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보/고/서

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 2438　30 November 1950

FIELD REPORT (IX CORPS LDI 0160)　11 November 1950

PW had a good educational background and cooperated in giving information within her knowledge. However, since her service as an Army Nurse was limited to only 25 days, comprehensive information was unobtainable. Further interrogation is believed unnecessary.

PW was inducted into the SADONG 944th Army Hospital at P'YONGYANG on 25 Sept 50 as a nurse receptionist and commissioned a Lt. Of the personnel of 300, 270 evacuated 9 Oct 50, and retreated toward HUICHON (BV-4968). The remaining 30, including PW, stayed until 15 Oct 50, when the group evacuated to a tiny mountain village (name unknown), located approximately 12 km north of P'YONGYANG. Upon arriving there, 23 of the group left for HUICHON leaving 7 behind. The group of 7, including PW, stayed here until 19 Oct 50 when it departed for CHASAN-MYON arriving there on 21 Oct 50. Here three of the group, including PW, and another female nurse, and a NK Pvt, surrendered to the local police. The two female nurses were then sent to work in a local hospital until 9 Nov 50 when they were taken to the 2nd Div POW enclosure by the Div MPs.

The SADONG 944th Army Hospital consisted of approximately 300 men and women commanded by a Lt Col. Of the 300, 100 were female nurses and 40 were medical officers, 20 were clerks, 80 were guards. The remainder were truck drivers, cooks, laundrymen, orderlies, etc. The Hospital had a capacity for 500 patients. There were 7 wards capable of accomodating about 70 patients each. Attached to the hospital was a cultural section headed by a Lt Col. All patient were brought here upon entering the hospital to ascertain whether or not they were legitimate NK soldiers requiring treatment. There was also a technical section under the command of a Lt Col where all medical and surgical problems were discussed. There were about 9 majors who were medical officers.

The 944th Hospital was equipped with X-Ray and a surgical ward. 7 wards, an examination room, and about 400 steel beds. PW heard that at the hospital small amounts of penicillin and sulfa drugs brought from South Korea, were available. PW saw labels written in English.

The guard unit consisting of 80 men were equipped with about 15 M-1891/30 Russian rifles.

Prisoner saw 5 and 6 Russian trucks which were used for hauling food, firewood, water, etc.

Between 25 Sep and 15 Oct 50, an average of 250 patients daily were received at the 944th Hospital. Since all of them could not be confined here only the seriously wounded or ill were treated, while the remainder were evacuated to rear areas.

PW stated that most of the patients were from 8th and 17th NK Divs, including many South Koreans who were conscripted into the NK Army. 60 to 70% of the wounded were believed to be victims of enemy air bombing and strafing.

Chronic and acute cases of gastro-enteritis due to exposure and malnutrition predominated. Others suffered from tuberculosis, pneumonia, malaria, and dysentery.

Of the 100 female nurses, about 28 were officers. The highest ranking was a Sr Lt, who was heard to have come from MANCHURIA. 20 were Lts, such as the prisoner, who had 3 years medical school training and who had received their commissions as such upon entering the army. 7 were Jr Lts who had been inducted into the service in '46, '47 and '48, who had worked their way up from the enlisted ranks. The remainder of the nurses were enlisted personnel with 1 or 2 years of higher girls school education who had been given one month of nurses training upon entering the service.

KWAN Yong Su (光永洙), Lt Col, age 40, 60 SADONG 944th Army Hospital at P'YONGYANG. Height 5 ft 4 in, weight 135 lbs. Believed to be in the HUICHON (BV-4968) area at present.

For the AC of S G-2: