | 225 | 69 | 3,391 | Do. |
Apr. 19 | 764 | 321 | 83 | 3 | 1,171 | Do. |
| 3,911 | 1,613 | 507 | 151 | 6,182 |
|
Many of the officers recommended for promotion in the list of January15, 1919, did not receive it because of delay in announcing the promotionsand the fact that before this was accomplished these officers had sailedfor the United States.4
Similarly, of those officers whose promotions were announced on February17, 1919, 419 officers did not notify the personnel division of the chiefsurgeon's office or general headquarters of their acceptance of commission,the majority of them having sailed for the United States within a veryfew days of the date they would have received their promotions.4
Delays in promotion were attributed by the chief surgeon to the followingcircumstances:24 Delays in the personnel section, general headquarters,A. E. F.; delay due to transmission to Washington, and in securing promptaction there; delay of two months due to discussion concerning applicabilityof General Orders, No. 78, War Department, 1918, to the Medical Corps;discontinuance of promotion for some months after the armistice began.
THE SANITARY CORPS
Under laws enacted prior to the World War none except a person holdinga doctorate degree in medicine or dentistry could be commissioned in theMedical Department; however, after we entered the war, and in order tomeet the need for sanitary engineers, chemists, administrators, etc., anew branch of the Medical Department, entitled the Sanitary Corps, wasorganized under the authority granted by the act of May 18, l917.25The officer personnel of this new corps was not to exceed one-tenth of1 per cent of the total Army strength; the number of enlisted men was tobe determined by the Secretary of War.25 The number of officersin the several grades was to be proportionate to that of correspondinggrades of the Medical Corps, but, as originally prescribed, no grades wereprovided for in the Sanitary Corps above the grade of major.25
STRENGTH
The Sanitary Corps in the American Expeditionary Forces comprised officers,already commissioned, who were sent to France, and others commissionedoverseas.26 In order that vacancies in this corps would notall be filled
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by men sent from the United States, on May 25, 1918, General Pershingnotified the Surgeon General that he desired to hold vacancies in the SanitaryCorps, in units already overseas, for men to be promoted from such units,and that he did not wish to have additional Sanitary Corps officers sentto France to fill the positions.27 Eventually,this arrangement brought up the question as to how many persons could becommissioned in the Sanitary Corps in France, so on October 30, 1918, GeneralPershing sent another cablegram to the War Department, in which it wasasked how the strength of the Sanitary Corps was to be determined and whatproportion would be allowed in each grade.28 On November 8,War Department answered to the effect that under General Orders, No. 80,War Department, 1917, the allowances of the Sanitary Corps were colonels,1; lieutenant colonels, 5; majors, 111; captains, 936; first lieutenants,975; second lieutenants, 802.29
The strength of this corps increased gradually until 1,185 of its officerswere serving in the American Expeditionary Forces on January 4, 1919.12This number amounted to 7.03 per cent of all officers of the Medical Department,A. E. F.12
PROJECT FOR TRANSFERRING CERTAIN AMERICAN RED CROSS PERSONNELTO SANITARY CORPS
On October 3, 1918, the commander in chief notified the Secretary ofWar that the American Red Cross representative and the chief surgeon, A.E. F., desired that such parts of the American Red Cross personnel as wereserving the armies in Europe be incorporated in the Sanitary Corps.30The commander in chief approved this policy in order that coordinationmight be perfected, and requested that the Sanitary Corps of the Army beenlarged sufficiently to permit such absorption, that he be authorizedto enlist American Red Cross personnel and to make appointments of AmericanRed Cross officers in appropriate grades of the Sanitary Corps.30This authorization he asked for was to include 1 colonel, 2 lieutenantcolonels, and others in grades proportional to those provided for in existingorders.30 The number of officers to be commissioned under theauthority thus requested would not exceed 750 and the number of enlistedmen would not exceed 1,500.30 It was not intended that thisabsorption of American Red Cross personnel would change materially theduties in which that organization was engaged.31
On October 11, the commander in chief further cabled that it was notintended that American Red Cross officers should be appointed in the SanitaryCorps unless they were mentally, morally, and physically qualified.31He added that commissioning officers from the American Red Cross shouldnot give members of other societies grounds for urging like action fortheir own members, for the reason that the American Red Cross personnelserving the armies were performing the same duties as was the Medical Departmentof the Army.31 He expected that American Red Cross officersappointed in the Sanitary Corps would remain, in general, in their thenduties but would be subject to general assignment.31
This project for the transfer of American Red Cross personnel to theSanitary Corps never materialized.32
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DUTIES
The majority of the officers of the Sanitary Corps in the American ExpeditionaryForces were assigned to hospitals where they discharged such duties asadjutant, mess officer, and property officer.26 On the whole,however, the duties discharged by officers of the Sanitary Corps were quitediversified, comprising, in addition to those referred to above, dutiesas accountants, architects, interpreters, opticians, those connected withcertain phases of gas defense, and in connection with rodent destruction.26
PROMOTIONS
In this corps, as in other branches of the Medical Department, promotions were not commensurate with vacancies. On April 19, 1919, to cite but one illustration, the chief surgeon recommended that promotions be made in the Sanitary Corps to fill the vacancies then existing.33 Those in the grade of lieutenant colonel then numbered 59; major, 126; captain, 162; while excess proportions of officers in the grade of first and second lieutenants, respectively, were 22 and 327.33
CONTRACT SURGEONS
The few contract surgeons in the service of the Medical Department overseas, like medical officers, were directly under the jurisdiction of the chief of the personnel division, and not of any separate section of his office.4 The general circumstances in which they were employed are discussed in the first volume of this history. The authority enjoyed by the Surgeon General to employ contract surgeons subject to the approval of the Secretary of War34 was also delegated to the chief surgeon, A. E. F.35 Among their number were women who were engaged as anesthetists, laboratory technicians, and in certain other duties as required. The total number of men and women serving as contract surgeons in the American Expeditionary Forces was 13, of which number there were 2 men36 and 11 women.37
PERSONNELa
(July 28, 1917, to July 15, 1919)
Maj. Gen. M. W. Ireland, M. C., chief.
Col. E. M. Welles, M. C., chief.
Col. W. H. Thearle, M. C.
Lieut. Col. J. S. Coulter,M. C.
Lieut. Col. J. W. Meehan,M. C.
Maj. W. Denison, M. C.
Maj. Clarence S. Ketcham,M. C.
Maj. E. H. Rogers, San.Corps.
Capt. J. H. Mael, San. Corps.
Capt. P. J. Skelly, San.Corps.
First Lieut. A. S. Callaway,San. Corps.
First Lieut. D. E. Mannix,San. Corps.
aIn this list have been included the names of those who at one time or another were assigned to the division during the period July 28, 1917, to July 15, 1919.
There are two primary groups-the heads of the division or the section and the assistants. In each group names have been arranged alphabetically, by grades, irrespective of chronological sequence of service.
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REFERENCES
(1) Memorandum from the chief surgeon, A. E. F., to thechief of staff, A. E. F., July 28, 1917. Subject: Weekly war diary. Onfile, Historical Division, S. G. O.
(2) War diary, chief surgeon's office, A. E. F., September5, 1917.
(3) War diary, chief surgeon's office, A. E. F., March24, 1918.
(4) Report from the chief surgeon, A. E. F., to the SurgeonGeneral, U. S. Army, May 1, 1919. Subject: Activities of the chief surgeon'soffice to May 1, 1919. On file, Historical Division, S. G. O.
(5) Report from Maj. Edward M. Welles, jr., M. C., chiefof personnel division, A. E. F., to the Surgeon General, U. S. Army, April10, 1924. Subject: Personnel activities. On file, Historical Division,S. G. O.
(6) Report from Col. W. L. Keller, M. C., director ofprofessional services, A. E. F., to the chief surgeon, A. E. F., December31, 1918. Subject: Brief outline of the organization and activities ofthe professional services between April, 1918, and December 31, 1918. Onfile, Historical Division, S. G. O.
(7) Report from Col. J. F. Siler, M. C., director of laboratoriesand infectious diseases, to the chief surgeon, A. E. F. (not dated). Subject:Activities of the division of laboratories and infectious diseases, fromAugust, 1917, to July, 1919. On file, Historical Division, S. G. O.
(8) Letter from the chief surgeon, A. E. F., to Maj. W.J. L. Lyster, M. C., June 11, 1917. Subject: Administration of Americanmedical personnel serving with British Service. On file, Record Room, S.G. O. (9795).
(9) Official report from the chief of the U. S. Army AmbulanceService with the French Army, April 15, 1919, by Col. Percy M. Jones, M.C. On file, Historical Division, S. G. O.
(10) Circulars, chief surgeon's office, A. E. F. No. 36,June 11, 1918; No. 38, July 11, 1918; No. 45, August 13, 1918; No. 50,October 4, 1918; No. 54, November 9, 1918.
(11) Report of the Medical Department activities of BaseSection No. 5, including Naval Base Hospital No. 5, compiled under thedirection of, and submitted by, the base surgeon, to the chief surgeon,A. E. F. (undated). On file, Historical Division, S. G. O.
(12) Weekly numerical reports of personnel of the MedicalDepartment, A. E. F. On file, Historical Division, S. G. O.
(13) Report of strength of the A. E. F., by months, asshown by the consolidated returns for the American Expeditionary Forces.On file, Returns Section, Miscellaneous Division, A. G. O., January 12,1924.
(14) Report of Medical Department activities at NavalBase Hospital No. 1 (undated), by the commanding officer. On file, HistoricalDivision, S. G. O.
(15) Report of the Medical Department activities of the2d Division (undated) by the division surgeon. On file, Historical Division,S. G. O.
(16) Report on movement of surgical teams (undated) bythe director of professional services, A. E. F. On file, Historical Division,S. G. O.
(17) Wadhams, Sanford H., Col. M. C., and Tuttle, ArnoldD., Col., M. C.: Some of the Early Activities of the Medical Department,A. E. F. The Military Surgeon, Washington, 1919, xlv, No. 6, 636.
(18) War Diary, chief surgeon's office, A. E. F., January11, 1919.
(19) Report from the chief surgeon, A. E. F., to the commandinggeneral, A. E. F., April 17, 1919. Subject: Medical Department activities,A. E. F., to November 11, 1918. On file, Historical Division, S. G. O.
(20) War Diary, chief surgeon's office, November 20, 1918.
(21) Report from the chief surgeon, A. E. F., to the commandinggeneral, A. E. F., March 20, 1918. Subject: Activities of chief surgeon'soffice. On file, Historical Division, S. G. O.
(22) Embarkation Instructions, Headquarters, Servicesof Supply No. 1, November 20, 1918, to and including No. 30, August 7,1919. On file, A. G. O., World War Division, 321.1 (Embarkation Service).
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(23) Memorandum from Lieut. Col. E. M. Welles, jr., toCol. S. H. Wadhams, M. C., deputy of chief surgeon with General Staff,December 9, 1918. Subject: Table showing allowance of officers of all gradesfor A. E. F. on a basis of 1,500,000 men. On file, A. G. O., World WarDivision, chief surgeon's files (320.21).
(24) Letter from the chief surgeon, A. E. F., to Maj.James A. Shannon, Inf., chief of personnel, General Headquarters, August4, 1918. Subject: Promotions. On file, Historical Division, S. G. O.
(25) General Orders No. 80, W. D., Washington, D. C.,June 30, 1917.
(26) Statement based on a study of general correspondenceconcerning the Sanitary Corps. On file, World War Division,
A. G. O., chief surgeon's files (211.234).
(27) Cable No. 1178-S, par. 5, from General Pershing toChief of Staff and Surgeon General of the Army, May 25, 1918.
(28) Cable No. 377-S, par. 1, from the chief surgeon,A. E. F., to The Adjutant General, U. S. Army, for the Surgeon General,October 30, 1918.
(29) Cable No. 252-R, par. 2, from the Surgeon Generalto the chief surgeon, A. E. F., November 8, 1918.
(30) Cable No. 1738-S, par. 1, subpar. D, from GeneralPershing to The Adjutant General of the Army, October 3, 1918.
(31) Cable No. 1780-S, par. 1, subpar. C., from GeneralPershing to The Adjutant General of the Army, October 11, 1918.
(32) Cable No. 2095-R, par. 1, from The Adjutant Generalof the Army to General Pershing, October 23, 1918.
(33) Letter from the chief surgeon, A. E. F., to the commanderin chief, April 19, 1919. Subject; Promotions of officers in the SanitaryCorps, Medical Department. On file, A. G. O., World War Division, chiefsurgeon's files (211.234).
(34) U. S. Compiled Statutes 1916 (act of February 2,1901, C. 192, sec. 18), 31 Stat. 752.
(35) Memorandum from legal reference section to Capt.E. J. Berry, S. C., January 10, 1919. Subject: Contract surgeons. On file,A. G. O., World War Division, chief surgeon's files (211.26).
(36) Contracts between the chief surgeon, A. E. F., andDr. Paul Gallagher, October 9, 1918, and Dr. H. B. Marville, August 1,1918. On file, A. G. O., World War Division, chief surgeon's files, thefirst contract under 201 (Gallagher), and the second contract under 211.25(Contract Surgeons).
(37) Letter from Dr. Esther C. Leonard, contract surgeon,to commanding officer, hospital center at Vichy, December 5, 1918. Subject:Quarters; contract between the commanding officer, hospital center at Vichy,and Dr. Anna Tjomsland, December 4, 1918. Both on file, A. G. O., WorldWar Division, chief surgeon's files, 211.26. Statement of service furnishedto The Adjutant General, U. S. Army, by the Surgeon General, June 30, 1922.Subject: 9 contract surgeons (female) U. S. Army, who served overseas.On file, Personnel Division, S. G. O.
