No 14 Stationary Hospital Wimereux

[Trinovantes]

Dear Pals,

Does anybody know the exact location where No 14 Stationary Hospital Wimereux is located or once stood.

A friend is visiting this weekend and she is keen to know where her Grandfather was treated after being wounded at Aubers Ridge.

Many thanks,

John.

[Sue Light]

John

I'm puzzled over this, as 14 Stationary Hospital was the Isolation Hospital for the Boulogne area, and only took men with infectious diseases. But I looked through your previous posts and saw you had posted a sheet from a service record for a Samuel Edwards - is this the same man? If so, is the entry actually 14 Stationary Hospital, or could it be 14 General Hospital? I can't see it clearly enough to be sure. I do have a location for 14 General if you think it might be that.

Sue

[Trinovantes]

John

I'm puzzled over this, as 14 Stationary Hospital was the Isolation Hospital for the Boulogne area, and only took men with infectious diseases. But I looked through your previous posts and saw you had posted a sheet from a service record for a Samuel Edwards - is this the same man? If so, is the entry actually 14 Stationary Hospital, or could it be 14 General Hospital? I can't see it clearly enough to be sure. I do have a location for 14 General if you think it might be that.

Sue

Dear Sue,

Your absolutely right, No. 14 General Hospital, Boulogne, is the place we are after, where Samuel was treated.

Don't ask how but somewhere I have got my wires crossed, thanks for spotting the error (doh !!!)

The funny thing is my friends Chris and Genni visit Wimereux all the time and Genni has become very interested in what has been discovered about her Grandfather recently.

Anyway Boulogne, as you know, is only down the road so if you have the location that would be great.

Many thanks,

John.

[Sue Light]

John

It was fortunate you asked, as while searching I've found a list of all the Boulogne hospital locations which I didn't realise I had. Anyway, a certain amount of investigation will still be required locally. Almost all the hospitals there were in hotels, and 14 General was split over three different places, all in Wimereux - I assume that they were probably adjacent to each other:

Hotel Splendide

The Casino

Victoria Hotel

14 General was a rather interesting place (to me, anyway!) as it had a large officers' section and the VAD staff there included all the most well-heeled, high profile and well connected women employed by the War Office in France. Any VAD who had a title seemed to be working there, and the daughters of the DGMS Sir Arthur Sloggett, Sir Arthur Stanley of the British Red Cross Society and many other worthies. Not sure if this made the treatment there better or worse

Sue

[Trinovantes]

John

It was fortunate you asked, as while searching I've found a list of all the Boulogne hospital locations which I didn't realise I had. Anyway, a certain amount of investigation will still be required locally. Almost all the hospitals there were in hotels, and 14 General was split over three different places, all in Wimereux - I assume that they were probably adjacent to each other:

Hotel Splendide

The Casino

Victoria Hotel

14 General was a rather interesting place (to me, anyway!) as it had a large officers' section and the VAD staff there included all the most well-heeled, high profile and well connected women employed by the War Office in France. Any VAD who had a title seemed to be working there, and the daughters of the DGMS Sir Arthur Sloggett, Sir Arthur Stanley of the British Red Cross Society and many other worthies. Not sure if this made the treatment there better or worse

Sue

Thanks Sue, your an Angel like those nurses.

John.

[Sue Light]

I found this while Googling - at least it shows that the Casino was adjacent to the Hotel Splendide. I wouldn't think it would too hard to track down some contemporary images of these buildings as they must have been very prominent in Wimereux, even among all the other hotels.

Sue

Wimereux’s strategic position was not only a lure to the military. From a small hamlet with a population of only 10 families in 1810, it grew into a major tourist attraction, known in its heyday as the Nice du Nord. At the outbreak of World War I, there were over 800 villas, many of which still survive, and around 50 hotels and guest houses, the most famous of these being the Hôtel Splendid with its adjacent casino.

The casino housed a grand theatre, which put on shows and operas performed by, among others, the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Together with the hotel it was one of the earliest buildings to have electricity. Many of the guests were British, who according to journalist Guy Bataille, had not yet discovered the Côte d’Azur. Their programme for the day: apéritif, golf or a walk, dinner and a soirée at the casino.Wimereux was highly fashionable, but this was all to change with the outbreak of war in 1914.

The Splendid was requisitioned and became a military hospital. Among the other hospitals was the Women’s Hospital Corps, staffed entirely by British women doctors and nurses, who were said, apart from their clinical skills, to have had a special understanding of the psychology of their patients. But Wimereux’s most famous legacy from World War I must be Canadian surgeon and officer, John McCrae, the author of In Flanders Fields and his immortalisation of the poppy as a symbol of sacrifice. He is buried in the cemetery at Wimereux.

[Sue Light]

And the Splendid(e) is the top left image on this Ebay postcard:

Wimereux

Sue

[Trinovantes]

And the Splendid(e) is the top left image on this Ebay postcard:

Wimereux

Sue

Thanks again Sue,

Chris and Genni have printed your picture and some others for their trip tomorrow.

I can see them now walking about Wimereux making comparisons like the, "then and now" books, excellent !!!

John.

[Maud]

My grandfather was a patient in this hospital in 1918 after receiving gunshot wounds to the left buttock at the battle of Rosieres. Do any medically minded people have any idea how long it would have taken approximately, to recover from this kind of injury?

[felicity.cleaves]

My Grandfather was in 14 General but looks like only for a day as his shipping card says he was shipped to UK on the same day -though it is a little difficult to read. Did you friends find the location Trinovantes?

Thanks for your info Sue Light

Felicity

[wig]

A Wimereux collectors item

https://broadsidesdotme.wordpress.com/2015/05/31/the-ms-wimereux-french-buiscuits-tin-and-the-great-war/https://broadsidesdotme.wordpress.com/2015/05/31/the-ms-wimereux-french-buiscuits-tin-and-the-great-war/

[BARBE]

My grandfather was a patient in this hospital in 1918 after receiving gunshot wounds to the left buttock at the battle of Rosieres. Do any medically minded people have any idea how long it would have taken approximately, to recover from this kind of injury?

Hello.

I am an old man 76 years and member of the "Anciens Combattants" of Wimereux. I sailed as "Spark" in the merchant and

fishing navy in north Sea during 45 years, and of course, I was every day in contact with Englisht and Scottish

operators, so it had been possible to improve my english.

I read that many people have some difficulties for the location of Hospitals during WW1;

I wrote a book on this subject and i could find the location of the 11 Hospitals established in Wimereux area.

Yhat had taken 3 years of research, but in 250 pages it was not enough to decribe the situation in Wimereux in 1914 1919

The RAMC left Wimereux during summer 1919.

In the present, the question is;"Location of Hospital N°14

At the begining of year 1914, it was "The Grand Hôtel" in Wimereux at the Sea Front in the South part of the beach.

The 23 jan 1916 during the night a short circuit put the fire in the building, there was no possibility to stop the

fire, the hose used by the firemen were impossible to set on the waterpoint because of the screwpath was in inches for

the firemen and in cm for the waterpoint. Ther were no victims, the soldiers injuried which were in hospital were all

saved and the 70 men were evacuated to Boulogne toward England by hospital ship.

The head quarter of N°14 became the "Hôtel Splendid' at 500 meter southward "HospitalN°14 for officers" with annexe

"Casino" There were in the rear front of the hospital one serial of "Barracks" which completed the space for the

casualties.And all around the General Australian Hospital N°2nd Stationnary Hospital N°8

In the book "Wimereux 1914 1918" you have all information a concerning this story.

The Grand Hôtel after some month was reused as "Isolation" for infection such as Scarlatine, Influenza and others

contagious diseases. But annex of N°14.

This building ist alwayx existing but not as hôtel, but habitations.

The"Hôtel Splendid " was demolished by the "Wehrmacht" in year 1941 in same time as the Casino and others nice buildings

At the location of hotel splendid remains only a large wall which retain the sliding of the cliff.

At this location (Casino and Splendid) there is now tHe Nautical Center and Laboratory for the university of Lille.

With my best regard for every one of the reader.

Chris BARBE

[seaJane]

My grandfather was a patient in this hospital in 1918 after receiving gunshot wounds to the left buttock at the battle of Rosieres. Do any medically minded people have any idea how long it would have taken approximately, to recover from this kind of injury?

This is somewhat in the "how long is a piece of string" category alas. Was it a clean injury? Did he get picked up and taken for treatment straight away, or did the wound become infected? It was March - was the ground dry, or was it muddy and harbouring nasty organisms? Did the shot skim the surface, or penetrate, tearing the muscle? If it penetrated, did it take any buttons / cloth / leather with it that needed extracting?

All of these would have had an impact, as would the general state of his health and immune system at the time.

sJ

[wig]

Found this rather good photograph of soldiers recuperating on a French beach. Can't identify the beach but it must surely be one of the channel resorts. Anyone recognise it?

http://www.theatlantic.com/static/infocus/wwi/wwisoldiers/w_34.jpg

[seaJane]

I think the hospital at Le Treport was on top of cliffs, but whether this is the beach I wouldn't like to say. Here is a site about it: http://www.edithappleton.org.uk/Vol4/LeTreport/HotelTrianon.asp

[Wendy Moore]

I'm writing about the Chateau Mauricien Hospital run by the Women's Hospital Corps which was apparently annexed to No 14 General Hospital in Nov 1914. I've read that this was either the Hotel Splendide or the Grand Hotel. But judging from Chris Barbe's response am i right in thinking it would have been the Grand? Can you tell the me title of your book Chris? I wondered if you know if the Chateau Mauricien has survived. I'm thinking of visiting.

best wishes Wendy

[Mark Phillips]

This link may help with dates and location of the hospitals.

My grandfather Lt William Frank Treharne James received a gunshot wound to his left thigh whilst flying a DH2 with 24 Squadron on 05 January 1917. He was taken to 14 General Hospital in Wimereaux, three days later. He was declared dangerously ill. At some point after contracting gangrene, his leg was amputated.  His parents travelled from Wales to visit him for one day on the 7th of April 1917. On the 20th of April 1917 three months after being admitted he was able to go back to England on the Hospital Ship St Denis

 

Location Of WWI Hospitals And Casualty Clearing Stations | British Expeditionary Force | Great War | Medical Front WWI (vlib.us)

Edited 23 February by Mark Phillips

[Howard]

On 03/05/2016 at 20:40, seaJane said:

I think the hospital at Le Treport was on top of cliffs, but whether this is the beach I wouldn't like to say. Here is a site about it: http://www.edithappleton.org.uk/Vol4/LeTreport/HotelTrianon.asp

TrenchMapper:- Right click and Map ID jump with ID= ma_001020, title= Treport and District Shewing Hospitals and MGC Camp

Using mapID m_004796, in squares C.6 and D.1 there looks to be the most likely location for the MGC Heavy Branch camp and workshop, so probably not the hospital. The very poor plan of the MGC camp is here, hard to read.

In TrenchMapper, pan in small amounts, or the map may change.

Howard

Edited 24 February by Howard
Added maps

[Howard]

On ma_001020, west of the town, it shows buildings arranged in a circle marked No. 2.COH and nearby No. 16 GH and No.3 GH. Does GH mean General Hospital?

Howard

[Michelle Young]

It reads No 2 CGH  Canadian General Hospital I would say.

[Howard]

Thanks Michelle

Howard

[Howard]

On https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/british-base-hospitals-in-france/

It lists No. 14 Stationary Hospital at Wimereux as being in the Chateau-Mauricien.

On this site, it says Chateau-Mauricien is also called Grand Hôtel Mauricien

On this site, it shows some remarkable photos, some during the war.

I am not sure, but it looks like it is a now a "Flat Complex" called Villa Les mauriciens, Rue de General de Gaulle, Wimereux. Google Maps finds that.

Howard