Mary E. Delbridge was the only child of Henry and Mary C. Delbridge of 1611 S. Center in Bloomington IL. Mary attended Trinity High School where she played the violin. One nurse she graduated with remembered that Mary played at her wedding. She graduated from Brown's Business College in 1938, but entered St. Joseph's Nursing School in 1940. Whether this was a patriotic gesture on her part or just dissatisfaction with the secretarial life isn't known. But after her graduation from St. Joseph's Mary tried to volunteer as an Army nurse. Unfortunately, a chest x ray revealed that Mary had an old healed TB condition in one lung. She was refused entry into the Nurse's Corp in April 1943.
Mary did not give up that easily though. She applied once again in November 1943 and was finally accepted. She was initially assigned to the Mayo Hospital in Galesburg, IL, which must have been a comfort to Henry and Mary Delbridge.
On September 8, 1944, however, Mary received her overseas orders and was sent with Josephine P Kiel, Rosemary Sutter and Josephine C Zinceau to Ft. Bragg to join the 117th Evacuation Hospital. These were three women she would spend the next 14 months working beside under stressful circumstances. Mary's first orders told her to present herself by October 10, which would have given Mary a long furlough to say good bye to friends and family in Bloomington. On September 22, however, she received new orders and was told to report to Ft. Bragg on September 25. It must have been quite a rush to ready her gear and find a train to North Carolina to meet her deadline!
The staff of the 117th did not leave stateside until October 26 1944. They embarked from New Jersey for the Mediterranean on the S.S. Mariposa and had an initially rough crossing. Calmer weather prevailed by November 6, 1944 when they reached Marseilles. They were billeted a short time in Marseilles, but then were sent by truck and train to Epinal, France (northeast France) on November 24, 1944. After scouting, a location for the 117th was found about 20 miles away in Pahlsbourg. The hospital was ready to receive patients on November 28, 1944 and by the end of the month, 209 patients had been received.
The hospital was manned by 1 warrant officer, 38 officers, 40 nurses and 205 enlisted men. The most significant day in December saw 246 casualties with 152 surgical cases. Most of the casualties came from the Seigfried Line, where fighting was very fierce. Over 2000 cases came to the hospital during December, and 768 of these were battle casualties. On January 2, 1945, it became necessary to move the hospital back to Epinal for a short time. On the 17th the hospital was on the move again, to St. Jean De Bassel. At this location there were 702 admissions in January, but only 185 were battle casualties. Each time the hospital moved, equipment had to be packed, tents had to be struck, latrines dug, and patients safely moved. Every member of the hospital had to take part in these maneuvers and do their part.
The hospital remained at St. Jean do Bassel until March 22, when advances of troops through the Maginot and Seigfried lines caused the hospital to move closer to the Rhine. The next stop at Drachenbronn France was a very short one before the 117th moved to Germany.
The first base in Germany was near Adelsheim, but this hospital received patients for just 8 days before a move of 140 miles to Obergau, Germany. During April 2459 patients were received, 1,855 being American battle casualties. During the month, the hospital would move three times. (Weinheim, Obergau, Suben)
In May the hospital returned to Obergau during a blizzard that hampered travel and the construction of tents. After setting up under very difficult conditions, the hospital opened and 111 patients were admitted the same day the hospital was "built." In July, the hospital was moved to an actual hospital building in Garmmisch Partenkirchen. At this time the staff also learned that they would not be sent to the Pacific for further duties, but had been assigned to return to the States.
The hospital moved to Linz, Austria in August. Even after VE Day the hospital was kept busy with admissions for illness, accidents, and other miscellaneous conditions such as gonorrhea, scabies, or hepatitis.
Mary remained in Europe until November and in October received a much needed period of R & R in the Riviera. Mary had had other periods of relaxation which are depicted in the photographs held at the McLean County Museum of History. At one of the hospitals there were opportunities to play volley ball, in Austria Mary joined a skiing party and Mary visited Paris, where she collected a Folies Bergere souvenir program. She would have been a witness to several weddings, as romances blossomed between the nurses and doctors of the 117th.
This link will take you to a map showing the movements of the 117th Evacuation hospital on its European tour. https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zbXDxdrmVNRo.kHu0ZCDNlsUY&usp=sharing
Although Mary was recommended for a promotion to 1st Lieutenant in October 1945, she did not receive this promotion except as a post-service recognition in 1947.
After the war, Mary returned to her home at 1611 S. Center Street and began her service as a public health nurse. She worked until 1981, teaching children and mothers about important health issues.
The hospital movements are taken from a page on the internet called WW2 US Medical Research Centre, which is managed by two Europeans men who collected the information regarding the many US hospitals that operated in Europe.
https://www.med-dept.com/ The page for the 117th Evacuation Hospital is https://www.med-dept.com/unit-histories/117th-evacuation-hospital/