Buried by shell

[Khaki]

My late uncle who remembered the Great War well once told me about an underground hospital that was discovered (post war??) in France buried by shell burst complete with Doctors nurses and patients. He seemed quite serious when he told me and was not one to 'fool about' with such topics.

Has anyone heard of such an event?

khaki

[Drew-1918]

Hello Khaki,

Reading your post reminded me of something I read in the QVR Regimental History;

"On June 18^th [1918], the 58^th Division rejoined the Third Army, moving by buses, via Amiens, to the old wood S.E. of Molliens and took over the camp from the 2^nd Londons. Here a very peaceful time was spent in the Divisional Reserve varied by the usual in and out of the line business, each battalion of the 175^th Brigade taking its turn in the Lavieville line. … On Monday, June 24^th, the Q.V.R. relieved the 6^th Londons in the front line, remaining in for five days. 'This,' says Lieut. Keeson, 'was a fairly quiet sector except for ‘D’ Company who were rather troubled by a Trench Mortar and sustained several casualties, some being killed. This part of ‘D’s’ sector was in a hollow and ran through an old casualty clearing station. From this Capt. P. Selwyn Clarke, R.A.M.C., rescued a lot of surgical equipment. There were rumours that there were the bodies of a number of the wounded who had been unable to get away when the Boches shelled it and even of nurses who shared their fate, but we did not see them. The place certainly did not smell very sweet.' "

It is not quite the same situation described by your late uncle, and perhaps there were numerous other similar stories during the war. However, I wonder if he didnt hear the same rumour?

Kind Regards,

Chris

[Khaki]

Hello Chris,

It's possible that it was that one or similar, the one thing that I remember with clarity was that he referred to it as an underground hospital as opposed to a CCS in a hollow. I know that there were complete underground hospitals where they could do surgery. Maybe it gained or lost something in the telling.

thanks for the response

lhaki