The Lobotomy Files

[WJHopwood]

Long Lines
An excellent 3-part series published this week in the
Wall Street Journal has brought to light long-buried
medical files from the archives of the Veterans
Administration which cover the late wartime and early
post-war performance of experimental "lobotomies"
on almost 2000 WWII mentally disabled veterans who
suffered out-of-control symptoms of what is now a
called "Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.."
The lobotomies were performed as as "last resort"
treatment for those with the worst symptoms, being
discontinued when the new anti-psychotic drug, Thorazine,
became available.
Most veterans on whom the primitive operations
were performed (such as by sticking an ice-pick through
the eye socket and twisting it around and similar measures)
were left with permanent mental damage which included
varying changes in personality, regress to childhood states,
and other relate disabilities which left life-changes which
they and their families have had ro cope with for decades.
The press series is quite detailed and contains
interviews with a few war veteran lobotomy survivors now
in their 80s as well as family members who were better able
to describe the life-changes which the lobotomy victims
had experienced after their surgery. The illustrated series
can be seen online at:

http://projects.wsj.com/lobotomyfiles/?ch=one&mg=inert-wsj

WJH

[dumbstruck]

Post by WJHopwood
Long Lines
An excellent 3-part series published this week in the

This is a little bit off the point, but my reading from Hans Luck
reported on rare morale problems from the survivors of the famous
allied bombing of the pocket in France. He normally brags about
the superior mental toughness of trained German troops, but he
relates without comment how their tank crews dug foxholes which
they parked their tanks over. If they weren't blown up anyway,
some of the survivors shot themselves. I supposed this wasn't
totally post-traumatic and they may have expected more punishment,
but they also were finding it feasible to escape the pocket albeit
with ruthless pushing and shoving.

[Rich Rostrom]

Post by dumbstruck
This is a little bit off the point, but my reading from Hans Luck
reported on rare morale problems from the survivors of the famous
allied bombing of the pocket in France.

That would be the Falaise Pocket?

Post by dumbstruck
He normally brags about the superior mental toughness of
trained German troops, but he relates without comment how their
tank crews dug foxholes which they parked their tanks over.

That seems odd for a "panic" action - it's
something that would take a fair amount of
time committed to the action. It's also a
group action (the crew of the tank working
together), and requires anticipation (we're
going to be bombed/strafed again in an hour).

Also, what's the point? In a tank, one could
move 25 km in an hour, and maybe clear the
pocket. Hiding under the tank is not a plan
for safety beyond a short time.

[Michael Emrys]

That seems odd for a "panic" action - it's something that would take
a fair amount of time committed to the action.

Our friend dumbstruck may have slightly mis-remembered what he read. I
think this became a standard bivouac procedure among the Panzerwaffe
after mid-war in places where attack from the air was likely. And I
think that sleeping under their tank was not altogether uncommon among
tank crews of all services and nationalities with or without the
foxholes wherever there was significant likelihood of a hostile barrage
whether from the air or from artillery.

Michael

[Paul F Austin]

Post by Michael Emrys

That seems odd for a "panic" action - it's something that would take
a fair amount of time committed to the action.

Our friend dumbstruck may have slightly mis-remembered what he read. I
think this became a standard bivouac procedure among the Panzerwaffe
after mid-war in places where attack from the air was likely. And I
think that sleeping under their tank was not altogether uncommon among
tank crews of all services and nationalities with or without the
foxholes wherever there was significant likelihood of a hostile barrage
whether from the air or from artillery.

Oddly enough, I had dinner with several retired Armor Branch officers
last night and "sleeping under the tank" came up in the context of Fort
Campbell (Ky), then the home of the Armor Branch.

Several of these men, once the subject came up, said that it was
horribly dangerous to sleep under a tank and that a number of men had
been killed. If the tank is parked on ground with any give in it, the
tank could settle overnight and crush the sleepers.

Paul

[Michael Emrys]

Post by Paul F Austin
Several of these men, once the subject came up, said that it was
horribly dangerous to sleep under a tank and that a number of men had
been killed. If the tank is parked on ground with any give in it,
the tank could settle overnight and crush the sleepers.

Now that you mention it, I recall reading something along those lines
years ago. That didn't stop the practice, it just meant that you had to
be careful not to park on bogy ground, or if that was unavoidable, you
didn't sleep under the tank that night.

Michael

[dumbstruck]

Post by Rich Rostrom
Also, what's the point? In a tank, one could
move 25 km in an hour, and maybe clear the
pocket. Hiding under the tank is not a plan
for safety beyond a short time.

They dug foxholes under their tank because the tanks were tossed
about like toys by large bombs... you had to be in the ground. Hans
quotes Lt. von Rosen as saying the morning of July 18 gave his worst
bombing experience of the war, which broke the psychologies of a
couple of his men to the point of suicide.

Hans quotes various folks on the superhuman difficulties to escape
the pocket. The roads and adjacent fields were clogged with broken
and burning vehicles, and dead and dying horses and soldiers. It was
as narrow as 3 miles with incoming fire from both sides, and you
having to consider running over carts of wounded to get a tank thru.
Apocalyptic, with their own ammo cooking off, most vehicles were
abandoned and even several generals walked out.

[Michael Emrys]

Hans quotes Lt. von Rosen as saying the morning of July 18 gave his
worst bombing experience of the war...

That would have been before the pocket was formed. Before even the great
bombing of July 25th. Could he be referring to the opening of Operation
Goodwood? It's been quite a few years since I read von Luck's book, but
ISTR that at least part of the time his unit was on the British sector
of the front.

Michael