BACKGROUND: Each Division in the German Army of WWII had divisional support units which included a medical unit that normally consisted of two companies, a mobile field hospital and two ambulance platoons. Within these medical units EM’s and Junior NCO’s with basic medical training acted as medical orderlies or stretcher bearers under the command of Doctors with Officers ranks. The German army also maintained static hospitals in the rear areas for those with more severe wounds and those with the most serious injuries that would require long rehabilitation times would be sent to a hospital in their home military recruiting district within Germany. Generally the German field units preferred to care for their own wounded as much as possible as a convalescents transferred to a rear area static military or home military district hospital could potentially be dispatched to a new unit on their recovery. As a result most of the divisional medical support units maintained a generous supply of medical equipment and accessories to provide the most favorable "in-house" care as possible. Among the medical equipment and accessories was a specific vehicle first aid kit containing a wide variety of bandages, wound dressings and basic first aid items.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 4" tall, 13 1/2" wide, 7 1/2" deep, ordnance tan painted, tooled, magnetic sheet metal construction vehicle first aid case. The case features a fold back top lid with a brazed and rivetted on, staggered, internal bar hinge to the reverse and two inset, brazed and rivetted on, hinged, pressure, closure clips to the obverse. The case retains about 60% of its original ordnance tan paint with spots of wear to the base metal with moderate to heavy surface spotting and some light pitting. The top lid has a small, painted, white circular field with a central, Red Cross emblem and the additional, white painted, designation, "Verbandkasten", (First-aid Case). One end of the case has a heavy, horizontally oval, swivel hinged, metal bar, carrying handle inset into a horizontally oval recess. The matte grey painted interior of the case has an off-set, rivetted on, sheet metal, separating panel creating two, separate, internal compartments. The interior top lid still has its original, water proofing, rubber seal intact and a large, glued in, paper contents and instructions sheet with black printed Latin script. The script to the sheet includes the heading, "Verbandkasten Inhaltsverzeichnis und Gebrauchsanweisung", (First-aid Case Table of Contents and Directions ), with two, additional headings, "Ärztliche Geräte und Verbandmittel", (Medical Equipment and Dressing Medicine), and, "Arzneimittel", (Medicines). The contents and instruction sheet also has the printed date, "1943" and a small, black, waffen-amt inkstamp. The contents and instruction sheet shows light age yellowing and is fully intact and completely legible. The case is in overall fairly good condition.

GRADE ***                             PRICE $195.00