No2 General Hospital

[kawasaki]

Does anyone where in le Havre this military hospital was located and if any reading/research exists?

Thanks

Mike

[Sue Light]

Mike

The main part of No.2 General was at the Gare Maritime (Quai d'Escale) where it opened on 12 October 1914. There were also sections at the Casino, the Palais des Regattes, in Rue du Guy de Maupassant and Rue Phalsbourg. Later in the war the section at Palais des Regattes was used exclusively for men suffering from skin conditions. The area of the Gare Maritime has been extensively redeveloped over the years, and the sites no longer exist.

There is a very large war diary at The National Archives in WO95/4074 and WO95/4075. It is also one of the few medical units that have surviving records in MH106 - admission and discharge registers. The references for those are MH106/873 to MH106/1076. As one of the largest British general hospitals in France it's heaven sent for research, though I don't know of any that's been done.

Sue

[kawasaki]

Mike

The main part of No.2 General was at the Gare Maritime (Quai d'Escale) where it opened on 12 October 1914. There were also sections at the Casino, the Palais des Regattes, in Rue du Guy de Maupassant and Rue Phalsbourg. Later in the war the section at Palais des Regattes was used exclusively for men suffering from skin conditions. The area of the Gare Maritime has been extensively redeveloped over the years, and the sites no longer exist.

There is a very large war diary at The National Archives in WO95/4074 and WO95/4075. It is also one of the few medical units that have surviving records in MH106 - admission and discharge registers. The references for those are MH106/873 to MH106/1076. As one of the largest British general hospitals in France it's heaven sent for research, though I don't know of any that's been done.

Sue

My great uncles medical records survive apparently in MH106, he died in this hospital and was buried in Le Havre cemetary aged 20

Many Thanksfor your reply

Mike

[Sue Light]

There's a photo of the Matron, Miss Minns, looking out over the Quai d'Escale here:

British military nurses

Sue

[kawasaki]

There's a photo of the Matron, Miss Minns, looking out over the Quai d'Escale here:

British military nurses

Sue

Sue

I have contacted the record office in kew to try and see if i can get copies of records relating to my great uncle but they said they would need the Casualty Clearing Station. ?

do you know how i would find this out

Thanks

mike

[Sue Light]

Mike

I think I'm a bit lost here. The records for No.2 General Hospital in MH106 are admission and discharge registers (a lot of them!), so there would be no individual set of records for your great-uncle, just an entry in a ledger of his admission to the hospital, with his name, rank, number, date of admission and diagnosis at that time - also his date of death/transfer out. So not knowing what you've asked TNA for, I'm not sure what to suggest. If he belonged to one of the half-dozen units that have surviving medical sheets in MH106, then there is a chance of an individual record, but they are extensive and need someone to go through the boxes on the off-chance that he's there - that could be thousands of records to look through.

Regards --- Sue

[kawasaki]

Mike

I think I'm a bit lost here. The records for No.2 General Hospital in MH106 are admission and discharge registers (a lot of them!), so there would be no individual set of records for your great-uncle, just an entry in a ledger of his admission to the hospital, with his name, rank, number, date of admission and diagnosis at that time - also his date of death/transfer out. So not knowing what you've asked TNA for, I'm not sure what to suggest. If he belonged to one of the half-dozen units that have surviving medical sheets in MH106, then there is a chance of an individual record, but they are extensive and need someone to go through the boxes on the off-chance that he's there - that could be thousands of records to look through.

Regards --- Sue

Sue

The archivist at the Gloucesters museum emailed me to say that his hospital record survives in record MH106. (he is one of the 2% of these military records that were retained after the war).

This states he was admitted to no2 General Hospital at Le Havre on 8th April 1917. having being shot at Lempire, which is quite a distance from Le Havre, (do you know how he would have been transported, he was shot on 5th April, to Le Havre?)

he had a gun shot wound to right knee and fracture of femur and tibia. He died of his wounds at 7.30pm on the 26th April.

Where would the archivist get this information?

Is there are more information i could get from visiting Kew?

Your guidance would be appreciated

Regards

Mike

[Sue Light]

Mike

There are two sorts of records in MH106. There are medical record sheets which were completed on each occasion a man was admitted hospital, and give information about that particular incident and its outcome. They are only available for men of the Leicestershire Regiment, Royal Field Artillery, Grenadier Guards, Royal Flying Corps and Corps of Hussars.

The other records are the admission and discharge registers for a small number of units - I have them listed on my website. Other than these items, there are no other personal medical records of soldiers. They add up to approximately 2% of all admission and discharge registers and medical record sheets.

The information you were given sounds exactly that contained in the admission and discharge registers, and presumably the museum has gone through all these registers to extract details of their own soldiers. The entry in the ledger would contain the date of admission, diagnosis and outcome. I think it's very unlikely it would also mention the location your great-uncle was in at the time he was wounded, but that information could be taken from the battalion war diary to form the bigger picture. If the museum has actually come across anything other than this I would be surprised (but very interested!). You could check by asking them if the MH106 information was taken from the admission and discharge register; if so, then I don't think there would be anything else to be gained from a visit to Kew (well, not on the medical front).

Sue

[kawasaki]

Mike

There are two sorts of records in MH106. There are medical record sheets which were completed on each occasion a man was admitted hospital, and give information about that particular incident and its outcome. They are only available for men of the Leicestershire Regiment, Royal Field Artillery, Grenadier Guards, Royal Flying Corps and Corps of Hussars.

The other records are the admission and discharge registers for a small number of units - I have them listed on my website. Other than these items, there are no other personal medical records of soldiers. They add up to approximately 2% of all admission and discharge registers and medical record sheets.

The information you were given sounds exactly that contained in the admission and discharge registers, and presumably the museum has gone through all these registers to extract details of their own soldiers. The entry in the ledger would contain the date of admission, diagnosis and outcome. I think it's very unlikely it would also mention the location your great-uncle was in at the time he was wounded, but that information could be taken from the battalion war diary to form the bigger picture. If the museum has actually come across anything other than this I would be surprised (but very interested!). You could check by asking them if the MH106 information was taken from the admission and discharge register; if so, then I don't think there would be anything else to be gained from a visit to Kew (well, not on the medical front).

Sue

Sue

Your advice and guidance has been invaluable.

Could you advise the URL of your web site

I will check with the Glosters

Do you have any info on how he would have been transported from the front to Le Havre?

Thanks

mike

[Sue Light]

Mike

There's a link at the bottom of my posts to the pages on my website that give a short insight into MH106 (soldier's medical records). He would have been transported to Le Havre by ambulance train, though that would not have been his first stop. He is likely to have been given treatment at least two places before he arrived there, maybe more. These would have been stops in the usual chain of evacuation - Regimental Aid Post, Field Dressing Station, Field Ambulance, Casualty Clearing Station and onwards to hospital. Most men would have only visited a selection of these units, and for some, more than one Field Ambulance or CCS.

Sue

[kawasaki]

Mike

There's a link at the bottom of my posts to the pages on my website that give a short insight into MH106 (soldier's medical records). He would have been transported to Le Havre by ambulance train, though that would not have been his first stop. He is likely to have been given treatment at least two places before he arrived there, maybe more. These would have been stops in the usual chain of evacuation - Regimental Aid Post, Field Dressing Station, Field Ambulance, Casualty Clearing Station and onwards to hospital. Most men would have only visited a selection of these units, and for some, more than one Field Ambulance or CCS.

Sue

Sue

I have enjoyed our exchange and would like to thank you for your help.

I think a visit to Kew will not be worthwhile

Regards

Mike