Evacuation of Wounded U.S. Marines from Saipan (1944)

Synopsis

Shot by a member of combat camera named Edwin C. Udey who was tasked with making a documentary about the field treatment of wounded, this silent footage was taken during the Battle of Saipan in 1944. Unlike most of the censored footage you will see from WWII, this material of wounded soldiers being evacuated from the combat zone is quite raw. It is hard to watch without becoming emotional, seeing so many brave, young men who have been subjected to the horrors of battle. It is also impressive to see the amount of care taken by the U.S.A. to help its wounded. At the start of the film, wounded are seen at a rear area being loaded aboard a transport aircraft for the flight to a hospital. At 1:30, a wounded soldier is shown wearing a tag that explains the nature of his injury and treatment. At 3:10, a wounded soldier is seen being moved. At 3:25, a former Japanese hospital is seen, now occupied by the Marines. At 3:33, a soldier receives additional treatment for his wounded leg. Note the pressed wood splint underneath his leg, developed by Charles and Ray Eames during WWII. At 4:20 a title card (flopped) appears, "Transportation and Evacuation of the Wounded." At 5:57, LCIs are seen arriving from the front at Saipan full of wounded. At 6:29, Marine reinforcements head to the beach. At 6:40, naval artillery fires supporting fire at Saipan, and at 7:02 some of the wrecked buildings on Saipan are seen. At 7:29, a medic uses a field bandage to staunch a bleeding wound on a Marine. At…

Uploader's description on archive.org

Details

Running time

15 minutes

Language

English

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage