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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

4 Stationary Hospital St. Omer July 1915


gdawson

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My Grandfather was a patient in 4 Stationary Hospital in July 1915, does anyone have information on what type of cases were treated here?

Regards,

Greg

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My Grandfather was a patient in 4 Stationary Hospital in July 1915, does anyone have information on what type of cases were treated here?

Regards,

Greg

Hi Greg,

Will that be on your dad's side? My grandad's brother was in 5 Stationary Hospital through injury rather than wounds - the hospitals supported the fighting troops and would take in who-ever came down the line. I served in a Field Hospital in Iraq and we took the full range.

Best regards,

Martin

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My grandad's first cousin was in No 10 Stationary Hospital St Omer with gastristis and died there of it.

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Martin,

Yes it was, you would have known if it was on my Mum's side!! He was serving in the La Bassee area, we're not quite sure what happened to him - although we're working on it.

Regards,

Greg

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Martin,

Yes it was, you would have known if it was on my Mum's side!! He was serving in the La Bassee area, we're not quite sure what happened to him - although we're working on it.

Regards,

Greg

Hi Greg,

You never know, Uncle Tom landed in Gallipoli before he was 16!! Wouldnt put anything past uncle Fred! What Regtl details have you got for your Grandad Dawson?

Cheers,

Martin

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My Grandfather was a patient in 4 Stationary Hospital in July 1915, does anyone have information on what type of cases were treated here?

At that time it was housed in a Chateau and the Old Distillery at Arques, to the south-east of St. Omer.

Sue

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At that time it was housed in a Chateau and the Old Distillery at Arques, to the south-east of St. Omer.

Sue

Thanks Sue. Do you happen to know how many patients it looked after and what level of care was provided?

Best regards,

Greg

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Greg

I just searched out the entry in the diary of the Matron-in-Chief that mentioned the Distillery, and luckily it does give numbers. It looks from the extract as though it was used as a sort of half-way house between a hospital and a rest station, treating less seriously sick and wounded (and dental problems!) and trying to get men back to their units as soon as possible without them going to base hospitals. Having said that, I'm sure they would have had all the operating and treatment facilities of the base hospitals if needed.

06.09.15

Left 1pm for GHQ. Arrived 5pm. To office to report. With Col. Burtchaell to 4 Stationary Hospital which has grown and improved enormously. There is now an enormous Dental Department and ophthalmic department now established under canvas. In Chateau in old distillery – 2000 men accommodated. Daily large numbers are able to be sent back to the Front – 10,000 since December. Everything beautiful and working like clockwork, and each man returning has everything absolutely clean and in order. The French as well as our Generals including Lord Kitchener and the Ministers very much impressed with the organization. Stayed at 10 Stationary – another house is being taken for the increased staff now required at GHQ.

Sue

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  • 1 year later...

I have seen a reference in January 1915 to a No 4 Stationary Hospital being referred to as the Jute Factory and I got the impression that it was based in St Omer.

Can this be the same as No 4 Stationary the Chateau and Distillery at Arques in July 1915?

Moriaty

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This mentions the jute factory in St. Omer. If it was a hospital, then I really feel that the M-in-C would have given it the correct number, but it seems from this extract that it was more likely to have been a convalescent depot, probably affiliated to 4 Stationary, and drawing any medical staff from there, but in a slightly different location.

15.01.15

St. Omer – noon

Left early with Miss Sydney Browne and Miss Barbier for GHQ, arriving at noon and after seeing the DG we drove to a jute factory which has been converted into a huge convalescent hospital capable of accommodating 1000 men. An enormous building formed of one huge shed. All arrangements are admirable. A few beds, but mainly stretchers raised from the concrete floor by tressles. Well ventilated and airy and beautifully clean. 2 dining halls capable of seating 400 men; clothes, sheets beautifully clean; tables well and comfortably laid and dinners seemed really hot. The bathing arrangements excellent, also the removal of all dirty clothes and the provision of entirely clean outfit after bathing. All rifles with names attached thoroughly cleaned; a tailor's shop; a baker's shop' a recreation room with plenty of games, papers and a piano where the men have a sing song each night.

Sue

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The Jute Factory in St Omer was taken over in entirety by 3rd Heavy Repair Shops ASC on 5/5/1915. As extra buildings were erected and the barracks were off site and casualty vehicle parks were away from the Jute Factory due to lack of space, I'd be surprised if any hospital facilities existed at the Jute Factory. The only mention of hospitals in 3rd heavy reapir Shop's war record is for those officers admitted to hospital.

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Having just read Sue's post with the quote. I still don't think it was the Jute Factory itself. When the ASC moved in the first couple of weeks were spent decommissioning the owner's (M. Vandesmet) machinery and storing it to enable ASC machinery to be installed.

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I have to admit to trusting the Matron-in-Chief's comments. Presumably not outside the bounds of possibility that there was more than one jute factory in the area?

Sue

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Thanks for all the responses, I did find a later reference in early April 1915 saying that the Jute Factory was going to be used as an ordnance depot which would probabl confirm rlarkin's posting that the ASC 3rd Heavy Repairs shops took the building over on 5 May 1915.

Do you think this means No 4 Stationary Hospital then moved to Arques?

Moriaty

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Sue,

It is possible there was more than 1 jute factory. I have only ever seen it referred to as 'The Jute Factory' in ASC documents. It was beside the canal and all the buildings needed clearing of machinery before the ASC could install their own machine tools. Incidentally they paid M. Vandesmet Fr8,000 per month for the use of his electricity generating plant. The machinery was all collected into one area and fenced off for security. The Royal Engineers were called in to build new roads and buildings on the site, but were soon replaced by ASC men as they were deemed to work too slowly. With the machinery needing to be cleared, I still find it difficult to work out where the beds would have been put. Surely not between the machines?

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I don't think that:

All arrangements are admirable. A few beds, but mainly stretchers raised from the concrete floor by tressles. Well ventilated and airy and beautifully clean. 2 dining halls capable of seating 400 men; clothes, sheets beautifully clean;

suggests that there was any equipment at all, and therefore must have been in a different building/factory to that later taken over by the ASC. I've just found the relevant entry in the Official Medical History that says:

At the end of 1914 a stationary hospital, No.4, took over a large jute factory at St. Omer for the reception of convalescents from army areas. The organization of this stationary hospital as a depot for convalescents marked the commencement of an evolution in the organization of convalescent depots in France equal to importance to the evolution of the casualty clearing stations. No.4 Stationary Hospital was moved at the beginning of April 1915 from the jute factory to a distillery in a large field at Arques, some three miles out of St. Omer, where it reopened under canvas a few weeks later.

So this seems to confirm that 4 Stationary and the Convalescent Depot in the previous quoted extracts were one and the same

4 Stationary was opened in a jute factory at St. Omer that had been converted for that use

4 Stationary later moved to Arques where it was housed in a distillery

The jute factory later taken over by the ASC must have been in different buildings (unless they're telling porkies about moving all that machinery :whistle: )

Sue

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Sue,

It certainly looks as though there was more than 1 jute factory. The description of the hospital doesn't seem to fit the ASC description. Why if the hospital was so well planned and established would it have been evacuated to allow the Jute Factory to become workshops? Surely easier to find another location for the workshops?

05/05/1915

Arrived from Paris having handed over command of 319 Coy to Maj ORGAN. I brought 11 men, 3 Box Cars with me. Reported to D of T. Instructions to take over the new Repair Unit at this place. Unit not left England. OC GHQ Troops Supply Column has been collecting vehicles and men and also ordering stores for the new shops and spare parts for the vehicles awaiting repair. All machinery etc has been ordered for the new shops. R.E. making structural alterations to the new shops which are situated in the Jute Factory south of the station. The jute machinery is being left in the works but is being collected in as small space as possible and caged in with wire netting. The floor of the works is at present of bad cement, this to be boarded over by R.E.s, also a large washing platform and water is being laid on outside.

06/05/1915

Went down to the Jute Works and got stores in. R.E. putting wire round the machines. Selected space for machinery etc. Cars in already with bodies off being inspected by IMTs from GHQ TSC. 28 lorries in, not able to start on repairs. No men or tools. D of T came in.

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I strongly suspect that it was a question of space and size. That building (from the diary entries) provided accommodation for 1000 men, but although that might have seemed adequate in early 1915, it was far too small as the war progressed. If there was no space around to erect a large tented camp, then it would have to have moved.

Sue

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  • 1 year later...

It's taken a while but I have now found reference in ASC records that confirms that the ASC took over the Jute Factory 'which had been in use for some months as a British hospital'.

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  • 5 years later...

I have a copy of casualty form records about a family member who died in WW1. On the 8th of September he was admitted to the 4 Satiinary Hospital in Arques for, and I quote from the records, “ a nasal obstruction”.  So I’m assuming they cared for soldiers with a variety of ailments. Sadly 20 days later he was killed in battle. He was from Melbourne Australia and only 25.

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  • 1 year later...

They also treated several thousand men with Shell Shock etc

 

There is a book called - Shell Shock to PTSD: Military Psychiatry from 1900 to the Gulf War 

It shows pictures and description etc of 4 Stationary Hospital#

 

John

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