Hospital Blues

[anthony]

Hi,

Just wondering about the hospital blue uniform worn by wounded soldiers.

When were these uniforms first worn and was there any particular reason for the choice of colour, style of it etc.?

Thanks,

Anthony

[Moonraker]

Anthony

I hope you get better answers than this one, but wearing "hospital blues" did enable bar staff to identify patients, whom they weren't mean to serve, as alcohol might hinder their recovery. On August 20, 1915 the Home Office wrote to chief constables reminding them of this and pointing out that most, but not all, patients wore hospital uniform of blue or grey. In July 1918 two barmaids at the Bustard Hotel near Larkhill Camp and Fargo Military Hospital were fined £2 each with 5s costs for serving beer to patients.

Moonraker

[Moonraker]

Anthony

I'm surprised that no-one else has added to my reply to your query, so I shall speculate. (The first time I did this in this Forum I was completely wrong, which at least prompted an authoritative correction!)

When the war broke out there was a shortage of khaki (I think that Germany was a major source of the dye) and many Kitchener recruits were issued with make-shift uniforms, including those made of Post Office blue. (I've seen a reference to this as late as September 1915.) Many wounded soldiers would have soiled and/or damaged uniforms, and they would have been a low priority for khaki replacements, so were isued with a blue uniform (of lighter shade than the Post Office one), perhaps of less-heavy material than khaki. (Certainly in photos the blue looks less robust than what was worn in battle.)

There would have been advantages to the authorities, such as keeping an eye out for convalescent soldiers who shouldn't have been drinking, and in distinguishing between them and fit soldiers who should be doing something useful.

I Googled a few relevant words and came across some memoirs that suggest "hospital blues" were worn in WWII, though the context suggests their wearers were allowed into pubs, sometimes resulting in alcohol interacting unfortunately with prescribed drugs.

Moonraker

Moonraker

[anthony]

Thanks for your reply!

[squirrel]

My uncle was issued with a set of "blues" when he was in hospital in Italy in WW2. There was a prescribed way of folding them for inspection so that they resembled a Union flag.

He was also told to "lay to attention" when the doctor did his rounds and was put on a charge for having dirty boots; they were clean, but like him had been through a lot so they came up a dirty green colour when polished.

He got discharged to a rest camp as soon as he could.

[Jim Maclean]

Hospital Blues in wear

[Muerrisch]

The tie was bright red.

[Sue Light]

Blue uniforms for patients in military hospitals went back a long way before the Great War. They were being worn during the Boer War period, and were usual dress in all military hospitals both large and small by 1903.

Sue