United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records, 1917-1980

Overview of the Collection

Creator
United States. Army. Base Hospital No. 50
Title
United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records
Dates
1917-1980 (inclusive)
Quantity
3.19 cubic feet
Collection Number
3847
Summary
Illustrated history, regulations and reports, diagnosis cards, lists of enlisted personnel and veterans, and other records of Base Hospital No. 50 and 50th General Hospital, which served during World War I and World War II and maintained a veterans' group in Seattle, Washington
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to all users.

Some material stored offsite; advance notice required for use.

Request at UW

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 was first organized in October 1917 at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. James Beaty Eagleson was named director of the base hospital. The unit mobilized at Fort Lawton on March 27, 1918 and received additional training at Camp Fremont, California before arriving in Mesves, France on August 6, 1918. Following the conclusion of World War I, it demobilized on May 5, 1919 at Camp Lewis, Washington.

On October 19, 1936, Base Hospital 50 was reconstituted in the Organized Reserves. At this same time, it consolidated with the 50th General Hospital under that name. 50th General Hospital was organized in 1937 in Chicago and ordered into active military service on September 4, 1942 at Camp Carson, Colorado. The unit was activated under the command of Colonel Rollo P. Bourbon and Executive Officer Lt. Colonel Hubbard T. Buckner. Lt. Colonel Buckner had served with Base Hospital 50 during World War I. Like in World War I, the unit was again organized from Seattle.

The 50th General Hospital departed Camp Carson on December 16, 1943, and stayed at Camp Myles Standish in Boston before sailing to the United Kingdom on December 29, 1943. By February 2, 1944, the entire unit had arrived at the 2d Evacuation Hospital at Cowglen Hospital in Boydstone, on the outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland.

During World War II, 50th General Hospital was also stationed at Carentan, France during the summer and fall of 1944 and at Commercy, France from November 1944 through August 1945. The unit was inactivated on October 27, 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

50th General Hospital was once again ordered into active military service on November 21, 1990 in Seattle. It was released from active duty and reverted to reserve status on March 21, 1991.

After World War I, veterans of Base Hospital No. 50 formed a veterans' group that held annual reunions until they disbanded around 1986.

Sources: http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/hosp/0050genhosp.htm and https://www.med-dept.com/unit-histories/50th-general-hospital/

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Illustrated history, regulations and reports, diagnosis cards, lists of enlisted personnel and veterans, financial records, notebooks, and ephemera of Base Hospital 50 and the 50th General Hospital, as well as its veterans' group.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized into 5 accessions.

  • Accession No. 3847-001, United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records, 1920-1980
  • Accession No. 3847-002, United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records, 1919-1922
  • Accession No. 3847-003, United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records, 1917-1971
  • Accession No. 3847-004, 50th General Hospital records, 1942-1945
  • Accession No. 3847-005, United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records, 1922-1968

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Accession No. 3847-001: United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records, 1920-1980Return to Top

.28 cubic foot

Scope and Content: Illustrated history, correspondence, membership lists, minutes, financial records, clippings, photographs.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Some material stored offsite; advance notice required for use.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Earl Conner, 11/13/1986.

Description
United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records

Accession No. 3847-002: United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records, 1919-1922Return to Top

1.33 cubic feet

Scope and Content: Bound copy of Base Hospital 50 history, 1922; framed U.S. flag, 1919.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Some material stored offsite; advance notice required for use.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Bob and Alice Conner, 1/17/1991.

Description
United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records

Accession No. 3847-003: United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records, 1917-1971Return to Top

.42 cubic foot (1 box)

Scope and Content: Chaplain's pocket notebooks containing his burial records (1917-1918), financial records, poems, song sheets, scrapbooks of clippings and ephemera.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Bob Conner, 5/26/1993.

Description
United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records

Accession No. 3847-004: 50th General Hospital records, 1942-1945Return to Top

0.93 cubic feet (3 boxes)

Scope and Content: 50th General Hospital regulations, lists of officers and other enlisted personnel, patient censuses, reports, daily logs, clippings, communications, Combat Medical Statistical reports, and Diagnosis Index cards of different diseases and injuries at the 50th General Hospital while the unit was stationed at Cowglen, Scotland and at Carentan and Commercy, France.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Seattle Public Library

Custodial History: Given to Seattle Public Library by K. K. Sherwood in September 1970.

Description
50th General Hospital records

Accession No. 3847-005: United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records, 1922-1968Return to Top

0.23 cubic feet (1 box)

Biographical/Historical Note: Lieutenant E. (Ellis) LeRoy Wilkins served with Base Hospital 50 during World War I. He was born on October 14, 1887, in Lewisburg, Mississippi and graduated from the Memphis Hospital Medical College in 1911. Following his service in World War I, Lt. Wilkins began work as an eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist, first practicing in Batesville, Mississippi and Dyersburg, Tennessee before relocating to Clarksdale, Mississippi in 1919.

In addition to his military service and medical practice, Lt. Wilkins also served as both treasurer and president of the Mississippi State Medical Association, president of the Clarksdale and Six Counties Medical Association, chairman of the Coahoma County Welfare Board, board member and chairman of the First Methodist Church, president of the Clarksdale Rotary Club, commander of the American Legion, grand chef de gare of the Mississippi 40 and 8, and more.

Lt. Wilkins was married to Claire Elder Wilkins and had two daughters, Lou and Sylvia. He died in 1968 at the age of 79.

Scope and Content: Base Hospital No. 50 records collected by Lt. E. LeRoy Wilkins, who served with the Unit during World War I. Includes "The History of the Base Hospital 50" book, Armistice Day anniversary reunion notices and related correspondence, and biographical information about Lt. Wilkins.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Lou Orr, 2006-01-20

Description
United States Army Base Hospital No. 50 records

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Military hospitals--United States
  • Soldiers--Medical care
  • Veterans--United States
  • War casualties
  • War wounds--Treatment
  • World War, 1914-1918--Hospitals
  • World War, 1939-1945--Hospitals

Corporate Names

  • United States. Army. Base Hospital No. 50--Archives
  • United States. Army. Base Hospital No. 50--Finance
  • United States. Army. Base Hospital No. 50--Personnel records
  • United States. Army. Base Hospital No. 50--Records and correspondence

Form or Genre Terms

  • Ephemera
  • Notebooks
  • Records (Documents)

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)