135th Medical Regiment

John Wayne and Col. William Jefferson Bleckwenn at the Albion Park Races in December 1943

Colonel William Jefferson Bleckwenn had earlier enlisted in the Wisconsin Army National Guard as a medical student. He came to the Southwest Pacific Area in March 1942 as Commanding Officer of the 135th Medical Regiment. Colonel Bleckwenn appears in the May 1944 Military Telephone Directory as the Base Surgeon for Base Section 3, located in the Surgeon's Office at Somerville House.

Colonel Bleckwenn was introduced to John Wayne while in Australia and they spent some fun time together. After the war William J. Bleckwenn carried out a lot of notable research, set up many mental health facilities for veterans, worked with the Mayo brothers - Menningers, etc., and helped establish the concept of MASH units with Dr. Michael Debakey and other WWII doctors, and much more.

"B" Company of the 135th Medical Regiment, US Army established a Convalescent Hospital in Armstrong's Paddock in Townsville on 23 April 1942.

Bill Bentson told me that St. Hilda's Girl School at Southport, Queensland was used for a short time by the 135th Medical Regiment.

"C" Company of the 135th Medical Regiment set up a Convalescent Hospital at Major's Creek, about 14 miles east of Woodstock.

A Detachment of "H" Company, 135th US Medical Regiment provided medical services at Livingstone Airfield in the Northern Territory. Melvin Oakes told me that his late uncle William Warren Oakes was in "H" Company, which arrived at Armstrongs Paddock in Townsville on 21 February 1944 on board the transport ship "Andrew D. White". They returned to the ship on 25 February 1944 and left for Finschaffen arriving there on 1 March 1944.

Company An APO list that I have shows the following units of the 135th Medical Regiment located at Birdum in the Northern Territory in June 1942:-

I'd like to thanks Sue Bleckwenn Grzeca, Karen Nunan and Melvin Oakes for their assistance with this web page.

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