heatherannej Posted 4 August , 2013 Share Posted 4 August , 2013 Hello there A Great Aunt of my husband has a certificate saying she had worked at the Essex 50 VAD hospital during WW1. Does anyone know where this particular hospital was located please? She lived in North Essex .... we have a group pic of her - the stretcher bears the words "Colchester Division". I have discovered that the Colchester Military Hospital was the 'Central Hospital' and Essex County Hospital and a 'Gostwyke House' (Cambridge Road) were 'Auxiliary' ones (all aforementioned three being in Colchester) - but it would be good to officially ID the Essex 50. Many thanks. Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 4 August , 2013 Share Posted 4 August , 2013 Hi Heather Essex 50 VAD was a VAD Detachment that ran a hospital and not the hospital itself. So you will need to find the name of the hospital that the detachment ran. There was also a VAD run Auxiliary Hospital at Holmwood (House), Lexden. Sorry I can't help further, but I'm sure someone on the forum will be able to help. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heatherannej Posted 5 August , 2013 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2013 Hi Dave .... Ahhh, ok. So there are a possible two contenders then: this 'Gostwyke House' in Cambridge Road, Colchester and 'Holmwood House', Lexden (outskirts of Colchester). I must study the house behind the VAD group and see if anything can be discovered from that. Attached is the group pic we hold. Thanks for the contribution .... it all helps fit the pieces together. Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundeesown Posted 5 August , 2013 Share Posted 5 August , 2013 You may get a few in this.+ have look in the Long Long Trail http://1914-1918.inv...wtopic=187&st=0 Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 5 August , 2013 Share Posted 5 August , 2013 Hi Heather If you post your husband's Great Aunt's name here it may help. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heatherannej Posted 5 August , 2013 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2013 Hi ...... Gary .... thanks for link. I have been searching in the Forum and gleaning bits :-) but no ID as yet :-( Apart from Colchester Military Hospital & Essex County Hospital plus Gostwyke House (Cambridge Rd, Colchester) & Holmwood House (Lexden, Col) being mentioned ... I also found on reference on the Forum to Severalls Hospital being used too. Hi Dave ..... Her name was Daisy Lavinia Johnson. Red Cross Card:- Permanent address School House, Great Bromley (Essex). She was a Head Mistress and had the incentive/initiative to join the VAD in "1911" "5 years V.A.D. Casual Hospital Worker" "Member Essex/50". Have another Red Cross 'Form G' which states she joined the Essex/50 in 1913. Another Red Cross certificate dated 30 October 1918certifies she has completed 5 years as "Member of the VAD Essex/50. Any help gratefully received ...... Best Regards Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Expat yeoman Posted 23 July , 2020 Share Posted 23 July , 2020 Hi Heather, The whole VAD world is a tricky one to get definitive info on, I've been tearing my hair out trying to establish a list of units and hospital locations across the whole of Essex! From what I have found so far most of the units and sites in the county were affilitiated to the Military Hospitals, mostly the Colchester one, so I'd be cautious in assuming a direct Colchester location link. As noted in one of the posts above I also believe that the numbers related to recruiting areas rather than specific hospital sites - I have found examples of women from the same number serving in Essex and London hospitals - though I guess in some cases they may coincide. Turning to Essex/50, most of the names I have found so far have lived in Great Bentley (which I think is what your record card might say, not Bromley?) so I suspect that was "the recruiting patch" for 50. Regards, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 23 July , 2020 Share Posted 23 July , 2020 (edited) I understand that the VAD was established in the 1900s to provide supplemental aid to the TF Medical Service in the event of war. One member known to me belonged to a detachment in a tiny village (not in Essex) that was formed in 1909 as part of a numbered county grouping. The detachment trained in the Church Hall, and she makes no mention of any hospital affiliation. Of course, that may have changed during the war with individual VADs moving to several different hospitals; another possible element of investigation. My subject deployed to France with Lady Furse at the earliest opportunity; February 1915. Perhaps this is when VADs started to turn up at hospitals. Acknown Edited 23 July , 2020 by Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 23 July , 2020 Share Posted 23 July , 2020 List of all VAD Hospitals here. Go to Region 3. https://vad.redcross.org.uk/en/~/media/BritishRedCross/Documents/Who we are/History and archives/List of auxiliary hospitals in the UK during the First World War.pdf TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Expat yeoman Posted 24 July , 2020 Share Posted 24 July , 2020 Thanks both. Acknown that is my understanding too. Terry, I have seen other locations in some other sources that are not on the Red Cross list, just to add some fun to the investigation! Slowly trying to identify all the actual units now... I understand there are around 75 of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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