Summerdown Convalescent Camp est. in April 1915 Eastbourne request for

[salientpoints]

Hi all,

If anyone has any information relating to Summerdown Convalescent Camp which was established in April 1915 (in Eastbourne) or on their relatives who may have passed through / worked there; please do drop me a line here or PM me.

As a trustee of our museum, I am scoping out what I hope will become an interesting Centenary project (I do have a copy of Eastbourne's Great War).

M

any thanks in advance,

Ryan

[mrjustinhayward]

Ryan

My Great Grandfather's brother was admitted to Kempton Miltary Hospital with Pneumonia on 14/11/18 then transferred to Summerdown Camp Eastbourne on 06/12/18

He was:

A/MSM M286252 Robert Benjamin Burgess ASC

I have both pre and post war information on him and a good set of pension records are available.

Do let me know if you would lke more information

I will follow your museum's project with interest!

Justin H

[salientpoints]

Thanks Justin,

Your information is noted and I will come back accordingly

Ryan

[WalkEric]

Hi Ryan,

My Great Grandmother's brother - 14451 Charles Henry Negus, Middlesex Regiment - passed through "Convalescent Hospital - Eastbourne" in October 1915. I am not sure if this would be Summerdown Camp or not?

A full set of papers are on Ancestry, make interesting reading.

He was wounded three times - on the Aisne in Sept 1914, Loos in 1915, and on the first day of the Somme in 1916. He died of wounds recevied in 1918.

Dont have anything else on him.

Ian

[Carmania]

Ryan

From the 20th to the 27th June 1917 an exhibition was held in New Bond Street, London for 'Encouraging Work done by Wounded and Discharged Soldiers and Sailors'. A booklet was produced for the occasion which contained details of the activities undertaken by the various hospitals which exhibited. I can send you the pages relevant to Summerdown which also include a list of the items on display along with the rank, surname and regiment of their creators.

If you want them just send me a PM with your email address.

Aled

[salientpoints]

Thanks Aled - have pm'd you!

Ryan

[Guest ARB]

Ryan

I am cuurently researching my grandfather who was a 'resident' in Summerdown Convalescent Camp around Nov 1915. I do not know when my grandfather (A/768 Sgt RL Bailey 8th Bn KRRC ) arrived in the Camp nor the extent of his wounds but he was in an F Coy football team as I have a photograph made into a postcard that his wife sent to a relative which was franked 'Southwick 24 Nov 1915'. The photograph has three rows of five footballers of which 11 are in sports kit and the remaining 4 in uniform (all different cap badges). Front Centre is a football being held by one payer with 'F Coy' on it. The back drop to the photograph is against a wooden lapboard walls of one of the huts. The signifiance of 'F Coy' is not really known other than recuperating men were divided into companies depending upon their level of fitness which dictated the level of activity hey were allowed to engage in. I do not know when my grandfather left the Camp but I am under the impression that he returned to his old battalion (8 KRRC) early in 1916 and was with them until the battalion was reduced to cadre strength inJune 1918 at which point he as transfered to 18th Bn KRRC where he saw out the war and collected a MIlitary Medal en route at the Battle of Courtrai .

Best wishes

Adrian

[salientpoints]

Thanks Adrian perhaps you can scan a copy for me to look at? It is interesting to learn where all these men came from and what they did.

Ryan

[Kate Wills]

Ryan,

The Wellcome Library near Euston holds three items:

1 RAMC/699 Item Typescript 'The War diary of:- 19464 Corporal C. Chamberlain and the 9th Field Ambulance, 1914' 1914 2 RAMC/700 Item Corporal C. Chamberlain's album of photographs of Summerdown Camp, Eastbourne (c.1916); action and corpses in the (Boer) War in South Africa (c.1900); and scenes and groups in Sierra Leone and elsewhere in West Africa Early 20th century 3 RAMC/847 Item The Summerdown Camp Journal: the representative organ of the Summerdown Military Convalescent Hospital, Eastbourne. Vols. 2 & 3 1916-1918

[salientpoints]

Thanks Kate we hope to approach the trust as a potential partner and it also holds certainly the plans of the camp which will be useful for a model!

I believe this collection came via RAMC sources as the current museum collection has nothing on this subject

Ryan

[Fizzio1]

Ryan

I have only just seen this and have some information on Summerdown. The following references may be useful. Lambert FL Massage and medical electricity in the after treatment of convalescent soldiers The Lancet (2) Nov 4 1916 788 - 790. This gives some statistics

Smith I M Summerdown Convalescent Hospital Eastbourne JISTM May 1918 262 -6 (Journal of the Incorporated Society of Masseuses)

Imperial War Museum 1915 BRCS 25.

I do have a postcard of the camp and can scan it in (I think) if you would like it

Regards Fizzio 1

[delta]

One of the officers treated at Summerdown was Capt Harold Mortimore - he was suffering from the effects of gassing. He was there by Dec 1917 and later was appointed to run the administration. On 15 September 1916, Harold had commanded the first tank ever to go into action

[salientpoints]

That's a good link Stephen - thanks!

Do you know if he wrote about this in any diaries?

Ryan

Ryan

I have only just seen this and have some information on Summerdown. The following references may be useful. Lambert FL Massage and medical electricity in the after treatment of convalescent soldiers The Lancet (2) Nov 4 1916 788 - 790. This gives some statistics

Smith I M Summerdown Convalescent Hospital Eastbourne JISTM May 1918 262 -6 (Journal of the Incorporated Society of Masseuses)

Imperial War Museum 1915 BRCS 25.

I do have a postcard of the camp and can scan it in (I think) if you would like it

Regards Fizzio 1

Thanks for that info. I have come across some of this but I dont think via the society of Masseuses! didnt even know one existed

[delta]

Ryan

To the best of my knowledge, Morty did not keep a diary.

Sorry

[Bennov23]

Hi there

I’m researching my Great-grandfather; Pte Benjamin Frank Talbot, 1722. He was shot on the first day of the Somme. Had after 22 weeks in a hospital in Birmingham he was moved to a Convalescent Home in Eastbourne. I don’t know if it was the same home but if it was he would have been there for a number of months. In case it helps he was shot through the leg.

If you find any Information can you PM it to me?

Thanks Ben

[Bennov23]

Hi there

[aradgick]

Ryan,

I am researching the men listed on the War Memorials in the Bracknell area.

2/Lt Laumarin Saxe William Pearson, listed on Crowthorne memorial, was at Summerdown Camp, and passed fit by a Medical Board in July 1915. Born in Staffordshire, he grew up in South London (his father was an accountant), and initially served as a Private in the 16th Battalion County of London Regiment. Wounded 17.2.15, back in England 26.2.15. Applied for a commission while in hut A4 at Summerdown (gave that as his address). Commissioned into Essex Regiment, September 1915, KIA 19.7.16

Andrewr

[BJanman]

I've just been updating some of the profiles on my database and thought I'd have a nosy at the forum before switching off for the day when I saw this thread and recognised that one of the men I've just updated served at this camp.

He was T/Capt Henry John Rutherford Jones R.A.M.C. - you may already be aware of him, but just in case your not I've attached a link to his profile here - http://www.ramc-ww1.com/profile.php?profile_id=8659

Regards

Barbara

[KSK]

I'm a new member and not sure if you're still following this topic, but my great-grandfather (Dr Joseph Kellett-Smith) was the Superintendant of Summerdown Camp during the war - I'm not sure of the exact date but I've posted a photo of himself and all the nurses in 1918. He was in the RAMC. He was in charge of electro-therapeutics, which sounds slightly ominous!

I do have a few stories from the camp, courtesy of my grandfather's memoirs, if you're interested.

[delta]

Welcome to the Forum - we would be very interested to know more

Stephen

[salientpoints]

I'm a new member and not sure if you're still following this topic, but my great-grandfather (Dr Joseph Kellett-Smith) was the Superintendant of Summerdown Camp during the war - I'm not sure of the exact date but I've posted a photo of himself and all the nurses in 1918. He was in the RAMC. He was in charge of electro-therapeutics, which sounds slightly ominous!

I do have a few stories from the camp, courtesy of my grandfather's memoirs, if you're interested.

Would certainly be interested to learn more thank you. I is proving hard to trace people who were there and especially those who worked there! Do you want to DM me?

[Sue Light]

Ryan

I've just been making a database of about 1,000 women who received awards (MBE, OBE, etc.) for their wartime service, and there are two or three from Summerdown. The original images and photos are held at the IWM - I'll find the Summerdown ones and email them.

Sue

[salientpoints]

Thanks Sue most welcome, its a long project this one so will keep dipping into this thread to pick up on other people postings!

[salientpoints]

Ryan

I've just been making a database of about 1,000 women who received awards (MBE, OBE, etc.) for their wartime service, and there are two or three from Summerdown. The original images and photos are held at the IWM - I'll find the Summerdown ones and email them.

Sue

Hi Sue

Would you be able to email me re the above?

Cheers

Ryan

[Sue Light]

Ryan

I did email you the details of the three women with six images on 24th July. I can send them again if necessary, or if there's something else I can help with.

Sue