History of the U.S. Army's 32nd Station Hospital During World War II
Photographs of Unidentified Individuals
The following series of photographs, obtained from the collections of members of the 32nd Station Hospital, include individuals who have not been identified. Since the unit’s personnel often socialized with soldiers from other units (and because some members of the 32nd Station Hospital served with other units themselves), it is also not known with certainty that all the depicted personnel are even members of the 32nd Station Hospital.
The photos are arranged first by which collection they came from. Within each collection, if there was more than one photo, I attempted to place them in roughly chronological order.
It is my hope that eventually someone who can identify at least some of these men and women will eventually find the website and contact me. As much information as is known about each picture is included in the caption. This page will be updated as further photographs are obtained and in the event individuals are identified.
Update: As I hoped, quite a few people in these photos have been identified since this article was first published. Names listed in green have been identified since the initial publication of this article. New photos have also been added.
Photos from the Charles E. Ballard Collection
Though not labeled, I believe it likely that this photo depicts 24 of the 25 men from the original 32nd Station Hospital cadre. If so, it must have been taken at Camp Rucker, Alabama between June 25 and roughly August 13, 1942. (Very few men in the photograph are wearing stripes, and the latter date is when most of them were promoted, though it’s not clear how long it would have taken to get their stripes sewn on. Some appear to be wearing U.S. Army Air Forces patches, probably because they had been stationed at Barksdale Field.) Back Row: unknown, unknown, Rudolph J. Tupala, Harold F. Yonker, Harry F. Manley (partially obscured), Walter W. Butler; 2nd row: unknown, Irvin N. Rogers, unknown, William L. Williamson, Ralph G. Bomgarden, unknown; 3rd row: unknown, Raymond F. Plzak, Fred Weber, unknown, unknown, Bernard J. Bucher; Front Row: Raymond R. McBride?, unknown, Jesse E. Martin, Leonard F. Albano, Henry V. Knitter, Emmett P. Devereaux (Courtesy of the Ballard family)Charles Ballard (standing at right) with an unidentified technical sergeant at the 32nd Station Hospital compound in Caserta, Italy. Given the four overseas stripes, if he was an original member of the unit, the photo was probably taken in 1945. Update: The man on the left is identified as Technical Sergeant Walter W. Butler. (Courtesy of the Ballard family)An unlabeled photograph. The North African Theater of Operations patch was worn by members of the Peninsular Base Section; I do not have any photos of 32nd Station Hospital personnel wearing this patch in Algeria, so I suspect this photo was taken in Italy in 1944 or 1945. (Courtesy of the Ballard family)
Photos from the Annie P. Barone/Thomas J. Hagerty Collection
Annie P. Barone clowning around with an unidentified compatriot. It is unknown if it was taken stateside or overseas. (Courtesy of the Hagerty family)This photo was taken at the 32nd Station Hospital compound in Caserta, Italy in 1944 or 1945. Annie P. Barone is at center and Ruby Milligan at right. The nurse at left is tentatively identified as Lena Sottolano. (Courtesy of the Hagerty family)Annie P. Barone and an unidentified enlisted man at the 32nd Station Hospital compound in Caserta in 1944 or 1945 (Courtesy of the Hagerty family)Annie P. Barone with two unidentified enlisted men, likely taken in Caserta. Note the man on the right is wearing the North African Theatre of Operations patch, worn on most 32nd Station Hospital uniforms (and apparently other Peninsular Base Section units’) in Italy. (Courtesy of the Hagerty family)Thomas J. Hagerty is on the left and Annie Barone at center. “2nd Lieutenant Stuart Graham?” is penciled in on the back of the photograph, but the face doesn’t look quite right. Graham’s grandson concurs that the photo depicts someone else. (Courtesy of the Hagerty family)
After this article was originally published, one of Annie and Thomas Hagerty’s daughters sent me a set of 32 Kodachrome slides from the war. Many were taken during the wedding on June 14, 1945. Others were presumably but not definitely taken around the same time. Although most needed some digital restoration to repair damage to the original transparencies, most had remarkably vivid colors without any need for enhancement. Here are some slides with unidentified individuals:
An unidentified soldier standing in the 32nd Station Hospital compound in Caserta, with the headquarters building in the background at center right. He appears to be wearing some sort of medical branch insignia, but his rank is unclear. He is also wearing the North African Theatre of Operations patch on his left shoulder, which was worn by members of the 32nd Station Hospital along with other Peninsular Base Section personnel in Italy. (Courtesy of the Hagerty family)An unidentified man standing at what looks to be the entrance to a ward building in Caserta, Italy. Update: Tentatively identified as Dr. Redden Britt (Courtesy of the Hagerty family)Presumably taken in Italy, it must have been taken no later than March 1945. From left to right: Unknown, Annie P. Barone, Ruby Milligan, unknown, unknown (Courtesy of the Hagerty family)Taken on June 14, 1945 in Caserta, the Barone-Hagerty wedding party is on the left: 1st Lieutenant Evelyn H. Wilson, 1st Lieutenant Herman C. Needles, 1st Lieutenant Annie P. Barone (Hagerty), and Chief Warrant Officer Thomas J. Hagerty. Annie’s uncle Francisco Barone is in civilian clothes sixth from the right. The man to the right of Hagerty who is smoking a cigarette is Technical Sergeant Raymond Plzak. All other individuals in the slide are unidentified. (Courtesy of the Hagerty family)This slide also has the wedding party in the left foreground (Wilson, Needles, Barone, and Hagerty). The man in the center near the building looks like Colonel Harold L. Goss. The chaplain at far right is presumably Captain William V. O’Connor. Update: Jane Neely identified as the nurse in the background to the left of the bride. (Courtesy of the Hagerty family)
Photos from the Velma Drolet (Byrne) Collection
This intriguing group photo was probably taken in Italy c. 1944. The only identified individuals are Velma Drolet (standing, far left) and Catherine Houlihan (standing third from the right). The men appear to be officers from an unknown infantry unit. The circumstances by which the photo came to be taken are unclear, since the nurses are in dress uniforms and the background doesn’t look like the hospital compound in Caserta; it’s unclear if the nurses were on a temporary duty assignment or on leave somewhere. Unit records did show Drolet and Houlihan going on detached service along with 2nd Lieutenants Huckins and Zink to Capri June 23, 1944 through June 27, 1944. (Courtesy of the Byrne family)Apparently taken at the same time as the previous photo, it depicts Drolet (far right) and Houlihan (second from right) with an unidentified third nurse and an unidentified colonel (Courtesy of the Byrne family)
Photo from the Gayland Hagelshaw Collection
The photo was apparently taken during a visit by Lieutenant Colonel Hagelshaw to his old unit, now located in Caserta, Italy, most likely between February and April 1944. The only identified individual in the photo is Major Ralph Zimet (center, a friend of Dr. Hagelshaw’s). It is unknown if the captain on the left was a member of the 32nd Station Hospital, but the enlisted man on the right cleaning one of the unit’s ambulances presumably was. (Courtesy of the Hagelshaw family)
Photo from the Phyllis Hansen (Powers) Collection
This portrait of a U.S. Army nurse from the Phyllis Hansen collection only has “me” written on the back. Hansen’s son told me it wasn’t his mother, so it was presumably one of her friends. It is not known whether this nurse was a member of the 32nd Station Hospital or rather another unit Hansen served with like the 16th Evacuation Hospital. (Courtesy of the Powers Family)
Photo from the Willard Havemeier Collection
The man in this photo from Willard Havemeier’s website about the 32nd Station Hospital was identified as Dr. Joseph Dolgin. However, Dr. Dolgin’s son advised that the photo does not in fact depict his father. The photo appears to have been taken at the 32nd Station Hospital compound in Caserta, Italy in 1944 or 1945. (Willard Havemeier Collection)This image is a scan of a negative in the collection. The location and circumstances are unknown. (Courtesy of the Havemeier family)Most likely taken at the 32nd Station Hospital compound in Caserta in 1944 or 1945; from left to right: Technician 4th Grade Willard O. Havemeier, Technical Sergeant Raymond F. Plzak, unidentified, unidentified (Courtesy of the Havemeier family)A somewhat blurry picture, presumably a somewhat late war group of nurses. Their headgear actually looks a little strange, so I’m not certain that they are U.S. Army nurses. (Courtesy of the HavemeierThis photo was taken at the 32nd Station Hospital compound in Caserta (probably in 1945 considering that Havemeier, standing at left, is wearing a Eisenhower jacket). The lieutenant at right is unidentified. I can’t quite make out his patch, be he appears to be wearing the Combat Infantryman Badge. A group of 61 enlisted men joined the 32nd Station Hospital in November 1944 including a number of combat veterans entitled to wear it, but not officers. 2nd Lieutenant Joseph J. Gabriel was an Infantry Branch officer assigned to the 32nd Station Hospital in Algeria from September 14, 1943 through December 6, 1943. He potentially could have paid the unit a visit in Italy, but I have no evidence to support the theory as yet. (Courtesy of the Havemeier family)
Photos from the Hank Knitter Collection
The only identified individual in this photo is Hank Knitter (center, smiling at camera with what looks like a baseball glove). I suspect the photo was taken in Italy in 1944 or 1945, but that’s not confirmed. Update: The man sitting in background at left is tentatively identified as Stephen Hair; DeLeon “Danny” Mateef is identified as the man second from the left (seated in dark uniform). (Courtesy of the Knitter family)Hank Knitter is on the left with an unknown technician fourth grade in this photo taken in 1944 or 1945. Oddly enough, the photo is captioned “The four who went to Capri.” Unit morning reports document that Knitter visited Rome and Bari. There’s no mention of Capri, though other enlisted men are known to have visited it. (Courtesy of the Knitter family)A portrait of an unknown sergeant inside the Colosseum in Rome. Update: After studying unit records, my best guess is that this sergeant is not a member of the unit. Unit morning reports document that Knitter visited Rome from September 29, 1944 through October 3, 1944. Two groups of 32nd Station Hospital enlisted men (ten men each) visited Rome on those days, but none of the men was a sergeant. There was another group of 22 men from the unit who visited Rome from September 25 through 29, 1944. It seems unlikely if not necessarily impossible that the groups could have met up in Rome. The only sergeants in the earlier group were Louis M. Agat (who looks different than this man) and Anthony J. Stross, Jr. (who I don’t have a photo of). (Courtesy of the Knitter family)
Photos from the Dwight A. McNelly Collection
Presumably taken in Caserta, Italy in early 1944, McNelly wrote only one name, [Lila] Fruechtel, on the back of this photo, the woman at right. The woman at left is unidentified.(Dwight McNelly and Dorothy Eggers Collection. Courtesy of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library)Dated March 1944 and taken at the 32nd Station Hospital compound in Caserta, Italy, 1st Lieutenant Fruechtel is at right. McNelly only identified the woman on the left as “First nurse I worked for in N.A.” (Dwight McNelly and Dorothy Eggers Collection. Courtesy of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library)
Photos from the Eleanor O’Leary (Klimbal) Collection
Eleanor O’Leary (left) with an unidentified nurse posing at the 32nd Station Hospital compound in Caserta Italy in 1944 or 1945. O’Leary was five feet (152 cm) tall, so the unidentified nurse is a bit taller than that. (Courtesy of the Klimbal family)O’Leary is on the left with Catherine Sanford in Pompeii in an undated photo (presumably taken from late December 1943 through early 1944). (Courtesy of the Klimbal family)O’Leary is on the right with Veronica J. Janus at left. According to the unit’s morning reports, the two nurses went to a rest camp in Sorrento on November 9, 1944 and returned two days later. (Courtesy of the Klimbal family)A photo of largely unidentified nurses and soldiers, date and location unknown. O’Leary looks like she might be ninth from the left. Update: Stella Rhodes’s great-niece identified her as the woman in the front row standing at far left (wearing sunglasses). (Courtesy of the Klimbal family)
Of the 27 nurses in the above photo, 20 signed a sheet accompanying the photo in the Ruby Milligan Collection. The following nurse is known to have attended but has not been identified in the photo above: Marion Huckins.
Photos from the Herman Needles Collection
Dated March 8, 1943, this photo was captioned: “Four officers of the 32nd. Station Hospital at service club, to get some peanut butter and crackers and lemonade.” The only identified individual so far is Captain George R. Lee, standing second from the right. Update: Captain Norris C. Elvin is at far leftCaptain Earl Shindell is standing at far right. (Courtesy of the Needles family)A somewhat blurry photo which Needles captioned: “Group of Medical Officers of the 32nd. Sta. Hosp. (Having dinner at a off limits cafe, late one nite.)” At far left is (probably) Dr. Raymond Hall. Other identifications areDr. Robert O.Y. Warren (seated fourth from the left) Dr. William A. Carey, Jr (standing at center), and Dr. Marlin Carlson (seated third from the right). (Courtesy of the Needles family)
Photos from the Frances Rubin (Mann) Collection
Captioned “‘A’ Bldg Chow table May ’43”, the personnel (and/or patients) in this photograph are unidentified. Apparently it was a dual use table for ping pong and meals! (Courtesy of the Mann family)Captioned “June ’43 at the Villa” on the back, this photo looks like the group is riding in a D.U.K.W. From left to right: Frances Rubin, unknown, Joan Taaffe, Elizabeth Brooks (Courtesy of the Mann family)Captioned “A few of the girls and myself in front of the Red Cross”, it is unclear where specifically or when the picture was taken but my best guess is 1943 or early 1944. From left to right (not including the child): Unknown, Frances Rubin, unknown, Dorothy Racicot, unknown, Esther Work. (Courtesy of the Mann family)Labeled “Florence” on the back, this photo (if front of a C-47?) was likely taken at the same time as the following photograph, in 1944. From left to right: Elizabeth Brooks, Joan Taaffe, Francis Rubin, unknown (Courtesy of the Mann family)Labeled “Florence Airport ’44” on the back, this photo was presumably taken at the same time as the last. From left to right: Unknown lieutenant, Frances Rubin, Elizabeth Brooks, Joan Taaffe (Courtesy of the Mann family)Captioned “September – Taken in our recreation hall”, this photo was presumably taken in Caserta in September 1944. From left to right: Mary T. Gallagher, Frances Rubin, Dr. Philip Opper, Goldie Kauffman or Angela Carone, Joan Taaffe. (Courtesy of the Mann family)The location and date of this photo are unknown. From left to right: Unknown, unknown, Frances Rubin, Joan Taaffe, Elizabeth Brooks. Update: Rubin, Taaffe and Brooks were extremely close and often went on adventures together. The question is who the other two nurses are. The unit’s morning reports state that the trio went to Capri from June 16, 1944 through June 20, 1944 along with 2nd Lieutenants Neta Zinn and Edith Osburn. Groups of five officers going to rest camps in Italy was actually fairly rare, with groups of two to four most common. The only photos I’ve located of Zinn and Osburn are rather low quality, and the sunglasses in this picture don’t help. However, Zinn does resemble the woman at far left and Osburn resembles the woman second from the left. Hopefully, additional photos will turn up which may confirm or refute the identification. (Courtesy of the Mann family)An intriguing group photo with no details written on the back. From left to right: Joan Taaffe, unknown, unknown, Elizabeth Brooks (kneeling), Frances Rubin, unknown, unknown. Update: I strongly suspect the woman second from the left is 2nd Lieutenant Neta Zinn and the woman 2nd from the right 2nd Lieutenant Edith Osburn. If so, it was probably taken on the Capri trip. (Courtesy of the Mann Family)
Photos/Film Stills from the Robert Silverman Collection
Dr. Robert Silverman (right) with an unidentified lieutenant, probably at Lake Tholocco, Alabama in October 1942 (Robert Silverman 8 mm Film)Dr. Robert Silverman (left) with 1st Lieutenant Joseph Dolgin in Tlemcen, Algeria in 1943 (Robert Silverman 8 mm Film)An unknown serviceman on the streets of Tlemcen (Robert Silverman 8 mm Film)An unknown 1st or 2nd lieutenant, most likely photographed in in Tlemcen, Algeria sometime during 1943. This man, who I will refer to as Mystery Officer One, appears in a number of photos in several collections. Only two are dated, suggesting that he was a member of the 32nd Station Hospital from at least October 1943 through April 1944 and probably longer. Update: Positively identified as Milton Robins. (Robert Silverman Collection)Mystery Officer One, probably taken in Tlemcen, Algeria in 1943. He appears to have a caduceus badge on his left collar, signifying that he is part of a medical branch. I suspect but cannot confirm that he is a Medical Administrative Corps officer. Update: He was indeed the officer I suspected, Milton Robins. (Robert Silverman Collection)Unidentified 1st or 2nd lieutenant, most likely taken in Tlemcen, Algeria in 1943 (Robert Silverman Collection)A colonel (possibly Colonel Burstein, who had similar facial features and ribbons) and two other soldiers during an award or promotion ceremony in Algeria, 1943. The rank of the soldier at center is unclear, but the man at left appears to a 1st or 2nd lieutenant. (Robert Silverman Collection)Unidentified soldiers standing outside of the 32nd Station Hospital Dental Clinic in Tlemcen, Algeria sometime in 1943. Presumably these are the enlisted men assigned to the Dental Section there. Update: Emmett P. Devereaux identified as the man standing third from the left. (Robert Silverman Collection)Photo of a tea party before the Wessel-Benichou wedding in Tlemcen, Algeria at the Hotel Transatlantique garden, October 1943. Dr. Isadore Wessel is third from the right (including the man in shadow mostly obscured second from the right) and Florence Benichou fourth from the right. 2nd Lieutenant Frances Rubin is the nurse at center apparently doubled over in laughter, with Milton Robins also laughing (center with his hand on her shoulder). 2nd Lieutenant Herman C. Needles might be the man third from the right (holding a drink in his right hand), but this identification is not confirmed. The other five individuals are also unidentified. (Robert Silverman Collection)Also from the tea party before Dr. Wessel’s wedding, Dr. Joseph Dolgin (left) with Dr. Lowell Vinsant (Robert Silverman 8 mm Film)At the tea party (actually it seems alcohol rather than tea was flowing quite freely), from left to right: Dr. Irving Weiner (probably but not confirmed), unknown, Dr. Joseph Dolgin, Dr. Lowell Vinsant (Robert Silverman 8 mm Film)At the tea party. From left to right: Dr. Robert Silverman, unknown, Dr. Joseph Dolgin, Dr. George Lee (Robert Silverman 8 mm Film)Group photo in Ravello, Italy on the Amalfi Drive in May 1944. So far, the only identified individuals in this photo are Captain Robert Silverman (standing second from left, unfortunately with the top of his head cut off) and Major Isadore Wessel (standing third from left). Milton Robins is kneeling at center. (Robert Silverman Collection)A group of unidentified personnel at the ruins of Monte Cassino in a photograph dated June 1944 (Robert Silverman Collection)Group photo from the 32nd Station Hospital’s January 13, 1945 party in the unit’s officers’ club in Caserta, which celebrated two years overseas. Seated from left to right: Unknown officer wearing Transportation Corps insignia, Joan Taaffe, Morris Weiss, Eleanor O’Leary, Dr. Marlin Carlson, Dr. Robert Silverman, Dorothy Racicot (unconfirmed), Dr. George Lee, unknown, Mary Gill. The identities of the men standing in the background are unclear but the one on the left is likely Colonel Harold Goss (Robert Silverman Collection)
Photos from the Irving Weiner Collection
A photo most likely taken during training at Camp Rucker, Alabama between September 25, 1942 (when Captain Lee joined the unit) and October 14, 1942 (when he departed for a special assignment in Washington D.C.). Less likely (given how warm everyone looks), it could have been taken at Fort Benning, Georgia between December 14, 1942 (when Captain Lee returned) and December 27, 1942 (when the unit left for Camp Kilmer). From left to right: 1st Lieutenant William A. Carey, Jr., 1st Lieutenant Louis Linn, unknown (kneeling), Captain George R. Lee, 1st Lieutenant Irving S. Weiner, unknown (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Another stateside training photo. From left to right: 1st Lieutenant Louis Linn, 1st Lieutenant Irving S. Weiner, unknown, 1st Lieutenant William A. Carey, Jr., unknown (Courtesy of the Weiner family)A group of 32nd Station Hospital officers, probably but not definitely taken during stateside training in 1942. Standing (from left to right): Dr. Harry R. Staley, Dr. Robert Silverman, Dr. James Eblen, Dr. Robert O.Y. Warren, Louis C. Roettig, Dr. Thomas F. Feltz, Dr. Candler Willis, Dr. Raymond A. Hall,Dr. William A. Carey, Jr., Dr. Isadore Wessel. Kneeling (from left to right): Dr. Landon Timberlake, Dr. Louis Linn. Click here for a larger view. Update: During a two year period, I managed to identify all but three of the twelve men in this photo. Imagine my surprise when an annotated copy (indicating that the photo was taken at Camp Rucker, Alabama in September 1942) turned up in a long-lost album that had been somewhere in my parents’ home for decades! The good news was that all my identifications were correct and the back text also identified Drs. Staley and Hall. Unfortunately, there were only eleven names recorded, despite there being twelve officers in the photo. Even worse, that officer (the short captain at center) was one of the unidentified men! However, since I had photos of almost all of the unit’s captains from that time, I began to suspect that the officer was Dr. Thomas F. Feltz, who transferred out of the unit on September 25, 1942. He was described as being just over 5 feet, 3 inches tall. With a comparison to a 1957 newspaper photograph of Dr. Feltz, I was able to confirm he was the man in the photo. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)This photo from the Africa section of Dr. Weiner’s album is captioned “waiting in The chow line.” Dr. Weiner is at far left; the other four men are unidentified. Update: Mystery Officer One is sitting second from left. Dr. Redden Britt may be the officer in the center wearing the pith helmet, but that identification is not confirmed. Dr. Robert O.Y. Warren is the officer sitting at far right. (Courtesy of the Weiner Family)This appears to be a group of mainly N.C.O.s, taken on a street in Algeria sometime in 1943. If the man in the helmet is a member of the unit, he might have been assigned as part of the unit’s guard detail. Update: Martin Weissman is standing third from the left and Master Sergeant Rudolph Tupala is standing fourth from the left. Frank Marino is the man kneeling at left, with Julio Orta kneeling at right. Note that the truck is named Elaine! Click here for a larger view. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Dr. Irving Weiner with at least four of the unit’s nurses outside the dental clinic in Tlemcen, Algeria in 1943. From left to right: Unknown, Eleanor O’Leary, almost certainly Margaret McCormick, Dr. Irving S. Weiner, Dorothy Mowbray, unknown. It’s unclear who the woman in civilian clothes is; she may even be a local French civilian. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Probably taken in Algeria, 1st Lieutenant Irving Weiner (left) with an unidentified officer. Update: Dr. Joseph Dolgin‘s son advised that the man on the right is likely but not definitely his father. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)A group of enlisted men, presumably but not definitely from the 32nd Station Hospital, apparently enjoying a visit to the beach in Algeria sometime in 1943. Click here for a larger view. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)These men are likely enlisted personnel with the 32nd Station Hospital, likely but not definitely photographed in Algeria. At least two closely resemble men in Robert Silverman’s photograph above, taken outside the dental clinic in Tlemcen. Update: Emmett P. Devereaux identified as the man standing third from the left. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)I’m very glad to know the man on the right was Dr. Weiner’s roommate at the Hotel Transatlantique in Tlemcen, Algeria, but I would like to know what his name was! Update: Dr. William A. Carey, Jr.‘s son identified his father as the roommate in question. Dr. Weiner is in the center, while the captain on the left looks like Dr. James Gilbert Eblen. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)A group of officers, probably taken in the garden of the Hotel Transatlantique in Tlemcen, Algeria between February and October 1943. My grandfather Robert Silverman is at far right; the other three men are unidentified. Update: Chaplain William O’Connor is at far left and Robert O.Y. Warren second from left; a long-lost copy of this photo from a Silverman family album finally identified the man third from left as William D. McElroy. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)This captain, photographed in Tlemcen, Algeria in 1943, resembles Dr. Earl Shindell. However, his great-nephew advised me that he does not believe the photograph depicts Dr. Shindell. Update: This officer has been positively identified as Dr. Howard A. Laile. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Dr. Weiner with an unidentified lieutenant, almost certainly taken at the Hotel Transatlantique in Tlemcen, Algeria in 1943. Update: The man on the right is Chaplain William V. O’Connor. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)An unknown lieutenant, probably taken in Algeria. He appears to be wearing some sort of medical insignia, but it isn’t clear if he’s Medical Corps, Dental Corps, Medical Administrative Corps, etc. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)1st Lieutenant Weiner with an unidentified technical sergeant at the Algerian-Moroccan border sometime in 1943. It’s unknown why the sergeant is pointing to Tunis, though it could have been taken while the Tunisian campaign was in progress or shortly thereafter. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)
The following series of photos were probably taken in Tlemcen, Algeria, most likely on November 11, 1943, when members of the unit participated in an Armistice Day ceremony.
A group of officers outside the 32nd Station Hospital officers’ billet in 1943 at the Hotel Transatlantique. The only identified individual is Chaplain John B. Shearer (fifth from the right). Click here for a larger view. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)A group of 32nd Station Hospital personnel, taken looking towards the main gate of the Hotel Transatlantique. From left to right: Unknown, possibly Chaplain O’Connor, unknown, Virginia Donehue, Dr. Irving Weiner, unknown. Click here for a larger view. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Standing from left to right: Likely Claire LaBonne, Captain Irving Weiner, Captain Howard A. Laile, likely Kathleen Donahue, likely Goldie Kauffman, Ella James, unidentified lieutenant (but likely Herman C. Needles). Kneeling from left to right: Virginia Donehue, Captain Ralph Zimet, Wanda Dabrowski. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Presumably taken within seconds of the previous photograph. Standing: Likely Claire LaBonne, Dr. Weiner, Dr. Howard Laile, likely Kathleen Donahue, Ella James, unknown. Kneeling: Virginia Donehue, Dr. Zimet, Wanda Dabrowski (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Presumably this photo was taken during the same occasion as the previous two photos. From left to right: Claire LaBonne, Dr. Irving Weiner, Kathleen Donahue, Ella James (Courtesy of the Weiner family)From left to right: Unknown, probably Rita Moore, probably Helen Brammer, Ruby Milligan, Velma Drolet, either Angela Carone or Goldie Kauffman, Marie Thielemann, Rose Orban, probably Dorothy Racicot, unknown, probably Mamie Uprichard, Ina Bean, Annie Barone, and Virginia Donehue. A larger view can be seen here. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Alice Griffin is almost certainly the smiling nurse in the background center whose face is partially blocked by Ella James in the foreground. Update: Dr. Marlin Carlson has been identified as the officer third from the left (facing the camera, no headgear). The captain to his right is tentatively identified as Dr. Landon Timberlake. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Taken at the Hotel Transatlantique in Tlemcen, Algeria sometime in 1943. Update: The woman on the left is tentatively identified as Rita Moore. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Dr. Irving Weiner (center) in Tlemcen after a snowstorm hit around Thanksgiving 1943. The woman on the right is Phyllis Hansen, but the woman at left is unidentified. Update: Rose Straley‘s nephew identified her as the woman on the left. Both nurses later served together in the 16th Evacuation Hospital. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Presumably taken in Algeria late in 1943, Captain Irving S. Weiner is at left, Major Robert O.Y. Warren, and Captain Hugh W. Heim at right. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Captain Weiner (left) with an unidentified lieutenant, identified as his roommate in Africa prior to departing for Italy. It was probably taken at Goat Hill in December 1943. Update: Chaplain William O’Connor without his glasses. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Captain Weiner (right) in Caserta, Italy in 1944 with a captain identified in the caption only as his roommate. This may be the same man as in the previous picture (after a promotion). Interestingly, he appears to be a chaplain. Update: Chaplain William V. O’Connor. O’Connor and Weiner were known to be friends, possibly bonding over their shared love of baseball. Also, O’Connor was promoted from 1st lieutenant to captain soon after the unit arrived in Caserta. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)An unidentified captain on the grounds of the 32nd Station Hospital compound in Caserta, Italy. It was probably taken in early 1944. Possibly the same man as in the previous photograph. Update: Chaplain William V. O’Connor. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)This somewhat damaged photo was captioned, “Sharkey, roommate & friends”. It appears to have been taken outside Ward 24 in Caserta, but all are unidentified except for Dr. Weiner (second from the right), though the man second from the left resembles Chaplain William V. O’Connor. I’m not aware of any 32nd Station Hospital officer who went by the nickname “Sharkey”; I’m probably grasping at straws, but Dr. Carl Tryggvi was the son of a fisherman who emigrated from Iceland… (Courtesy of the Weiner family)The only photograph uncovered so far with anyone from the baseball team wearing apparel that actually says Red Sox on it. It is likely Bruno Motyka, who was one of only two members of the team wearing glasses in the 1945 team photo, the other being Carl Grill. Update: Gus Arkontaky‘s son identified this man as his father. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Update: Gus Arkontaky‘s son identified the batter as his father. The catcher is likely Bruno Motyka. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)This photograph most likely depicts Bruno Motyka, who was one of the unit’s two catchers as of 1944 and who was wearing glasses in the 1945 team photograph, but that is not confirmed. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Players sitting in what is presumably the 32nd Station Hospital Red Sox dugout in Caserta, Italy sometime in 1944. Update: Andy Tomasino is at right (holding bat) (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Two men outside the dugout, with Andy Tomasino at right (Courtesy of the Weiner family)View from the dugout back towards the main hospital compound in Caserta, Italy (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Two men wearing major or lieutenant colonel rank, likely watching a baseball game (since it is on the same page of the album with three other baseball photos). Update: The officer on the right is identified as Lieutenant Colonel Harold L. Goss, suggesting the photo was taken prior to his promotion to full colonel on July 17, 1944. If the officer on the left was a member of the unit, it might be Lieutenant Colonel John F. Simon. He doesn’t look like any other major or lieutenant colonel known to be a member of the unit at the time, but I don’t have a photo of Simon to compare him to. Simon served in the unit between March 3 or 5 and July 1, 1944. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)Captain Weiner with two unidentified men, which raises an interesting question of where the umpire came from for these games…supplied by the U.S. Army to avoid loyalty to any one team? Update: The man on the left is identified as Andy Tomasino. Frank Marino‘s son confirmed his father is at center. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)
The following five photographs were almost certainly aken in Caserta, Italy and presumably but not definitely depict members of the 32nd Station Hospital Red Sox. Major Ralph Zimet is visible in the background of the last photo (with the mustached batter). Update: The second photo (and potentially the fourth) is tentatively identified as Dr. Landon Timberlake, and Dr. Marlin Carlson‘s son identified his father as being in the third photo (hands on his knees). It’s possible these photos are from an officers’ game since those individuals identified thus far aren’t necessarily known to have been members of the Red Sox.
A 7th Inning Stretch team photo of the 32nd Station Hospital Red Sox in Caserta, presumably in the spring or summer of 1944. Update: In March 2021, I received an annotated copy of this photo from the grandson of Colonel Harold L. Goss which identified the last six unknown men (Girard, Keytak, Tarsala, Mateef, Fitzpatrick, and Jeffrey). From left to right, back row: Hank Knitter, Philippe E. Girard,Stephen W. Keytak, John Pollock. Middle row: Andy Tomasino, Dr. Irving Weiner, John A. Tarsala, Deleon P. Mateef, Edward P. Fitzpatrick, Carl Grill. Front row: Thomas J. Hagerty, Frank Marino, Roy L. Jeffrey, Dr. Ralph Zimet. Click here for a larger view. (Courtesy of the Weiner family)
Photo from the Ralph Zimet Collection
Taken in Caserta, Italy sometime in 1944, the only identified person in this photograph is Major Ralph Zimet (front row, second from the left). Update: Master Sergeant Rudolph Tupala is in the front row at far left. Colonel Harold Goss is in the front row, third from the left. In the back row, Warrant Officer Thomas Hagerty is second from the left. (Courtesy of the Zimet family)
2 thoughts on “Photographs of Unidentified Individuals”
Lowell, photo of 3 officers with red lettering on it. Man of far right is my Father. Camp Rucker photos of 5 officers, first on left is my Father as well. Tom
Have been reading the 32nd Station Hospital articles and looking at the photos…The last photo of a group at Camp Rucker, Alabama list – New Post: Photos Unidentified lists “From left to right: Unknown”. The person standing, 3rd from the right is my dad, George R. Lee. I know I’ve looked at these before, but he was right there this time! Thanks for all of the history!
Suzanne Lee Shaffer
On Thu, Jul 18, 2019 at 6:37 AM 32nd Station Hospital wrote:
> Lowell Silverman posted: “The following series of photographs, obtained > from the collections of members of the 32nd Station Hospital, include > individuals who have not been identified. Since the unit’s personnel often > socialized with soldiers from other units (and because some mem” >
32nd Station Hospital 
Lowell, photo of 3 officers with red lettering on it. Man of far right is my Father. Camp Rucker photos of 5 officers, first on left is my Father as well. Tom
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Have been reading the 32nd Station Hospital articles and looking at the photos…The last photo of a group at Camp Rucker, Alabama list – New Post: Photos Unidentified lists “From left to right: Unknown”. The person standing, 3rd from the right is my dad, George R. Lee. I know I’ve looked at these before, but he was right there this time! Thanks for all of the history!
Suzanne Lee Shaffer
On Thu, Jul 18, 2019 at 6:37 AM 32nd Station Hospital wrote:
> Lowell Silverman posted: “The following series of photographs, obtained > from the collections of members of the 32nd Station Hospital, include > individuals who have not been identified. Since the unit’s personnel often > socialized with soldiers from other units (and because some mem” >
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