I have been researching the military histories of my grandfathers recently, and one of them was a medic (American) attached to a tank battalion in the Korean War. Although my motivation comes from the Korean War I would be interested to hear about this topic at any time.
The primary difference between the two in the Second World War would be that medical personnel in an infantry battalion whose task it was to provide immediate care to frontline troops (i.e. the platoon aid men) traveled with them, while those in a tank battalion stayed just to the rear, and were called to the front as soon as casualties occurred. Tankers, like infantrymen, were trained in basic first aid and the use of vehicle first aid kits, although the former also received instruction on the proper removal of wounded men from constricted spaces in vehicles, and this was to be done whenever possible by the crew members themselves. It was directed that men with only minor wounds remain in their vehicles, and be brought back to the collecting point near the aid station when the fighting had ceased, rather than have the aid men come get them. Locations of disabled tanks were reported to the battalion surgeon, and an ambulance moved to each vehicle and collected the casualties. The battalion aid station triaged and treated the casualties brought to it by the ambulances, with the battalion surgeon attending to the most seriously wounded, and the medical officer and surgical and medical technicians attending to the others. The casualties were then taken to a collecting point, and either the companies of the armored medical battalion then took over responsibility for them (in an armored division), or they were taken by the detachment ambulances from this point to the infantry division medical battalion's clearing station (in the case of a separate tank battalion attached to an infantry division).
The medical detachment of the tank battalion was first authorized on 15 September 1943 per T/O&E 17-25. It had two captains or first lieutenants (medical officers), one staff sergeant, one corporal, one technician third grade, one technician fourth grade, five technicians fifth grade, and eleven privates or privates first class, for a total of two officers and twenty enlisted men. Vehicles were initially three halftrack ambulances, one 1 ton trailer, and one 1/4 ton truck (jeep); Change 4 to the T/O&E deleted one halftrack ambulance and added one 3/4 ton motor ambulance; one halftrack driver was deleted and replaced with one ambulance driver. Change 5 to the T/O&E (16 June 1944) deleted the two halftrack ambulances, their drivers, and the 1-ton trailer, and added three more 1/4 ton trucks and a 3/4 ton truck, along with one light truck driver; one "basic" soldier was deleted, resulting in a net decrease of two enlisted personnel. Change 5 also authorized the substitution of a "knockdown" 3/4 ton ambulance for the solid-body version. A new version of T/O&E 17-25 was issued on 18 November 1944, although the three changes to this table (6 January 1945, 21 July 1945, and 26 November 1945) did not affect personnel or vehicles, just minor pieces of equipment.
15 September 1943-11 February 1944:
1/4 ton truck
Captain or first lieutenant, MC
T/5, surgical technician (driver)
Radio, SCR-510
Ambulance, half-track
T/3, surgical technician
T/5, half-track driver
Pvt/Pfc., litter bearer
Ambulance, half-track, with 1-ton trailer (a)
T/4, surgical technician
T/5, half-track driver (a)
Pvt/Pfc., litter bearer
Ambulance, half-track
T/5, half-track driver
Pvt/Pfc., surgical technician
Pvt/Pfc., litter bearer
At aid station
Captain or first lieutenant, MC
Staff sergeant, medical
Corporal, medical
T/5, surgical technician
Pvt/Pfc., medical technician
Pvt/Pfc., surgical technician
3 Pvt./Pfc., litter bearers
2 Pvt./Pfc., basics
12 February-15 June 1944:
1/4 ton truck
Captain or first lieutenant, MC
T/5, surgical technician (driver)
Radio, SCR-510
Ambulance, half-track (d)
T/3, surgical technician
T/5, half-track driver (d)
Pvt/Pfc., litter bearer
Ambulance, half-track (d)
T/5, half-track driver (d)
Pvt/Pfc., surgical technician
Pvt/Pfc., litter bearer
3/4 ton truck, ambulance (b)
Pvt/Pfc., ambulance driver (b)
T/4, surgical technician (c)
Pvt/Pfc., litter bearer (c)
At aid station
Captain or first lieutenant, MC
Staff sergeant, medical
Corporal, medical
T/5, surgical technician
Pvt/Pfc., medical technician
Pvt/Pfc., surgical technician
3 Pvt./Pfc., litter bearers
2 Pvt./Pfc., basic
16 June 1944-past 26 November 1945:
1/4 ton truck
Captain or first lieutenant, MC
T/5, surgical technician (driver)
Radio, SCR-510
3/4 ton truck, ambulance
Pvt./Pfc., ambulance driver
2 Pvt./Pfc., litter bearers
1/4 ton truck, ambulance
T/3, surgical technician
T/5, surgical technician (driver)
1/4 ton truck, ambulance
T/4, surgical technician
Pvt/Pfc., surgical technician (driver)
1/4 ton truck, ambulance
Pvt/Pfc., surgical technician (driver)
Pvt/Pfc., basic
At aid station
Captain or first lieutenant, MC
Staff sergeant, medical
Corporal, medical
Pvt/Pfc., medical technician
4 Pvt./Pfc., litter bearers
3/4 ton truck (e)
Pvt/Pfc., light truck driver (e)
(a) - cancelled 12 February 1944 (Change 4)
(b) - added 12 February 1944 (Change 4)
(c) - from 12 February 1944 to 15 June 1944
(d) - cancelled 16 June 1944 (Change 5)
(e) - added 16 June 1944 (Change 5)
Sources:
Bellanger, Yves. U. S. Army Armored Division 1943-1945. Independently published, 2010.
United States. War Department. War Department Field Manual 17-80, Armored Medical Units. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1944.