According to biographer Carlo D’Este, there were TWO slapping incidents, both in hospitals. D’Este did not record what one vet told me, who was in one of the hospitals, that the patients there applauded. D’Este also submits that Patton himself was likely suffering from battle fatigue, having driving himself to incredible lengths to take Messina.
one incident was on Aug 3, 1943, the other Aug 10, 1943
Patton slapped what we would today would call PTSD sufferers. Ike investigated it and felt compelled to remove Patton from 7th Army largely in order to save him. Ike valued Patton and getting him out of the way let the uproar fade die down.
Up in France my dad’s AAA batallion had a couple of these guys assigned to his unit. They had been infantry types in heavy fighting and the Army didn’t want to send them home. One was such a wreck you could position him like a gumby doll and he wouldn’t move. The other one would pace non-stop whenever the 90mm guns were firing, and he would pace the entire time they were firing. He never slept. After a couple of weeks the powers that be finally took them out of the war. No slapping required.