Hursley military Hospital. Southampton

[jiff1]

Hello

Does anyone have any information, details etc about this hospital?

[Steven Broomfield]

Hursley is a village between Winchester and Southampton; the hospital was ( believe) in a stately home owned by a chap named Cooper. He had the good sense to marry weel - an American heiress - in the late 19th C, early 20th C. In 1914 he gave he house to the government, and it was first used as the concentration area for the 8th Division, which was formed of units brought back from overseas.

When they moved out, the 27th or 28th Divisions (can't rememebr which) went there, but conditions were so bad by that stage (winter 1914/15) that the troops were billetted in homes in Winchester.

The hospital was set up subsequent to that, but I know no more, I'm afraid. Something tells me, though I'm unsure, that it was American-run.

Incidentally, the house is now owned by IBM and used as offices, etc, I believe.

There is a superb memorial, in the shape of a bench surrounding a tree (Yew?) to the 8th Division, at the entrance to the park.

[Tyrim]

When my Grandfather was returned from France he was admitted to Hursley Camp Hospital near Winchester in October 1916.

Googling Hursley camp hospital brought up this information about US operating that hospital during 1918.

http://www.ourstory.info/library/2-ww1/BH53/hosp53.htm

"The Unit was assigned to Hursley Camp Hospital. It was taken over from the British on April 15th and the officers and nurses were taken to the hospital on this date. The enlisted men left the Rest Camp at 11:45 a. m., April 18th, marched to Hursley Camp, a distance of nine miles. Here twenty of the men were assigned to duty, the remainder marching to Morn Hill Camp near Winchester for a week's intensive training in their various lines of work, returning to the hospital, which had by this time been entirely evacuated by the British, on April 23rd, 1918. On April 24th, all the personnel being assigned to duty, the hospital began to receive patients and active service for Unit "I" was started."Hospital Unit "I" operated the United States Military Hospital at Hursley alone until August 15th, when it was converted into a Base Hospital, later known as Base Hospital No. 204. At this time a few members were detached, but the main body of Hospital Unit "I" continued as an integral part of the operating personnel until the closing of that institution on December 23rd, 1918.

[HERITAGE PLUS]

I believe - but cannot confirm - that there was an Officers Hospital at Hursley Park.

Dave

[Tyrim]

My Grandfather was a Gunner so they did treat ORs while it was run under British control. The following adds a little info.

Google brought me the following:

http://www.hursley.hampshire.org.uk/history_of_hursley.htm

"Meanwhile, Lady Cooper was instrumental in setting up an American hospital in Hursley Park, and ran her own Hospital for Officers on two floors of the house."

And a little bit more at:

http://www.kingsheadhursley.co.uk/about/30...out-our-history

"The Cooper's bought the Estate in 1902 and George, with his American Heiress wife Mary Cooper, set about expanding the house and adding some very extravagant touches to the Estate. Mary Cooper had inherited an immense fortune from her Uncle and they already owned an Estate in Scotland and a house in Grosvenor Square where the US Embassy now stands. During the First World War the family gave generously to the war effort; £5million was donated by Sir George, the largest private donation of its kind. Also during the war Lady Cooper founded the American hospital in Hursley Park and ran a hospital for Officers on two floors of the house. "

[DaveKey]

I currently work in Hursley Park and there are records of both a British Officers' Hospital, run by Lady Cooper, which was actually in the main House, and an American Hospital, which was a wooden hut affair within the estate. Lady Cooper also offered the site for a Hospital at the start of the second world war, but this offer was declined in favour of it being requisitioned by the War Department to house the design department of Supermarine (of Spitfire fame) having had their Woolston works bombed out in late 1940

There are some photos of both the American and British Officers' Hospitals, together with some of the staff and the equipment Lady Cooper bought (including the first X-ray machine in the area).

I am currently just starting to look at this period of Hursley Park (which has a very long and fascinating history) as part of taking over from the current unofficial site historian so I'll try and find out what I can and whether I can get permission to post any of the photographs etc.

However, The Great War is a subject new to me and I am keen to identify as much additional information as I can about the Park during the war years. So if anyone does unearth any new information, particularly photographs or personal accounts I would be extremely grateful. For example, Tyrim, I would be interested in your grandfather's details and whether there are any stories attached to his time in Hursley.

Dave

[delta]

David - thanks for offering to assist us.

Nice to see another local on the Forum

[Steven Broomfield]

David - welcome. Some years ago, I did some research into the 8th Division's time at Hursley in Autumn 1914. The Divisional HQ was initially formed in the Ballroom at the Polygon Hotel in Southampton (demolished a few years ago, sadly), and the units (returned from India and other outposts of Empire) assembled at Lyndhurst before concentrating at Hursley.

When the 8th left, another division moved in (can't remember which, but it was - I think - the 27th or 28th), but the place was a quagmire so the men were dispersed to billets in Winchester.

When you have PM access (5 posts), drop me a line and I'll see what I can uncover.

[DaveKey]

David - welcome. Some years ago, I did some research into the 8th Division's time at Hursley in Autumn 1914. The Divisional HQ was initially formed in the Ballroom at the Polygon Hotel in Southampton (demolished a few years ago, sadly), and the units (returned from India and other outposts of Empire) assembled at Lyndhurst before concentrating at Hursley.

When the 8th left, another division moved in (can't remember which, but it was - I think - the 27th or 28th), but the place was a quagmire so the men were dispersed to billets in Winchester.

When you have PM access (5 posts), drop me a line and I'll see what I can uncover.

The information I have says that it was a part of the 28th Division, specifically the 83rd and 84th Infantry Brigades that assembled at Hursley Park. However, as you mention, the site was already a quagmire, following heavy rain during the later part of the 8th Divisions stay, and the contingent of the 28th in Hursley were finally moved to billets in Winchester College Houses after a storm on 28th December so damaged the encampment that by 1st January 1915 it was necessary to order the move.

[Tyrim]

David,

My Grandfather, a Gunner with the RGA, was treated at Hursley Camp October 16-27, 1916. On discharge from the hospital he went on to serve with the Royal Engineers for the rest of the war.

Sadly he only survived a few weeks after returning home so there are no stories to relate. I am attaching the info I have that connects him with Hursley Camp Hospital. It's from from his records which fortunately did survive the blitz.

The second item is included to identify him in case you happen to encounter an old record or register. I know this is unlikely but thought it worth a shot.

Good luck in our investigations. I think you will find it very rewarding. Anything you are able to put on the forum wil be gratefully appreciated.

tyrim

[DaveKey]

Hi Tyrim,

Thanks for that, it is actually extremely useful.

The records for the American Base Hospital are that it was constructed (not overly surprisingly) late in 1917 so initially I'd have assumed that we were talking about Lady Cooper's hospital. However, thanks to the forum, I managed to find two of the Royal Red Cross medals awarded to Nurses who had been at Hursley. What is interesting is that one was at "Lady Cooper's Officers Hospital" the other uses exactly the same wording as in your Grandfather's, i.e. the "Hursley Base Camp Hospital", which suggests a distinctly different Hospital and may fit with a passing reference I have seen that the American Hospital was not built from scratch but had been (at least partly?) handed over by the British.

So it would appear that I have a new area of research to follow ....

I'll keep everyone informed what I find

Thanks

Dave

[Tyrim]

Dave,

I'm glad it's of some use to you. After all the great information I've received from members of the forum it's good to finally be able to contribute something to the cause.

Looking forward to any information you can provide.

tyrim

[DaveKey]

Latest update...

Thanks to Sue Light and some digging ...

It would appear that there were two British Hospitals at Hursley during the Great War.

One was Lady Cooper's Officer's Hospital with 50 beds and affiliated to the Winchester Military Hospital but run by Civilian Nurses

The other was the Hursley Park Military Hospital, a British Central Hospital with 357 beds and staffed by QAIMNS Reserve Nurses. It was this Hospital that was taken over and expanded to over 3,000 beds by the Americans, with the assistance of the Red Cross,.in March/April 1918 as Base Hospital 204.

There is more info being dredged up but that's the gist of it so far.

Cheers

Dave

[Sue Light]

Dave

Taking into account the fact that Amercians like to do things 'big,' 3,000 beds seems way too many for any hospital in the UK - could that figure be the total number of personnel at Hursley camp, which the hospital served.

Sue

[DaveKey]

Dave

Taking into account the fact that Amercians like to do things 'big,' 3,000 beds seems way too many for any hospital in the UK - could that figure be the total number of personnel at Hursley camp, which the hospital served.

Sue

My personal reaction was the same. So I am taking this with a "pinch" of salt at the moment. However, the figures do appear to, broadly, tie-up.

The reference I was using is from a book "The Passing Legions" published in 1920 which says "As it [Hursley Park Military Hospital] was comparatively small, the American authorities promptly undertook its enlargement to a capacity of 3,000 beds"

A separate source I have since found lists 2,000 beds with a further 700 emergency beds and a peak of 937 patients on 15 November 1918.

However, I'm in the process of trying to track down the personal records of the commander ... so that may be interesting ... if I can pull it off.

Cheers

Dave

[DaveKey]

However, I'm in the process of trying to track down the personal records of the commander ... so that may be interesting ... if I can pull it off.

Cheers

Dave

Hi,

I have now managed to get some of the records for the American Base Hospital at Hursley Park and have started to trawl through them, but I thought the following might be of interest regrading some of the earlier discussions:

Referring to the existing, British, hospital at Hursley Park Captain Mixter described it as follows:

"The Camp Hospital consisting primarily of eight wards connected by corridors, with an administration building could accommodate 264 patients, each ward being capable of accommodating 33 patients. During the British occupation, tents erected adjacent to the hospital, housed 100 additional patients."

Also, in August 1918, Captain Mixter recorded an inventory of the hospital and his requirements. This account lists him having 300 hospital beds in hand and needing 1700 additional beds to achieve the 2000 beds for patients he was preparing to accommodate. This seems to tally with the 2,000 (standard) and the additional 700 temporary beds reasonable, but accommodated outside the Hospital buildings proper from the other accounts I have come across.

Cheers

Dave