Great Central Railway - June 17th/18th

By Staff Sgt Wright

FRIDAY

GCR was for many of A.I.M a first time event.   Not only for the new members, but for several of the older group members as they had not done this event before either.  Having booked several months ago all things seemed to be going to plan until the final week prior to the event itself, we had problems with tickets, location on the site and even transport, it all seemed doomed to fail, there was even a back up event in the sidelines.   However, when Cpl Berry and Pfc Short called me on the Friday morning to say they had arrived and the tents were pitched I breathed a sign of relief, finally things were happening.

Most members arrived on the Friday afternoon and early evening, but I could not be onsite until Saturday morning due to work commitments.  Having set out at 7am, I arrived at the site in Quorn at approximately 8.10am to find the entire unit up and eating breakfast.

Quickly unpacking the kit in my vehicle we started to shape the scenario and put all props in place.  Our impression was an aid station, D-Day + 2, just inland of Utah beach.  Portraying the 326th Medical Company (who were attached to the 101st Div) meant a pleasant change for me as I’d never re-enacted as a medic before.  Two of us portrayed medics and the rest of the guys were 501st PIR, either protecting the aid station or injured airborne troops waiting for the order to be either shipped home or sent back into battle.  Private Anthony Ridgeway was bandaged with a serious shoulder wound and a plasma drip attached to his arm for realism.  This realism would put us in good stead for the following day with the BBC.

SATURDAY

The weather was awful it poured down on an off all day Saturday and only a few members of the public dared to visit the site.  Half of the group were given permission to travel down the lines of the railway to see the sights at the other stations including the battle at Rothley.  I sat down on the slope by our tents face in hands wondering if the whole weekend was going to be a flop, when I looked up there was a camera man filming me, apparently after the tired worn out, bored GI look – perfect!

The evening soon drew in and we prepared to hit the town in true GI style – Class A’s and Ike jackets!  After a great night out with the local people we headed back to our tents to bed down for the night.  Most of the guys were hungry and we could not get a take away, so I cooked them all a sausage sandwich, which at 1-30am in the morning was most welcomed.

SUNDAY

The following day was totally different the sun was beaming down on us and the public came out in their multitudes.  Quite quickly we realised that we were going to be in luck, so we decided on putting on a bit more of a show.  The men were assembled on the tarmac in front of our display and rifle and foot drill was then put into practice.  This drew lots of attention and many pictures were taken – the film crew turned back up again to film the drill and it was at this point I found out that they were in fact with the BBC and were shooting a documentary due for TV airing in December. 

Having noticed our display they then approached me to see if we would be willing to do a little acting for them.  Always one to please, we agreed and AIM went into action. 

Screeching tires, two members of the group jumped from the back of our Dodge ambulance shouting for a stretcher, a medic (me) followed with a profusely bleeding paratrooper, seriously wounded in the shoulder.  Help was there before we could count to three and the injured man was lifted onto a stretcher and rushed into the main aid tent. 

Medics screaming, panic all around the man was quickly transferred to a bed and offered a cigarette.  Pulling the dressing slowly back the medic realises the wound is much worse than at first suspected - the man passes out.  A second medic (Cpl Berry) offers help but it appears to be too late, he’s gone.  I throw my helmet down, sweat pouring from my face, twenty minutes trying to save this mans life but to no avail.

CUT.

That’s it; the BBC had their footage and thanked us profoundly for helping them out.  An exchange of details and were ready to go back before the public again.  Lots of people watched us do this, there was a great buzz from the group, many of the newer younger members realising that on their first event they had now been in film, what a great way to start re-enacting.

That afternoon the rest of us went down the lines to see the other groups and displays many of which were very good.  Lots of happy people, with lots of interest from the public of all ages.

Overall it was a great event – we met a few good contacts and were on film, the virgin troopers were now broken in and ready to perform again.  For me it was a huge success, but I now only had two weeks to plan the next event! 

Onwards and upwards.

Staff Sgt Wright
12130464
326th Medical Company

HISTORY OF THE 326th MEDICAL COMPANY

The 326th Medical Company was initially constituted 23 July 1918 as the 326th Sanitary Train, an element of the 101st Division, National Army.  It was demobilized 11 December 1918, then reconstituted in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 24 June 1921 as the 326th Medical Regiment, again as part of the 101st Division but allotted to the organized reserves.

On 30 January 1942, the Regiment was redesignated the 326th Medical Battalion, 101st Division.  On 15 August 1942, the battalion was withdrawn from the organized reserve and allotted to the army of the United States, with the current reorganization and redesignation as the 326th Airborne Medical Company.

The unit was activated at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, as element of the newly organized 101st Airborne Division and deployed with the division in 1943, in preparation for the invasion of Europe in 1944.

The 326th Airborne Medical Company was the organic medical unit that supported the 101st Airborne Division during its operations in World War II.  As the size and structure of the airborne division changed during the war, the airborne medical company grew from a strength of 20 officers and 195 enlisted men in September 1942 to 27 officers and 273 enlisted men in December 1944.  The company was organized into a company headquarters, several service sections, and three platoons which carried out the same functions as the clearing and collecting companies in the medical battalion of an infantry division.  Each platoon had litter bearer, ambulance, and treatment sections and supported one of the division's parachute or glider infantry regiments during operations.

On 18 December 1944, the Division was hastily transported to Bastogne, Belgium, to help stop the German Ardennes Offensive, “ The Battle of the Bulge”. The 326th provided medical support throughout the division’s magnificent defense of Bastogne against four German Divisions and elements of three others.

Afterward, the 326th supported the division during the remainder of the conflict in Europe, until it was deactivated on 30 November 1945 at Auxerre, France.