Dachau
Dublin Core
Title
Dachau
Subject
US Army Nurse at Liberation of Dachau
Description
This image of US Army Nurse Dorothy Baggett at Dachau Concentration Camp in southern Germany, is a valuable representative of the darkest parts of World War II, and how even American military nurses experienced these horrors.
This picture was taken in April of 1945, three days before the camp was officially liberated by Americans. Baggett was one of the nurses who came along to treat the victims of Nazi brutality. Baggett is shown standing in front of the SS Administration Building in the camp compound.
Baggett witnessed the aftermath of the atrocities committed at this camp, including treating victims with severe malnutrition, typhus, dysentery, malaria, and many other serious medical conditions. Baggett also saw the crematorium, including the piles of dead bodies all over the camp and placed inside the ovens.
Of her experience with the patients she treated at the camp, Baggett says; "All they wanted to do was just touch you, you know, get, just something..."
Despite seeing these horrors, Baggett and several other American nurses who helped liberate Dachau faced these horrors head-on and provided the best possible nursing care that they could to the camp survivors for four months. Baggett took such good care of her charges that she was promoted to 1st Lieutenant while in Dachau.
This picture was taken in April of 1945, three days before the camp was officially liberated by Americans. Baggett was one of the nurses who came along to treat the victims of Nazi brutality. Baggett is shown standing in front of the SS Administration Building in the camp compound.
Baggett witnessed the aftermath of the atrocities committed at this camp, including treating victims with severe malnutrition, typhus, dysentery, malaria, and many other serious medical conditions. Baggett also saw the crematorium, including the piles of dead bodies all over the camp and placed inside the ovens.
Of her experience with the patients she treated at the camp, Baggett says; "All they wanted to do was just touch you, you know, get, just something..."
Despite seeing these horrors, Baggett and several other American nurses who helped liberate Dachau faced these horrors head-on and provided the best possible nursing care that they could to the camp survivors for four months. Baggett took such good care of her charges that she was promoted to 1st Lieutenant while in Dachau.
Creator
Dorothy Baggett, Unknown Photographer
Source
World War II Veterans History Project Blog, "Giving the Past a Future, One Story at a Time: Army Nurse Helped Liberate Dachau Concentration Camp," August 30, 2019, Interview and Images Courtesy of Dorothy Baggett: https://ww2veteranshistoryproject.com/blog/f/army-nurse-helped-liberate-dachau-concentration-camp
Publisher
Dorothy Baggett and the World War II Veterans History Project Website
Date
Accessed April 25, 2020
Format
Photograph (jpeg snip)
Language
English
Type
Still Image
Identifier
Dorothy Baggett WWII Nurse at Dachau
Coverage
American WWII Nurses in Europe, Dachau WWII, Women in WWII
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
black and white photograph
Collection
Citation
Dorothy Baggett, Unknown Photographer , “Dachau,” US Nurses in World War II, accessed April 28, 2024, https://usnursesww2.omeka.net/items/show/31.