Red Cross - Part I

In March 1944, Millie resigned from NJ Bell Telephone Company and joined the Red Cross as a Staff Aide.  After 3 weeks of training at American University in Washington DC and another 3 weeks in Fort Knox, she went home for a weekend. The next week she left from the Prince George Hotel in Brooklyn.

She remembers being part of a large group (88) that was ... "sent on a British Hospital ship, the Atlantis. The weather was perfect, the ocean like glass and lights on every night according to war rules. Since this was a hospital ship, its position was supposed to be known at all times and the lights were always on.  I was like a wonderful cruise. In true English fashion we had a lot of the niceties - tea, moring and afternoon with fabulous little goodies with the afternoon tea.

"For some reason I always made up my berth so tightly I couldn't slide in.

"We reached Naples and anchored to an overturned ship in the harbor, then were sent to the Repo Depot (Replacement Depot). No lights, bare buildings, no glass in the windows. (There was) only one air alert, probably a false alarm, but the food was the worst. I was just ready to go on a hunger strike, whin June 1st Iwas sent in a command car to join the 73rd Station Hospital. It was stationed in Caserta at what had been the royal stable. Caserta was the capital of Italy and the King's palace was there.

"Out patients were a mixture with a great many from Africa - Senegalese, etc. The Red Cross unit was composed of Frankie Adger, Lucille Horton, and Natalie Olmstead (Sadie Hawkins). When I joined them, they were expecting Madeline Carrol but they got Millicent Chapman. Only the initials were the same. In the evenings we slippped out at times and visited the Canadians down the street and Am. Air Force Spec. Serv. unit out about 10 to 15 miles. Everything had to be done in darkness and pretending it was an emergency (we were in an ambulance) if we were stopped. Fun!

"About 3 weeks after I joined the 73rd, the hospital was moved to Rome - to the Marine Barracks on the Tiber - just a few blocks south of the Recreation Center where Mussoline had his swimming pool. I stayed there almost 18 months.  

"We were transported in open 6x6 trucks. No cover. The trip took about 10 hours with a field stop once or twice. By the time we reached Rome, we were filthy. Taking off glasses left white eyes in black faces.

"It was several weeks before the hot water was in service. Until then everything we did was done with cold water.  Try washing hair in a helmet in cold water, it was like putting my head in the Arctic Ocean."

"I was stationed in Rome from the end of June 1944 to November 1945. The war went on a left us behind."

The Bernardsville News - 1 May 1945