The 45th Evacuation Hospital: from Normandy to Liège, June to October 1944

Volume 1 of War without anger - an American medic in the European theatre, 1944-45.

In publication here for the first time, this collection of 61 high-quality photographs printed on heavy art paper captures the humanity of those who served in their moment, and in the spirit of its time - bringing sharp relief to a history now nearly lost with the passage of those who knew them, yet increasingly relevant to our current age.

As commanding officer of the 45th Evacuation Hospital from its inception, Col. Dr. RP Johnson MC took what little time he could to document in these images the coming together of this center of excellence in battlefield medicine and field surgery, and the men and women responsible for its day-to-day operations - saving lives, mending bodies and providing last comfort those who could not be saved.

• Presented here for the first time in print are descriptions of the 45th Evac drawn from the unpublished manuscript of war correspondent Lee Miller, hosted at the 45th on her arrival to cover the battle for Normandy in Vogue (1944), and from the correspondence the photographer sent home to the wife and little girl he left behind.
• Included in this volume is an eyewitness account of the "Nazi nurses" captured at Cherbourg and taken across enemy lines after a stay at the 45th Evac in two groups during July of 1944. In the understated words of the photographer, who provided escort on both occasions, it was "very interesting and somewhat exciting to actually pass thru our lines into territory the Germans are holding".
• As the 45th Evac moved across France, an R+R visit to a freshly liberated Paris yields images of joy as citizens exult in their newly regained freedom.
• This collection comprises the first volume of the series, War without anger: An American medic in the European theatre, followed by volumes 2 and 3 - On the road with the 2nd Armored Division (Hell on Wheels) and Aftermath (2025) which cover medical service in combat and visions of ruin in the fallen Berlin.