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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Hospitals in the United Kingdom


Chris_Baker

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You may have seen on www.1914-1918.net that I am working on medical facilities at the moment. Although there is a lot to cover, it's actually quite easy to build up a comprehensive picture of the locations of the CCS's and hospitals in the theatres of war. But this got me thinking: I don't know of any comprehensive list to the medical facilities in Blighty.

How about we - the registered users of this forum - have a go at building it up, right here? General hospitals, hospitals in military barracks and camps, VAD, BRCS, St Johns Ambulance, Friends, etc etc.

Which ones do you know about? Don't be shy, stick them on here. Any of the info will be a good start. Place name, hospital name, any dates, etc.

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Here's one to start with.

Wharncliffe War Hospital, Sheffield. Certainly in use in mid 1916, and I believe until the end of the war. Fixed up my Grandad's hip.

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I have the Canadian Mother's Cross named to Sgt Alexander Donaldson (44th Bn CEF) who died of complications on the 1st January 1919 after being wounded on the 1st November 1918. He died at No 12 Canadian General Hospital, Bramshott Hampshire.

The following is from the CWGC site.

From the autumn of 1915, to October, 1919, a Canadian Training Centre was placed in the open country on both sides of the Portsmouth road, between the turnings to Grayshott and to Bramshott; and the soldiers who died in No. 12 Canadian General Hospital, which served the camp, were buried in Bramshott Churchyard, or (in the case of the Roman Catholic soldiers) in the Churchyard of St. Joseph's Church, at the West end of Grayshott. The first burials at Bramshott took place in Plot I, which is part of the original Churchyard; but in time it became necessary to enlarge the Churchyard, and an extension (Plots II and III) was formed. The original Churchyard and the Eastern side of the extension are bounded by a wall, and on the same side, between Plots II and III, is the War Cross which was dedicated on Sunday 24th April 1921.

Lee

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Chris

Nos 1-4 London General Hospitals, which were mobilised by the RAMC(TF) in August 1914.

No 15 Canadian Hospital, Taplow, Berks - actually at Cliveden, the seat of the Astors.

I have just done a quick PROCAT trawl on the PRO website, but nothing obvious is coming up. A couple of possibilities are WO 161/2 and WO 222/1.

Certainly, firsthand accounts often reveal the hospital a man was in. Maybe worth asking everyone who stumbles across a reference to e-mail you. I fear, though, that it may be a long job. That is assuming that the Medical History of the War provides any listings.

Charles

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Chris,

I second Charles on WO 222/1 'Arrangements for hospitals on mobilisation, 1914-18' - ages since I looked at it but I recall it as good for the main hospitals in UK but not much cop for the smaller ones.

Happy to trawl through it sometime in the next few weeks and let you have the results.

Jock Bruce

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Chris

Have you been in touch with the British Red Cross?

I believe they have a copy of a document listing Hospitals in the UK in their archive in London.

I have been meaning to have a look at it on one of my trips "down South" but never seem to have time.

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With regard to VAD hospitals, these were organised by the British Red Cross and the St Johns Ambulance Brigade on a county basis. Interestingly the Warwickshire VAD produced a bound report in 1918 which lists all of their hospitals, locations, faciliities and names all the senior staff members and includes photographs of the hospitals. These were mainly located in large private houses and village halls. I will post the basic information in due course. Perhaps a search of libraries in the UK will produce similar reports.

For the moment two spring to mind: The village hall at Dumbleton, Worcestershire,(then Gloucestershire) which has a commemorative plaque on the main door giving the details of the unit that was stationed there and the vicarage at Berkeswell, Warwickshire.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital in Coventry had a special "Soldiers Ward" which was funded by the industrialist AP Herbert.

Terry Reeves

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A wealth of information on UK Hospitals can be gained by trawling through the 1914-1918 UK CWGC cemetery registers. So to start, here’s what I found in the two Sussex registers.

SUSSEX 1-95 (Cemeteries and Churchyards in WEST SUSSEX)

Chichester

Graylingwell War Hospital, posted in the Asylum buildings North of the city

SUSSEX 96-226 (Cemeteries and Churchyards in EAST SUSSEX)

Bexhill–On-Sea

Princess Patricia’s Canadian Convalescent Hospital

Brighton

2nd Eastern General Hospital

Kitchener Military Hospital (later became 10th Canadian General)

Indian Hosptial (Brighton Pavilion)

New Zealand Convalescent Homes

Balcombe (now West Sussex)

VAD Hospital

Eastbourne

Military Convalescent Hospital, opened in Apr 1915, and (from Jan 1917 to Oct 1919) No. 14 Canadian General Hospital, called at first the Eastbourne Military Hospital

Forest Row

Military Hospital

Hastings

Canadian Convalescent Hospital Dec 1915, to Oct 1917

Hastings Military Hospital (latterly the 13th Canadian General Hospital) from Jan 1917, to Jun 1919

Seaford

10th Canadian Stationary Hospital, Nov 1916, to Jan 1917

Alan Seymour

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In the same vein as Alan's post some further details from the 1914-1918 UK CWGC cemetery registers for Hampshire:

Brockenhurst

No 1, New Zealand General Hospital (previously used as the Lady Hardinge (Indian) Hospital). See post from Clare Church in Sales, Wants, & Swaps.

Southampton

University Buildings - Military Hospital

Highfield Institution - Military Hospital

Shirley Warren - Military Hospital

Eastleigh

Eastleigh Military Hospital - Opened in April 1915 as a Clearing Hospital and became successively a Military Hospital and CCS.

Basingstoke

4th Canadian General Hospital was at Basingstoke from September 1917 to June 1919.

Netley

Royal Victoria Hospital

Portsmouth

Queen Alexandra Hospital

5th Southern General Hospital

No.33 U.S.A. Base Hospital, Milton

Gosport

Haslar Naval Hospital

Regards

Marc Thompson

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One of my King's Choir men died at the 2nd Northern General Hospital, Leeds.

Here in Northampton, the Infirmary (now the General Hospital) issued a call for surplus bed linen in 1914, for the casualties making their way there. Soon after, the old Berrywood Asylum became Duston War Hospital, used excusively for miltary casualties. Duston is a village-cum-suburb on the western edge of town.

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My Homepage is dedicated to a Nurse who was at Gravesend Hospital around 1916-19, apparently in Tingey Ward. There is a list of many of her patients on the site. I have no knowledge of the hospital itself.

The picture is of her, not me.

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:) Chippenham Auxiliary War Hospital, Wiltshire

Wards in the Neeld and Town Halls 1915-18

Operated by Wiltshire 6 VAD (Ladies)

1876 Patients passed through. One ward named Loyalty and a second named Unity the Motto on the Borough Crest being Loyalty & Unity.

Only one death recorded, a Canadian who is buried in London Rd. Cemetery Chippenham with a headstone raised by public subscription in the town.

3 VAD staff died of 'flu' in 1918 and a 4th died following complications after an appendectomy op.

Commandant awarded OBE, Quartermaster and Assistant Commandant both awarded MBE and a Staff Nurse awarded the ARRC.

MO was local Doctor whose wife was Commandant their three sons were all KIA (2 in France 1 in Mespot).

I have a list of VAD staff and awards they received which I am happy to pass on to anyone with an interest. Chippenham Museum has a photo of staff outside the Hospital.

There is a plaque on the wall of the buildings commemorating the hospital and the Certificate acknowledging the service given is held by Chippenham Museum.

Wilts 13 VAD (Men) provided stretcher bearers and drivers to collect patients from Chippenham GWR Station. Commandant of VAD 13 Red Cross medals are in Chippenham Museum Collection.

A silver cruet set given by patients to Sister Vicborn is also in the museum collection.

:)

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I can help you with the hospitals in which the NZEF were patients. For starters there are No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital (NZGH) at Brockenhurst, No. 2 at Walton-on-Thames (Mount Felix) and No. 3 at Codford, near Warminster.

I shall look through my records of New Zealanders who are buried at Brockenhurst and compile a further list.

Clare Church

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Here are the names of hospitals where the NZEF who are buried at Brockenhurst had been patients.

The main No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst was on the Tile Barn site, which is now a field adjacent to the lane leading to St. Nicholas Church. It was a hutted hospital, not far from Brockenhurst Station were patients arrived in trains from Southampton.

Other buildings in the New Forest area which were used were:

Balmer Lawn Hotel, Brockenhurst

Forest Park Hotel, Brockenhurst (officers only!)

Convalescent depots were:

Morant War Hospital, Brockenhurst, run by a committee of Brockenhurst residents

At Lymington, convalescent depots at Home Mead and the Old Town House

At Lyndhurst, a convalescent hospital at the Red Cross Hospital

At Avon Tyrell near Bransgore (the home of Lord and Lady Manners)

At Thorney Hill - the home of the Misses May

Dysentry depot at Barton-on-Sea.

***************************************************

Other hospitals throughout the UK where the NZEF men went were:

Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurch, Essex at Grey Towers, a rehabilitation centre for those who had lost limbs.

Woodcote Park, near Epsom

No. 2 London General Hospital, Chelsea

No. 2 Scottish General Hospital, Edinburgh

1/4 (don't know what this means) Northern General Hospital, Lincoln

Brighton Convalescent Hospital

Southwark Military Hospital, London

Endell Street Military Hospital, London

I hope this helps towards your list.

Clare Church

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Chris,

This is a fascinating subject to research, the numbers of hospitals etc. is phenomenal - it deserves a book written on the subject. Further to my Sussex list, the following is the hospitals in and around the Bournemouth area and taken from “Bournemouth and the First World War” by M A Edgington, Bournemouth Local Studies Publications,1985.

Apart from the established hospitals, and the Mont Dore which was a military hospital under the War Office supervision, the local auxiliary hospitals, set up for the large number of wounded sent to the town, were mostly large houses which had rooms suitable for conversion into wards. Some also had large grounds in which marquees or huts were erected.

All the hospitals were staffed by trained nurses, some of whom were members of either the Red Cross or the St. John Ambulance Brigade, and many VAD’s.

Boscombe Military Hospital, Shelly Road.

Surgeon-in-Charge: W. F. Stevenson, C.B., K.H.S, A.M.S. Shortly after the commencement of the war the Hospital Authority proposed to the War Office that they should provide 200 beds for the sick and wounded who might be sent to Bournemouth. This was approved and marquees were erected in the grounds of the Royal Victoria and West Hants Hospital, Shelly Road.

Crag Head Red Cross Hospital, Manor Road.

Opened in by the Red Cross in Oct 1914 as a convalescent home for wounded soldiers from the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley. The hospital originally provided 100 beds and was divided into 14 wards arranged on 3 floors. The hospital was under the supervision of Surgeon-General Stevenson of Boscombe Military Hospital. The hospital was closed at the end of 1918. Crag Head was demolished in 1972 and a block of luxury flats erected on the site in 1973.

Grata Quies Auxiliary Hospital, 29 Western Avenue, Branksome Park, Poole. First opened on 21st Nov 1914 with 40 beds and by May 1915 had another 30. The hospital closed on 18th Mar 1919.

Heron Court Auxiliary Hospital, Hurn, Christchurch.

First opened on 4th Nov 1914 originally there were two wards one with 12 beds and the other 8. This was later extended by erection of a hut giving an extra 10 beds. The hospital was intended for NCO & men on convalescent who didn’t need a great deal of nursing. The hospital closed in Dec 1918 and is now (1985) Hurn Court School.

Mont Dore Military Hospital, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth.

The Mont Dore Hotel was taken over by the War Office for conversion into a hospital 20th Nov 1914, for the Indian Wounded. After the withdrawal of the Indian Army Corps from France in Nov 1915, Mont Dore became a British Military Hospital. In 1918 the hospital was changed yet again into a convalescent home for Officers and in Nov 1918 many of the patients were Officers repatriated from POW camps. It closed in 1919 but didn’t revert to a hotel as it was purchased by the Bournemouth Corporation for use as the Town Hall.

St John Ambulance Brigade Hospital, 2 Bodorgan Road.

The hospital was opened in Nov 1915 as an auxiliary hospital with 25 beds, increased later to 27. Then in 1917 two marquees each with 15 beds were provided by the War Office. Originally it took only local cases from the troops billeted in the town and the camps in the area, but later received patients from the front. From 28th Apr 1916 it became an Annexe to the Boscombe Military Hospital. From Nov 1915 to 28th Feb 1919 when it close 1,414 patients were admitted, of whom only 5 died.

Stourwood Auxiliary Hospital, 3 Bracken Road, Southbourne.

An auxiliary hospital for the Boscombe Military Hospital, Shelly Road, under the supervision of Surgeon-General Stevenson. This was a newly built house just before the war its first tenants were wounded soldiers the first batch were wounded Belgians straight from the front on 1st Dec 1914 the initial number of beds provided was 10 which was eventually increased in May 1915 to 30. Later two large marquees each containing 16 beds were provided. The total number of patients treated is unknown. The figure for Nov 1918 was 1317 it finally closed down after Christmas 1918.

Other Local Military and Auxiliary Hospitals.

Balmer Lawn Hotel Brockenhurst - 100 beds. Originally for Indian troops.

Barton-on-Sea Convalescent Camp – originally used for Indian troops, it was later an English Military hospital. About 35,000 men passed through Barton in the 3 years it was open. It closed in Mar 1919.

Branksome Gate Hospital – for Wounded Officers, Western Avenue, Branksome Park. Opened Jun 1916.

Brownsea Island – “Mrs Van Raalte, owner of Brownsea Island, does valuable work in taking severe cases of officers suffering from shell-shock and nervous break-downs and doing wonders in the way of restoring them to health” - Bournemouth Daily Echo.

Christchurch Red Cross Hospital – started in Oct 1914 with 50 beds which increased until in mid 1918, when it could accommodate 300 patients. By the time it closed in Jan 1919 it had treated 5,000 patients. The buildings that were used are now (1985) part of the Christchurch Hospital.

Cornelia Hospital – two new wards were built for the wounded, having 60 beds.

Forest Park Hotel, Brockenhurst – 100 beds. Set up for Indian troops.

Sandacres, Shore Road, Parkstone – Sir Ernest Cassel’s Convalescent Home for Soldiers.

Sandhills, Mudeford – a Red Cross Auxiliary Hospital of 20 beds.

Springfield, Castle Hill, Parkstone – a Red Cross Auxiliary Hospital for convalescent troops.

Somerley Manor, Ringwood – convalescent home for Officers.

South Lytchett Manor – a Red Cross Auxiliary Hospital of 40 beds.

Thorney Hill Auxiliary Hospital, Bransgore – attached to the New Zealand Hospital, Brockenhurst.

Westworth Lodge, Southbourne – convalescent home for Officers.

Nursing Homes for the Belgium Wounded.

Aston Grays, Knole Road.

Miss Barger’s, Dorset House, Kimberley Road.

Miss Brighams’s Westways, Forrest Road, Branksome Park.

Herbert Convalescent Home, Alumhurst Road – used entirely of Belgiums from Oct 1914 to Jun 1915. It had 60 Beds.

Home of Good Hope, Portchester Road.

Miss Judkin’s, Fernside, St. Stephen’s Road.

Miss Rowley’s, St. Catherine’s, 25.27 Middle Road.

Dr Scorer’s, 19 Christchurch Road.

Stagsden, 14 West Cliff Road.

Mrs Wilison’s, Mont Serrat, 24 Lorne Park Road.

Plus

Royal Victoria Hospital, Lowther Road. Sometimes known as Miss Churcher’s, who was the Sister in Charge. The building is now (1985) the Teacher’s Centre.

Alan Seymour.

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Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, Derby.

Canadian Special Orthopoedic Hospital (1917-19) , Buxton, Derbyshire.

Also from a newscutting for Derbyshire:

Mrs Dugdales Hospital at Egginton Hall.

Darley Dale Hospital.

No 4 The Military Hospital, Derby Barracks.

No 18 No VI Ward Derby Royal Infirmary.

No 44 a military hospital, first at the Pavillion Derby and later at Temple House.

Spondon Red Cross Hospital Derby , during the year (1917) 265 wounded had passed through the hospital.

Willersley Castle (temp) , Matlock Bath .

Duffield Red Cross Hospital.

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Bayley Hospital, Derby Road, Nottingham was the first in the city and opened 21 October 1914. Began with 25 beds rising to 54 by 1917. Approx 1600 casualties passed through without a single fatality being recorded. The Medical Team was led by surgeons Dr Michie and Dr Paul.

Other hospitals in Nottingham were, Bowden in Mapperley, The Cedars, Mapperley Hall, Bagthorpe, Brackenhurst at Southwell, Arnot Hill BRCS Hospital operated until 1919 and one housed in the Pavilion at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground.

I have some newspaper photographs of some of the hospitals depicting the building and wards and/or patients and staff. Will scan them and see how they come out and send them on if you wish.

John Milner

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Military Hospital

Beach Road School

Litherland

Lancashire

At the beginning of the war, the school was taken over for a few months by the military.

In 1917, it was turned into a military hospital, with the school staff and pupils being accommodated elsewhere.

The military hospital eventually closed in 1920 and reverted to school use.

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Some hospitals in and around Liverpool in use for war wounded that I know of.

1st Western General Hospital, Liverpool

No. 5 Canadian General Hospital, Liverpool

Alder Hey Special Military Surgical Hospital, Liverpool

Military Hospital, Beach Road School, Litherland, near Liverpool.

Military Hospital, Maghull, near Liverpool

Northern Hospital, Liverpool

Royal Infirmary, Liverpool

Royal Southern Hospital, Liverpool

Windsor Street Military Hospital, Liverpool

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:) Other VAD Hospitals in Wiltshire:

Calne - The Pavilion, Anchor Road Recreation Ground

Corsham - Town Hall, Market Place

Devizes - Braeside (House), Bath Road

Malmesbury - Burton Hill House, Burton Hill

Melksham - Conservative Club, High Street

Trowbridge - Avonview House, The Down

As an aside there was quite a furore in Devizes because the Matron of the Cottage Hospital was German.

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Can I commend the cemetery that was attached to the now demolished Netley Military Hospital near Southampton (only the chapel now remains) to all forum users. It includes dead from the time of the Crimea onwards and is a must visit if you are down in that area. Many fascinating burials including the Chief surgeon and his young subaltern son.

It is situated away from the hospital across a sort of symbolic causeway marking the journey from life to death - incredible place.

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