Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice condition early World War Two American Army First Pattern field Litter (stretcher) nicely marked with red cross and MED. DEP'T U.S.A. It measures approximately 91" x 21" W. This example folds correctly and comes complete with the carry slings still attached. The model number was 7844000.

The 7844000 First pattern US Army issue Litter was almost identical to the version used by the Medical Department during the Great War, and featured a number of differences from its later war counterpart. The Litter consisted of two wooden poles (7 ½ feet long) with a stretched canvas bed (6 feet long and 22 inches wide), with or without a simple Greek Red Cross and black text designating the Medical Department, made taut by two jointed spreader bars. The supporting stirrups (4 inches high and 1 ¾ inches wide) were bolted to the two poles. On the left front and right rear handles, a half-round ring was fixed 4 ½ inches from the end, and between this and the canvas played the movable ring of the Litter sling. Two long straps (or slings), permanently attached to the Litter (2 ½ inches wide webbing) were equipped with a metal slide to regulate the length. One loop of the strap passed through a metal swivel, itself attached to the movable ring of the handle. The straps were intended to secure the patient onto the Litter. The weight of this Litter was approximately 22 pounds.

Without a doubt one of the most useful tools for combat medics and military personnel involved in the first echelon of medical evacuation was the US Army Litter. A Litter is a Stretcher, carried by two or four bearers, for evacuation of sick and wounded.

All patients unable to walk, either with or without assistance, were classified as Litter cases. Evacuation by Litter was offered in a number of different forms, all designed to allow transportation of casualties from the battlefield to the medical installation designed for treatment as quickly and effectively as possible. This article aims to look at the various types of Litters in use by the Medical Department during World War 2.

Obviously one of the most common tasks of the US Army Litter was the evacuation of wounded personnel from the frontline. This often took place in the first echelon of medical evacuation, and Litter Bearers would carry wounded men across rugged terrain to the Battalion or Regimental Aid Station where the casualty would undergo further triage. All Litters were to possess the same dimensions when open – this allowed a patient to pass through the various echelons of medical service, entailing easy movement on several types of carrier, without being removed from the Litter upon which he initiated his journey – it saved valuable time and avoided danger to the patient!

Litters were also used once the patient had arrived at the Aid Station, often as an improvised operating table. The table would be constructed using either two Medical Chests upturned onto their end, or alternatively field-made stretcher “Saw Horses” often manufactured by the Medical Detachment personnel. An example of these field-made solutions can be seen in the photograph above.

Finally Litters were used for transporting casualties whilst in moving vehicles too. For example many period illustrations and photographs can be found showing the use of improvised Litter racks attached to ¼ Ton Trucks, and it was commonplace in the ETO for these vehicles to also be used, alongside Litter Squads in the First Echelon of Medical Evacuation. Litters were also widely used in Echelon II of the Medical Evacuation, at which point the casualty was transported, more often than not using an Ambulance, to the Collecting Station and / or Clearing Stations.

Finally the introduction of aeromedical evacuation towards the end of WW2 meant that the Litter’s journey was now lengthened further. In many cases, casualties would be loaded into evacuation planes using the same Litter upon which they had been removed from the battlefield. Stretcher-borne casualties would be loaded into C-47 aircraft (and other planes) and flown to the nearest Allied territory for further treatment.

An additional, although very uncommon use of the US Army Litter was to transport the M.D. Chest between installations. For example these Chests were often heavy, and so their transportation over difficult or rugged terrain by two men alone was rather impracticable. As a result the Army prescribed a method by which the Chest was to be placed on a Litter, which in turn would be carried by 4 men.