Military Hospital - London, Surrey - help identifying

[anita_isaacs@hotmail.com]

Having tried to find out about my paternal grandfather via this forum and been pleased with the response I had, I thought I would try and find out something about my other grandfather. I have a postcard showing him in the ward of what I presume is a military hospital, with the inscription "Sister Roper's ward, R.M.H.R. 1916".

He served with the 11^th, London Regiment during the war but never went abroad being a category C soldier. I know he was in an encampment on Wimbledon Common during the war and was discharged in August, 1916. He continued to live in Wimbledon and died in 1925 at the Croydon Borough Sanatorium, Cheam. He suffered from tuberculosis.

I have tried without success, to find out the name of the hospital. My mother had an idea it was at Roehampton and when I wrote to the Wimbledon Society Museum of Local History, they suggested the initials might stand for "Royal Military Hospital, Roehampton". However, this hospital was actually called "Queen Mary's" and, as far as I understand, was a hospital for men who had lost their limbs in battle.

The Surrey History Centre didn't have an answer either. They said the nearest they could come up with was the Reigate Municipal Borough Isolation Hospital, Reigate.

Can anyone help, please?

[bootneck]

Possibly Royal Military Hospital, Richmond. Try Richmond Local Studies and the Hospital Records (HOSPREC) Darabase on NA website. It is highly likely that the military records do not survive. Have you also tried MH106 also held at the National Archives. It is a 10% sample but you might be lucky.

After Ally Sloper's comment I checked Hosprec. There was a Royal Hospital in Kew, just outside Richmond. No Military in title, my mistake.

[Ally Sloper]

Hello Anita1,

Unfortunately to my knowlege the Hospital at Richmond was not a 'Royal' Hospital. It may be the 'Richmond Military Hospital, Richmond' which was part of the Richmond Workhouse infirmary. It opened in August 1915. In July 1918 it became an extension of the Richmond Park Hospital.

The records for the Richmond Workhouse are kept at the Richmond Local Studies Library, Albert Barkas Room, Old Town Hall, Whittaker Ave, Richmond, tel. 020 8734 3309, who may be able to help you. However as Bookneck says the records for these temporary hospitals do not often survive.

Ally

[CT-Guards]

Two ideas from me;

Royal Herbert Military Hospital. A pre-war military hospital at Woolwich.

or

Rochester Row Military Hospital,

[anita_isaacs@hotmail.com]

Thank you to the people who have replied to me. I made a mistake back in July and started two threads on the same subject, one of which Sue Light answered. She suggested the Richmond Military Hospital, Richmond and I did follow her advice and contact the Local Studies Library. Unfortunately, as you say, the records for that period have not survived.

However, I will look at the other suggestion of the hospital in Woolwich. I think though that Richmond was the most likely as by 1916 he was out of hospital and living in Wimbledon nearby. My mother had a vague recollection he had been at a hospital in Roehampton but I think it might have been an error for Richmond as Roehampton was a hospital for amputees.

I had hoped someone else might have come across the postcard but I suppose that's a real long shot!

Any help with identifying the nurses' uniforms? The sister has a distinct "insignia" on her sleeves.

[CT-Guards]

Any help with identifying the nurses' uniforms? The sister has a distinct "insignia" on her sleeves.

Cant see the photo, don't know about anyone else. If you are having trouble uploading it email me and i'll post it up?

[CGM]

Hello Anita,

I found your previous thread.

Link to July thread with photo

Best regards

CGM