The History of the American Expedition Fighting the Bolsheviki | Page 7

British medical
authorities that the Americans would not be permitted to start a hospital

of their own in Archangel. The Russian sisters who owned the building
were interested observers as to the outcome of this clash in authority. It
was settled one morning about ten o'clock in a spectacular manner
much to the satisfaction of the Americans and Russians. Captain Wynn
of the American Red Cross came to the assistance of Captain Hall,
supplying the American flag and helping raise it over the building and
dared the British to take it down. Then he supplied the hospital with
beds and linen and other supplies and comfort bags for the men, dishes,
etc. This little hospital is a haven of rest that appears in the dreams
today of many a doughboy who went through those dismal days of the
first month in Archangel. There they got American treatment and as far
as possible food cooked in American style.
In October the number of sick and wounded men was so large that
another hospital for the exclusive use of convalescents was opened in
an old Russian sailor's home in the near vicinity of American
Headquarters.
[Illustration: Surgeons operating on a soldier.] RED CROSS PHOTO
Surgical Operation American Receiving Hospital, Archangel, 1918
[Illustration: Several nurses watching the American flag being raised.]
U. S. OFFICIAL PHOTO Old Glory Protects Our Hospital
[Illustration: Exterior of a building, with several people in the street.] U.
S. OFFICIAL PHOTO Used as 53rd Stationary Hospital
[Illustration: Group of sailors holding rifles.] U. S OFFICIAL PHOTO
Sailors from "Olympia" Fought Reds
[Illustration: Soldiers drying clothing over a fire.] U. S. OFFICIAL
PHOTO After 17-Hour March in Forest
[Illustration: Horse drawn cart being loaded from a rail car.] U.S.
Official Photo Loading a Drosky at Obozerskaya
[Illustration: Two soldiers operating radio equiptment.] U.S. Official
Photo Wireless operators--Signal Platoon

During this controversy with the British medical authorities, the head
American medical officer was always handicapped, as indeed was
many a fighting line officer, by the fact that the British medical officer
outranked him. Let it be understood right here that many a British
officer was decorated with insignia of high rank but drew pay of low
rank. It was actually done over and over again to give the British
officer ranking authority over the American officers.
What American doughboy who ever went through the old 53rd
Stationary hospital will ever forget his homesickness and feeling of
outrage at the treatment by the perhaps well-meaning but nevertheless
callous and coarse British personnel. Think of tea, jam and bread for
sick and wounded men. An American medical sergeant who has often
eaten with the British sergeants at that hospital, Sergeant Glenn
Winslow, who made out the medical record for every wounded and
sick man of the Americans who went through the various hospitals at
Archangel, and who was frequently present at the British sergeant's
mess at the hospital, relates that there were plenty of fine foods and
delicacies and drink for the sergeant's messes, corroborated by Mess
Sgt. Vincent of. "F" Company. And a similar story was told by an
American medical officer who was invalided home in charge of over
fifty wounded Americans. He had often heard that the comforts and
delicacies among the British hospital supplies went to the British
officers' messes. Captain Pyle was in command on the icebreaker
"Canada" and saw to it that the limited supply of delicacies went to the
wounded men most in need of it. There were several British officers on
the icebreaker enroute to Murmansk who set up a pitiful cry that they
had seen none of the extras to which they were accustomed, thinking
doubtless that the American officer was holding back on them. Captain
Pyle on the big ship out of Murmansk took occasion to request of the
British skipper that the American wounded on board the ship be given
more food and more palatable food. He was asked if he expected more
for the doughboy than was given to the Tommie. The American
officer's reply was characteristic of the difference between the attitude
of British and American officers toward the enlisted man:

"No, sir, it is not a question of different treatment as between Tommie
and doughboy. It is difference in the feeding of the wounded and sick
American officers and the feeding of wounded and sick American
enlisted men. My government makes no such great difference. I
demand that my American wounded men be fed more like the way in
which the officers on this ship are fed."
Lest we forget, this same medical officer in charge at one time of a
temporary hospital at a key point in the field, was over-ranked and put
under a British medical officer who brought about the American
officer's recall to the base because he refused