Base Hospital No. 50 was created at the University of Washington in October 1917 as part of a mobilization of base hospitals at universities and civilian hospitals because the United States Army did not have an established medical corps when the country entered World War I in 1917. The Base Hospital unit consisted of medical staff, nursing staff, and civilian enlistees without previous medical experience. The University of Washington unit became the last base hospital authorized by the Red Cross and the War Department. The unit was mobilized on March 27, 1918 at Fort Lawton, Washington, then transferred to Camp Fremont, California, on April 6, 1918 for further training. The unit served 7,399 sick and wounded patients in Mesves sur Loire, France from August 6, 1918 to January 20, 1919.
The photo shows the men assigned to Base Hospital No 50 after their return from France at the end of the war en route back to Washington.
Handwritten on image: Base Hospital No 50. American Exp. Forces - Camp Merritt N. J., Apr. 20, 1919. Copyright 1919 Cole - Co, Asbury Park, N. J., 479-
Caption information source: http://basehospital50.blogspot.com/ [A complete roster and a 200 page government document detailing the history of the men and women serving the hospital can be found at the link]
Physical Description: 1 photographic print : b&w ; 44 x 8 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
