Colchester Hospitals

[jsc999]

Hi all

Does anyone have any information on military hospitals in Colchester ? I've done a search on the forum and came up with Severalls and the General Military Hospital. Would there be any patient records of any sort kept locally or at the National Archives ?

My grandfather was wounded and sent back to the UK to convalesce. In his autograph book there are plenty of entries by RAMC guys who simply signed their names followed by the word 'Colchester'. I'm assuming this is where they were !

Cheers

John

[SFayers]

The old Essex County Hospital on Lexden Road was also used during the Great War (if memory serves). Afraid I don't know of military-related WWI hospital records being at the NA apart from those in MH 106, which unfortunately doesn't include any from Colchester.

 

cheers

Steve

[HERITAGE PLUS]

John

See:

http://www.1914-1918.net/hospitals_uk.htm

http://www.kentvad.org/pages/aux-uk.htm

Dave

[CGM]

There are some interesting photographs of the old Colchester Military Hospital during WW1

HERE

I remember the local efforts to prevent its closure. Sadly they failed.

[Paul Reed]

Severalls was a psychiatric institution to my knowledge.

[CGM]

Yes, it was, but it was taken over by the military for the duration of the war. I've found a web site I vaguely remembered, but couldn't find earlier this evening. Firstly it was used as a camp and then as a hospital.

Severalls

Regards

CGM

[jsc999]

Thanks everyone. Some intersting links for me to follow up !

Cheers

John

[Paul Reed]

Thanks for that link to Severalls, CGM. My grandmother lived on the Hythe during WW1, and used to talk about that place with some fear!

[fortheFallen]

There are some interesting photographs of the old Colchester Military Hospital during WW1

HERE

I remember the local efforts to prevent its closure. Sadly they failed.

CGM

When you refer to local efforts to prevent the closure of this hospital, do you mean closure as a military hospital as opposed to total closure of the hospital? I ask simply because the photo of the hospital at the link is definitely an early photo of what is now Essex County Hospital in Lexden Road.

[John Orchard]

Thanks for that link to Severalls, CGM. My grandmother lived on the Hythe during WW1, and used to talk about that place with some fear!

My grandmother probably had less fear for the place. She was Nurse Gladys Morgan who is showcased in the staff section of the Severalls website. She came up from Wales to train as a nurse in 1915 and became best friends with a local girl, who also trained at Severalls, Nurse Ethel Taylor. Nurse Taylor brought Gladys into her family home at nearby Marks Tey, where her father was the station foreman. Ethel's twin brother was Frank, who attested in September 1915 and joined B Coy 10 Bn The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regt.). Pte Frank Taylor was wounded, and reported missing having been last seen at about 6am on 20 September 1917, about fifteen minutes after the start of the battle of Menin Road ridge.

Frank survived, was hospitalized somewhere (reputedly in Scotland), was transferred to the Training Reserve, then the 3rd or 4th Reserve Bn Sherwood Foresters and finally the Royal Defence Corps.

Gladys passed her final nursing examinations in 1920 having taken interim exams throughout the Great War. She and Frank married in 1923 - the rest they say is history!