Hospitals in the United Kingdom

[widwick]

I have a letter from the Commandant of the Banbury Red Cross Hospital, Syd. J Mawle dated 3 November 1916 re my great uncle (14th Bn RWF).

Does anyone know where the building was/is, please?

Tony

[Gary Samson]

Many thanks, Dave. Yes, it's certainly a possibility that he was at Chipping Norton although I have a slight niggle (which is getting better with weekly physiotherapy and generous applications of horse liniment ) that as there is village called Norton just to the north east of Gloucester there may have actually been a Red Cross hospital there. As always, more digging required.

Thanks again

Gary

[andrew wilbraham]

hi

dont know if youve got this one

1st eastern general hospital was in use from 1916-- the diary of thomas frederick littler quotes that he spent some time there for treatment on some eczma on his arms.

andrew

[jhill]

Re: Winwick Hospital

I hesitate to interlope here, as I am not a specialist in this area, nor have I anything really original to contribute. However, if you are collecting these things and have not seen this before, there is a collection of snapshots apparently taken at or near Winwick Hospital at the following web location:

http://web.mala.bc.ca/davies/letters.image.../collection.htm

[Guest]

Home Hospitals, Burnley

Primrose Bank was one of the war hospitals in Burnley. It was formerly the workhouse and is now the General Hospital. The two other hospitals were at Bank Hall which became the maternity hospital after the war and a wing in Huntroyde, a house lived in by the Starkie family. The museum at Towneley Hall has the following :

A Red Cross armband and Royal Red Cross awarded to Matron Frost for her nursung the wounded.

A photo of her and wounded outside Bank Hall.

A book compiled by the Starkie family of photographs, drawings and soldiers' comments about the quality of their stay at Huntroyde. The album gives details of Regiment, religion, wounds, name, occupation etc of the patients. There are few Burnley men.

Mike

[HERITAGE PLUS]

'Wallacefield' Convalescent Home, Croydon.

Wallacefield was one of three houses on Coombe Road, Croydon between Castlemaine Avenue and Melville Avenue.

It was the home of George Goodsir JP.

It was originally run by Miss Ethel Link MBE and later by George Goodsir's wife. His daughter May was Hon.Sec and QM.

1,152 patients passed through the Home the first of which being 15 Belgian Soldiers from Antwerp who arrived with 2 British Soldiers on 23 October 1914.

The house was renamed 'Highfield' in 1924 when new owners purchased it.

In the 1950s it became Highfield Home for the Aged run by London County Council.

The house, together with one of its neighbours was demolished in the 1990s and replaced by modern housing.

Source: Family Tree Magazine, Nov.2000 issue

[Guest tom perrett]

Hi there,

I have been reading your messages with interest. You can contact the Museum of the Order of St. John, St. John's Gate, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 4DA to arrange to see the rolls of VAD hospitals (both Red Cross and St. John) they hold there. Website is www.sja.org.uk/history.

Can anyone help me with a hospital that appears on a 1916 map of Sydenham, Kent/London at the junction of Kent House Road and Kent House Lane that is now a large allotment site. A trawl through the afore mentioned archives have revelaed a number of hospitals in the area but not this one! See attachment of relevant section of map.

[ronaldaroo]

The Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital in Coventry had a special "Soldiers Ward" which was funded by the industrialist AP Herbert.

Terry Reeves

Surely you mean industrialist Alfred Herbert.

RAonald John Saunders

[sandyford]

The 4th Northern General Hospital, Lincoln

My father was in this hospital for 18 months. I have visited Lincoln a few times but have never been able to decide where this hospital was. Graham McAdam's post has answered the problem.

My mother's diary records that the wounded patients had been got out of bed, so that their beds could be made in preparation for the King's visit which Graham mentions. This is recorded on Wednesday 29th Sept. 1915.

A year later my father was sent convalescent to

Allan House, Boston, Lincs.

Incidentally, I don't regard Lincoln as being Northern and the family were not often able to visit because Lincoln is so far South.

Kate C.

[ronaldaroo]

The book Llanelli Slawer Dydd (Llanelli of Yesteryear) by Brian Cripps :Gomer Press : 185902729 : a collection of old postcards and photographs including

1 Miss Brodie, Commandant of the Red Cross, who with her staff looked after convalescing troops at Stebonheath School in January 1918

2 Wounded troops were cared for by the Red Cross from May 1917.

3 More convalescing troops at Stebonheath 1917.

4 Parc Howard was used by the Red Cross for wounded soldiers from 1915 to 1923.These troops sare in the hallway.

5 The "Stafford Ward" at Park Howard in 1916.Sir Stafford and Lady Howard had made a gift of Park Howard (Bryncaerau Castle and grounds) to the town of Llanelli in 1912.

6 Red Cross nurses prepare food in "kitchen" in Park Howard.

7 "Howard Ward" in this auxiliary hospital at Park Howard.

I will experiment and try and upload them for you.

Ronsald John Saunders

[BeppoSapone]

Frank

As promised, I have spoken to my partner's aunt about the hotels in Buxton.

Firstly, no problem with the "Palace Hotel", which was the Granville in WW1. In WW2 it was occupied by evacuated civil servants "from the south" - which ones exactly? Yet to be discovered.

Then what you, and most other people, call the "Buxton Hydro Hotel". As far as I can tell, this did not exist as such. There were at least three hotels with "Hydro" as a part of their name, and some people from 'out of town' have called all three of them the "Buxton Hydro Hotel".

The first "Buxton Hydro" was the "Buxton Spa Hydro" aka "The Spa Hotel". This was in Hartington Road and is now demolished. This housed part of the Granville Canadian Hospital, and is the first "Hydro" photo I posted, the one you thought you recognised.

The second "Buxton Hydro" was the "Peak Hydro". This is the second "Hydro" postcard I posted. I thought it was another view of "Buxton Spa Hydro", and I was wrong. It is another building completely. It is still here too. It was a Canadian hospital in WW1, and by 1939 it was "Buxton Public Library". It remained so until at least the late 1960s. It is now "Buxton Museum and Art Gallery". I had a look this afternoon and, without doubt, it is the same building.

The third "Buxton Hydro" was "Oliver's Hydro" which was situated in the London Road. This no longer exists. However, in 1953 or 1954 it was taken over by the Electricity Board and was used as a centre for training. People used to come on residential courses etc. I don't know anything about the role of "Oliver's Hydro" in WW1 - yet.

There was also another large hotel called the "Empire Hotel", now demolished. This was used by the Canadians in WW1. It was occupied by homeless people after WW2. These "squatters" used to claim that the place was haunted by the ghosts of Canadians who had died there in WW1. I don't know anything about ghosts, but the "Canadians who had died" suggests it was yet another hospital.

There were also Canadians - staff from the hospitals? - living in requisitioned houses and billeted on local people. There was also a large Canadian "Discharge Depot" here.

This place must have been 'knee deep' in Canucks in 1918!

Here is an update on my original post, (quoted).

The Empire Hotel housed part of the Granville Hospital. This hotel became the Canadian Discharge Depot when it ceased to be a hospital in 1919.

Some treatment of wounded Canadians was being carried out as late a July 1919 at the "Eau Courante Baths", Buxton.

One of the houses used to billet Canadians was called "Bishopdale". It housed Canadian nurses.

[gillb]

Hi

Yes having tried to find details on a WWI hosp in England there is not much out there in terms of lists/comprehensive info. I beleive there was an ANZAC hosp in Weybridge/Addlestone area due to information about my grandfather but I have had no luck finding it/info on it.

[BeppoSapone]

Hi

Yes having tried to find details on a WWI hosp in England there is not much out there in terms of lists/comprehensive info.  I beleive there was an ANZAC hosp in Weybridge/Addlestone area due to information about my grandfather but I have had no luck finding it/info on it.

How close to Weybridge/Addlestone? Was your grandfather an Australian or a New Zealander?

New Zealanders were treated at Mount Felix Hospital, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Here is some detail about an annual service held in memory of the Kiwis at St. Mary's Church, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. .

...."It has been the custom since the early 1920s to hold an annual service

of commemoration on the Sunday nearest to ANZAC Day. The service is

held each year to remember the 27,000 wounded soldiers from New Zealand

who fought in France in the First World War and were treated at the

Mount Felix Hospital, Walton-on-Thames. Twenty-one of the soldiers who

died in Walton are buried in St Mary's churchyard. The High

Commissioner of New Zealand attends, together with local dignitaries;

wreaths are laid and a small reception held after the service.

Keith Seyler,81,received the Queen's Service Medal in the year's New

Year's honours list for his work in organising this service over the

last 20 years."

Source: http://www.ringing.org/archives/cr/1997/4176.html

[Ivor Lee]

Chris

I believe that either the Red Cross or St John's Ambulance have in their archives a document listing the buildings used as hospitals during WW1.

Hope this helps.

[Mark Abbott]

I have an autograph book kept by Sister G S Webster Brown who nursed at the Military Hospital, Queens Road, Southport.

The book contains various poems, water colour pictures etc entered by her patients who are:

2 Lt Gerald Saffey ASC

Pte J H Bell ASC

641201 SS Brennan AVC

Pte A Jones

Gnr C H Garlick RGA

A Lee MGC

Pte D G Parker 50th Canadians

57428 Pte J Greenwood 3rd Manchester Volunteers Oldham

229689 Pte J A Browne M2 (ASC?)

Sgt Mjr Vernon F Rook MT ASC

J Dickinson RFA

Pte J Bolger KLR

G Stephens MT ASC

39894 Pte A Tunstall 3rd Border Regt

Pte G duckworth inns of Court OTC

Pte Hoggard 100 Coy ASC MT

Pte R S Hart MGC

Pte Herbert Rimmer MT ASC

Pte A Lieivesley 1/5th KLR

H Harrison KSLI

Pte C Halsal Suffolk Regt

Pte C F Hartley 137 Labour Coy

Alec Boothroyd 4th Field Survey Bttn RE

Ernest A Widdop 2/5th South Lancs

H F Barker 7th KLR

Hugh S Cheetham 3rd Border regt

Cpl W Park 62SBAC ASC MT

If anyone wants a copy of the entries please let me know.

Mark

[Guest Sue Bridgwater]

I have just discovered the forum and was at once attracted to this hospitals thread. I have a photo of my Grandfather Harry Oswald Adams, 1882-1943, who served in the Machine Gun Corps and was badly wounded. His records are not at the PRO as they were blitzed in 39-45. The photo shows him sitting with a group of men, all in civvy suits, with a smiling nurse in the middle of the group. On the back of the orginal it says "Dad at a convalescent home, 1917." Historian friend has pointed out that the nurse's skirt is too short for this to be an accurate date.

My main point is, have I any hope of identifying the Home, the date, or anything else about the photo other than that Grandad is in it? I plan to look up his pension details, and those of my other Grandad (Joh Charles Tapson, RE) who also had a war invalids pension, next time I get to the PRO. Meanwhile the idea of building up data on hospitals/convalescent homes seems excellent.

[Gary Samson]

Hi Sue,

Welcome! If you could post a copy of the photo to the forum there may well be someone here who'll be able to help you out with identification.

Gary

[NIGEL]

Annette my better half has just told me that on a calander for this year in her moms house in aldridge there is a picture of the -----MANOR HOUSE ---LITTLE ASTON ROAD----ALDRIDGE--Nr WALSALL. was a war hospital in ww1.

It is still there and was a youth club the last time we went near it------unfortunatly we are back here now so we cant post a picture.

does anybody have any info

[JulianB]

I've just found reference to an MGC officer who in mid 1917 was transferred to UK to stay at the "J.W. Larnach Hospital for Officers, 38 Adelaide Crescent, Hove"

(forgive me if this one has already been mentioned)

Julian

[Borden Battery]

In two letters written home, my late Grandfather, Pte. Richard Mercer (CEF) made reference to the "Brighton Sanatorium" in Brighton on 13 December 1916 and in a second letter on 17 DEcember 1916 he referred to the "Borough Sanatorium, Brighton, Sussex". He was being treated for German Measles. The medical records make reference to "Brighton Isolation Hospital". Can anyone comfirm if these are the same facility, or perhaps separate and distinct from the other hospitals noted for Brighton?

[Sue Light]

The hospital known as Brighton Sanatorium, or the 'Sanny' was originally built in the 1880's as a smallpox isolation hospital, and later on became Bevendean Hospital, until it ceased to exist in [again, I think] the 1980's. It was situated between Bear Road and Tenantry Down Road, Brighton, not far from the race course.

The two main military hospitals in Brighton were No. 2 Eastern General, at Dyke Road, and also Stanford Road schools; and the Kitchener Military Hospital, which was opened at the end of 1914 in the workhouse and infirmary, for Indian troops, and used for British casualties after the Indians were evacuated in November 1915. After the war these buildings became Brighton General Hospital, Elm Grove, which is still functioning today. Presumably the Isolation hospital was used as secondary accommodation for patients at the Military Hospitals who were thought to be infectious, and also perhaps for soldiers from nearby camps, not otherwise wounded. I know from other research that German Measles was taken very seriously then, which seems strange as it is a relatively trivial infection [other than for pregnant women] - if no other hospitals are mentioned perhaps your grandfather was stationed at a camp somewhere in Sussex, and not already a patient at one of the other military hospitals.

Sue

[Borden Battery]

Hello Sue ...

Thank you for the nice background on the hospital - I appreciate your time and effort.

Regarding my late Grandfather, he had arrived by ship in mid-November 1916 as part of the 196th Western Universities Battation (CEF) which was later disbanded on 31 December 1916 with the troops incorporated into the 19th Reserve Battation.

From the sketchy records that remain, he would have been undergoing further training however I do not have these details at the moment. There is a good probability he may have been at Seaford at this time. Later, and after he recovered, he was sent to Crowbrough for further training as a machine gunner.

Regards

- Dwight Mercer, Regina, Canada

[Guest Brisbane Bob]

Within all the hospitals listed are there any that specialised in rehab the totally blind in one case, and in the other case where both legs are lost?.

Both these two brothers were in the Middlesex regiment which may help to pinpoint an area.

Any advice would be appreciated.

My contribution is St Dunstan's Hospital for the Blind at Brighton, Sussex. records of which are at East Sussex county archives.

regards

Bob

[Guest Harney]

When I looked on this site it was to ask if anyone knew of any articles about women doctors in the first world war in the UK and to ask if anyone knew about Kings Heath Hospital (RAMC), Birmingham. I have photographs of a few patients and doctors in 1917. My great aunt was a Captain there and was the only woman doctor.

Does anyone know of any articles on women doctors in the armed forces?

Thank you.

Karen Harney

[Chris_Baker]

Hello Karen

Welcome to the forum, and good luck with your research.

There were quite a few hospitals in that part of Birmingham, but none that I know of as King's Heath Hospital. However there was an annex to the 1st Southern General Hospital, based at the University, there. Have a look at this page; it might help.