Do any of you know of any written accounts of Allied military personnel dying from venomous snake bite during the war? I know battles were fought in the Pacific theatre in areas inhabited by species of venomous snakes. It seems like an especially abhorrent way to die.
You might find this of interest: The Pacific Battleground and the World War II Marine Late in the war, several hundred Japanese were believed killed and eaten by crocodiles when the British re-took Ramree Is. Battle of Ramree Island - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia That's just NASTY!
Hmmm...can think of worse...they dont eat you at first...they drown you, then stash you under something (usually submerged branch) and let decomposition and the water soften you up...they then (after a week or two) just tear bits off the "tender" carcass.
Try this thread from another forum. Use the links as well. Axis History Forum • View topic - Snakes on Okinawa
Snake bite kit issued during the war. WW2 US Medical Research Centre :: Surgical Supplies - Snake Bite Kit
As if the hazards of war were not enough. Horrifying to think you could be poisoned, killed, even eaten by a reptile.
There used to be a "joke" about the snakes in the Asian/Pacific theater; There are at least a hundred kind of snakes that can kill you in this area, about 95 of them bite you and leave you to die, the other 5 species can simply squash the life out of you and swallow you whole.
Never Tommy! Nice of him to show the world not to mess with large creatures one doesnt properly understand. One only has to make the animal a human in these situations to realise that of course this animal is going to wonder what the heck you're up to...what are you trying to do? Im just minding my own business and you're approaching me like you're stalking me...and you're getting closer...you are now trying to make contact on me...well i gotta fight or run...the stingray fought then ran. Respect.
In The Sharp End by Ellis I think, he wrote that three Commonwealth soldiers died of snake bite in WW2. It may have just been UK servicemen though - I can't quite recall the specifics?
