Chronology – Utah Beachhead Operations Unit Histories

D-Day > 6 June 1944: medical sections of the naval Beach Battalions were ashore by H + 1 hour on Utah Beach and evacuation of casualties was already being carried out by H + 2
½ hours. The 2d Beach Battalion, consisting of 9 Officers and 72 Navy Corpsmen had evacuated approximately 75 casualties before the Companies of the 261st Medical Battalion
(1st Engineer Special Brigade), were ashore and in operation. Collecting Company “C”, 261st Medical Battalion arrived ashore at H + 4 hours and established its Clearing
Station about 400 yards inland in the rear of Green Beach. Elements of Collecting Company “A”, 261st Medical Battalion, arrived a little later in the day and established
their station in the rear of Red Beach. Six Surgical Teams pertaining to the 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group landed with the Collecting Companies of the 261st Medical Battalion (2 teams
per company -ed). During the day, the three Collecting Companies of the 4th Medical Battalion (4th Infantry Division) landed with 26 out of their total of 30 ambulances. These
ambulances were immediately put into operation and utilized to their maximum capacity in the evacuation of casualties.

D+1 > 7 June 1944: during the early part of the day, Collecting Companies “A” and “C” of the 26lst Medical Battalion were the only holding medical units
ashore and were consequently heavily burdened with casualties. Evacuation across the beach continued throughout the day. During the afternoon, information was received that the 307th
Airborne Medical Company (82d Airborne Division), was established near Ste-Mère-Eglise, and that this Company was holding some 300 casualties. While arrangements were being made
to contact this unit for removal of their patients to the beach, subject casualties began to reach the beachhead in transportation belonging to the 307th. These patients consisted
mostly of glider and jump casualties from both the 82d and 101st Airborne Divisions. The 491st Medical Collecting Company and 649th Medical Clearing Company (both of the 50th Medical
Battalion) also landed on 7 June.

D+2 > 8 June 1944: during the night between D+1 and D+2, Headquarters and Clearing Company of the 4th Medical Battalion and Collecting Company “B”, of the 261st Medical
Battalion landed complete with transportation. By 0630, Collecting Company “B” (261st Medical Battalion) was established adjacent to Collecting Company “C”,
and received its first casualties. At the same time, the Clearing Company of the 4th Medical Battalion set up approximately three miles inland, in support of its parent unit, the 4th
Infantry Division. During the afternoon, the 307th Airborne Medical Company, was contacted near Fauville and its Clearing Station found to be flooded with
casualties, both American and enemy. Arrangements were made with the 4th Medical Battalion to furnish trucks to assist in the evacuation of these casualties part of whom were moved to
the 4th Medical Battalion Clearing Station and the remainder evacuated to the 261st in the beach area. The 492d Collecting Company (50th Medical Battalion), and the 315th Medical
Battalion (90th Infantry Division) landed, as did the 2d Section, Advance Platoon, 1st Medical Depot Company. The 4th Medical Battalion Clearing Station was receiving patients by
midnight. Elements of both the 42d and the 45th Field Hospitals were able to land on 8 June 1944 as well.

D+3 > 9 June 1944: the British Hospital Carrier “Lady Connaught” arrived during the night of D+2 and D+3 and discharged First United States Army Medical Detachment
“B”. This personnel consisted of the station and litter bearer platoons of the 502d and the 427th Medical Collecting Companies (31st Medical Group); six Surgical Teams of
the 4th Auxiliary Surgical Group; one Advance Depot Platoon (31st Medical Depot Company); six Medical Corps Officers of the 662d Medical Clearing Company (134th Medical Group); and ten
Liaison Officers from various medical units, including one Officer of the 9th Troop Carrier Command. Despite her rated capacity of approximately 300 casualties, 400 casualties were
taken aboard the “Lady Connaught” during the day which then sailed for the United Kingdom that same evening. Also, during the night of D+2 and D+3, personnel of the 42d
Field Hospital plus three Surgical Teams were brought ashore after their ship had been sunk and most of their personal and a part of their organizational equipment lost. The remainder
of their supplies and equipment began to be landed at this time. The equipment of the 2d Platoon was landed first, and the VII Corps Surgeon decided that this Platoon would be
established near Le Grand Chemin. During the morning, the medical supply dump was opened at Le Grand Chemin. Prior to this time, the dump bad been operated by the 261st Medical
Battalion at the same location of Collecting Company “C” of this organization. The 315th Medical Battalion set up a Clearing Station at Ste-Mère-Eglise, but
artillery fire forced it to withdraw temporarily. However, they returned to this location later in the day. The Clearing Station of the 101st Airborne Division suffered a near hit from
an estimated 1,000 pound bomb, which cost them six medical Officers and forty EM. The Clearing Station of the 4th Medical Battalion was set up just south of Beuzeville-au-Plain.

D+4 > 10 June 1944: the 128th Evacuation Hospital, the first Army Evacuation unit to land on Utah Beach, came ashore. It was followed later in the day by the 91st Evacuation
Hospital and more personnel of the 45th Field Hospital. The 42d Field Hospital, which landed the night of D+2 and D+3, opened just northwest of Le Grand Chemin. Due to the heavy surf
the unloading of medical supplies was delayed and a critical shortage of certain items developed. In view of this shortage, it was necessary for the VII Corps Surgeon to contact the
First US Army Surgeon in the Omaha Beachhead sector for delivery of these missing items. Arrangements were made for their delivery the next day.

D+5 > 11 June 1944: the 128th Evacuation Hospital became the first Evacuation Hospital to become operational on the continent, opening during the evening in the vicinity of
Boutteville; followed by the 91st Evacuation Hospital which became operational on 12 June in the same vicinity. The 463rd Medical Collecting Company also arrived ashore the same
day.

D+6 > 12 June 1944: the following medical units arrived at the Utah Beachhead. The 24th Evacuation Hospital which opened on D+7, in the vicinity of La Cambe; the 449th Medical
Collecting Company, followed by the 450th Medical Collecting Company and the 577th Motor Ambulance Company.

D+7 > 13 June 1944: more units reached the continent and debarked on Utah. They included the 452d Medical Collecting Company which landed during the night of D+6 and D+7; the 464th
and  501st Medical Collecting Companies and the 564th and 565th Motor Ambulance Companies. The 565th Motor Ambulance Company landed during the night of D+7 and D+8.

D+8 > 14 June 1944: the 41st Evacuation Hospital opened on D+8 in the vicinity of Le Molay.

D+9 > 15 June 1944: the 5th Evacuation Hospital opened on D+9 in the vicinity of Le Molay, while the 575th Motor Ambulance Company, the 451st Medical Collecting Company, and the
1st Medical Depot Company (less its Advance Platoon) landed on Utah 15 June.

D+10 > 16 June 1944: the 493d Medical Collecting Company and the 67th Evacuation Hospital debarked the same day

D+11 > 17 June 1944: following medical units landed on Utah Beach; the 68th Medical Group, Headquarters & Headquarters Detachment, the 175th Medical Battalion, 176th Medical
Battalion, and 178th Medical Battalion, Headquarters & Headquarters Detachments, the 427th and 502d Medical Collecting Companies, the 576th and 578th Motor Ambulance Companies, the
618th Medical Clearing Company, and the 67th Evacuation and 97th Evacuation Hospitals.

D+12 > 18 June 1944: additional units landed among which the 10th Medical Laboratory, the 31st Medical Group and 179th Medical Battalion Headquarters & Headquarters
Detachments, followed by the 621st and 622d Medical Clearing Companies.

D+13 > 19 June 1944: the 67th Evacuation Hospital opened near La Fière, while the 96th Evacuation Hospital became operational in the vicinity of Ste-Mère-Eglise.

D+15 > 21 June 1944: the 454th Medical Collecting Company arrived at the Utah Beachhead. The 44th Evacuation and 97th Evacuation Hospitals opened respectively at La Cambe, and
near St-Sauveur-le-Vicomte.

D+16 > 22 June 1944: the 10th Medical Laboratory opened in the vicinity of La Cambe.

D+17 > 23 June 1944: the 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group (less 23 teams); the 57th Medical Battalion, 134th Medical Group, and 426th Medical Battalion Headquarters & Headquarters
Detachments reached the continent.

D+18 > 24 June 1944: a first Detachment pertaining to the 91st Medical Gas Treatment Battalion arrived at Utah Beach and debarked the same day.

D+19 > 25 June 1944: the following units arrived at the Utah Beachhead and consisted of the 617th and 633d Medical Clearing Companies. The 662d arrived during the night of D+18 and
D+19.

D+20 > 26 June 1944: another Detachment of the 91st Medical Gas Treatment Battalion debarked on Utah Beach. The Headquarters & Headquarters Detachment of the 177th Medical
Battalion also reached the continent this day.

D+21 > 27 June 1944: the 47th Field Hospital arrived on the continent.

D+22 > 28 June 1944: the 4th Convalescent Hospital became operational in the vicinity of La Cambe.

D+23 > 29 June 1944: the 2d Evacuation Hospital started operations near Le Marais.

Remarks:

During the build-up of the First United States Army on the continent, medical capabilities were augmented between 26 June 1944 > 1 August 1944, by temporarily transferring following
Hospitals of the Third United States Army to FUSA; They included the 32d – 34th – 35th – 39th – 102d – 103d – 104th –
106th – 107th – 109th – 200th Evacuation
and the 16th Field Hospitals . All these units eventually reverted to Third Army control on 1 August (except the
106th + 109th Evac Hosp, which were only returned later). An additional unit, the 77th Evacuation Hospital became available on 21 July, and with the help of three
extra ambulance companies was given the task of transferring casualties from the Evacuation Hospitals to the beaches. At the height of the D-Day operations (6 June > 31 July 1944,
inclusive), 22 Evacuation Hospitals, and 6 Field Hospitals were either assigned or attached to the First US Army for supporting a total of 16 active combat divisions.

This page was printed from the WW2 US Medical Research Centre on 29th March 2024 at 15:56.
Read more: https://www.med-dept.com/unit-histories/chronology-utah-beachhead-operations/