Event Medic Cards

[webmaster]

In reenacting the issue of individuals taking their hits and sitting out for 10 to 15 minutes has long been a staple of WW2 reenacting. Various groups and organizations have come up with several variations on the theme. One such organization hands out pre-printed instruction cards.

Each card has several choices the combatant assumes once they take a hit. The idea is to have wounds and deaths.

[fwvredenburg]

For some of our CHG battles these would work, its up the the event host to decide to use such an item.

Were can we get those shown.

[webmaster]

Here is the website.
wwiimedic.com/wound-cards-an-alternative-system

There is a PDF of the front and back side of the card. These can be easily printed on business card stock. The site provides an explanation of the system. The objective of these systems are to give the medics and field hospitals a role during the field battle reenactments, instead of wasting people sitting when the could to some degree be wounded soliders for the medical teams to experience their impression.

[Deleted]

This could work, as we have discussed; there needs to be a Medical Command.

[middlestone]

Adds more realism to the battle. It will also help clear the seriously wounded and dead from the battlefield. "Spawning" at the front line is wrong; they should resurrect from a rear collection point, rear aid station or hospital.

[davep]

The process of handling "dead players" hasn't really evolve and is looked at as a necessary evil at tactical simulation events. Something we do and forget about.

In smaller battles "front line spawning" isn't as much a problem as it is in larger battles where the numbers can over take the live "in play" reenactors.

While having a rear Field Hospital, Aid Station, or Field HQ is a logical choice for some medical attention and spawning. You have the issue of [1] distance back and [2] transportation to the rear, be it on foot or by motor vehicle. Also if the distance back to these collection points is too far back, it distrupts the constant flow of combatants to support the game action which is occurring.

I think one thing everyone can agree on is having "dead player tea parties" of dead, out of play reenactors sitting on the field is not ideal or necessary. But without some sort organizied fall back methodology and point for players to fall back too; battle sit-n-talk parties will remain the norm.

[middlestone]

According to the US Medical Research Centre..."the following may be offered as a general statement of the type of an Aid Station of an Infantry Battalion in the frontline: a centrally-located site, from 300 to 800 yards to the rear of the frontline".... "Its purpose was to treat and care for casualties while awaiting their further evacuation"...... "the Battalion Aid Station would be located as far forward as protection permitted, and the Litter carry was to be kept as short as possible to allow for prompt evacuation and basic treatment"

We could use the Hospitals as the Main Aid stations, which are static, and a Battalion-type Aid Station or forward collection point, 200 to 300 yds from the 'front' line, which would move forward or rearward depending on how the battles progress.

Front Line spawning does contribute to a quicker game, particularly in battles where there are uneven numbers. Defending units, if outnumbered, cannot attrit the attacking force if they resurrect in place. There is no breathing space created by inflicting casualties on the larger force.

[Deleted]

Ergo why I set up a CCP forward and go from there. It's fairly simple to encorporate medical with the battles. Just allow us to have some input and make it part of the plan which must be followed.

[webmaster]

The Harvest is Plentiful but the Laborers Few

One of the problem with any implimentation of a wounded player system is resources. The Allies have a small Field Hospital of 4 to 10 people, but have 4 to 8 medics. The Germans have a large Field Hospital of 10 to 20 people but little or no Unit-Base Medics.

In order for a system which relys on "Front Line Medical Players", we need to properly match MRT's(Medical Reenactor Teams) to the number of reenactors playing as soldiers.

Also when a event is planned for March or May or June, we petty much know how many reenactors will show, i,e, 70 to 100 or 150 to 400. But this isn't the case with Medical Reenactors. Also there needs to be enough MRT's to service the main body of reenactors, otherwise any new approach simply won't get off the ground.

[PRESIDENT]

We can't even get people to take proper hits. And, when they do, they don't even flop dead. They just stand there and remove their helmet. I can't see that kind of mentality working with a system of cards and mandatory evacuations. People just won't die for fear of having to hike it all the way back to a clearing point.

A while back, we tried a system of bandages. If you were hit, you fell back just out of sight from the frontline and had a partner tie on a bandage to your arm or leg. You were now back in play. If you were hit again, you then had to clear all the way to a field hospital. If a medic was around, he could do the same thing for you but under fire. Pretty simple, and it worked to a point. Folks STILL didn't take proper hits because they had hiked so far only to get shot twice within 10 minutes and didn't want to walk all the way back.

The obstacle to all of this that needs to be overcome first is to focus less on winning objectives and destroying the opposition and to concentrate more on the impression and the reality of war. Some people get shot right at the start of a firefight without firing a round! When you stop caring about whether or not your team wins, the more you're willing to take hits.

[mit31]

The only way you can effectively tie the rear medical personnel to the front lines and use hit cards (at big events) is if you have a dedicated vehicle doing non-stop runs from the battle line to the hospitals.

This doesnt have to be an ambulance, or even a vehicle from those hospitals; it could be a member of any unit volunteering their time and vehicle... and I'm not talking a jeep or Kubel, it needs to be a truck, that can take more than 3 people at a time.

I don't think small events are much of an issue... you can have field medics and an aid station close by.

[Deleted]

Trucks are not available. It is more 'realistic' to have wounded walk, ride, evaced in a jeep or kubel. They are to me moved to a BAS or FH, depending on how the play is decided. It's pretty simple, the battle lasts for hours, the wounded only take you about for 20-30 minutes.

Don't want to be hit, then use cover and stop running around. This would also reinforce fire and manuever tactics, use of cover and concealment, etc.

Again, that's why we need a Medical Command to oversee this. Make it part of the battle rules and we are good to go.

[davep]

My kingdom for a horse


The problem is there simply isn't enough Medicial Reenactors to run, staff and service the process. With or without vehicles. The number of Medical Reenactors is never predictable at events, i.e. you never know how many will show up. There simply isn't enough of them.

[Deleted]

perhaps if we had things for them to do, and included them as valuable players, like trucks, tanks, troops, we would get more participation. We have made it no fun to do medic.