Washington University School of Medicine Oral History Project

Print this window

Close this window

Base Hospital 21 officers on board the S. S. St. Paul, 1917
Officers of Base Hospital 21 pose on deck of the S. S. St. Paul in their life jackets. The medical officers were required to wear life belts as soon as they entered the submarine danger zone. The personnel of the unit had no military training or drilling prior to setting sail for Europe. During the transatlantic crossing, the officers and nurses found room on deck for some sort of drill every day.