BACKGROUND: Each divisional sized unit in the German armed forces of WWII had 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 3/8" wide, 7 1/4" deep, magnetic sheet metal construction vehicle first aid case. The case features a fold back top lid with a brazed on, staggered, internal bar hinge to the reverse and two hinged, pressure, closure clips to the obverse. One of the pressure clip hooks has broken off. The case retains about 65% of its original age and usage darkened, Luftwaffe blue/grey paint with spots of wear to the base metal showing light to heavy surface spotting. The top lid has painted, small white circular field with a central Red Cross emblem to the center and additional, white painted, designation letters, "WL", indicating Wehrmacht Luftwaffe, (Armed Forces Air Force), with a faint partially illegible numeral. One end of the case has a heavy, horizontally oval, swivel, metal bar carrying handle secured by a small horizontally rectangular, brazed on panel. The interior of the case has inserted, natural wood, panels with a rivetted on, sheet metal alloy, 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 Gothic 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, "Aerztliche Geräte und Verbandmittel", (Medical equipment and dressing medicine), and, "Arzneimittel", (Medicines). The contents and instruction sheet shows light to moderate age yellowing but is fully intact and completely legible. The case has no contents.

GRADE ***                             PRICE $234.00