JaneEH Posted 19 July , 2014 Share Posted 19 July , 2014 My Great Aunt, Ethel Dinah Groom (later married surname Hitchins) served in both France & Italy as a Staff Nurse/Sister in the QAIMNS ®. She was one of the civilian-trained nurses who were added to the existing somewhat socially elite band of Queen Alexandra's nurses who were formed pre-WW1, & came from humbler beginnings as the daughter of an Oxford College servant (Scout.) I remember her as a redoubtable lady from my childhood, but was not aware of her WW1 role until recently when I obtained her Service Record. She seems to have been sent initially to Dovercourt in November 1915 before going to France in July 1916. Presumably time was spent training at Dovercourt?? She was transferred to Italy in November 1917. I've been interested to note the number of periods of illness, including dysentery & the inevitable bouts of flu which she & doubtless many of her fellow nurses suffered. Any information on location of No 14 Stationary Hospital in France & on No 11 General Hospital, Genoa, Italy would be most welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 19 July , 2014 Share Posted 19 July , 2014 14 Stationary Hospital Wimereux Oct 1914 = April 1919 Boulogne June 1919- January 1920. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneEH Posted 19 July , 2014 Author Share Posted 19 July , 2014 Thanks for the info, Johnboy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 19 July , 2014 Share Posted 19 July , 2014 http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/153.html The link is for a forum members website. Loads of info on hospitals and nursing etc. Also The hospital in Genoa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BARBE Posted 3 May , 2016 Share Posted 3 May , 2016 My Great Aunt, Ethel Dinah Groom (later married surname Hitchins) served in both France & Italy as a Staff Nurse/Sister in the QAIMNS ®. She was one of the civilian-trained nurses who were added to the existing somewhat socially elite band of Queen Alexandra's nurses who were formed pre-WW1, & came from humbler beginnings as the daughter of an Oxford College servant (Scout.) I remember her as a redoubtable lady from my childhood, but was not aware of her WW1 role until recently when I obtained her Service Record. She seems to have been sent initially to Dovercourt in November 1915 before going to France in July 1916. Presumably time was spent training at Dovercourt?? She was transferred to Italy in November 1917. I've been interested to note the number of periods of illness, including dysentery & the inevitable bouts of flu which she & doubtless many of her fellow nurses suffered. Any information on location of No 14 Stationary Hospital in France & on No 11 General Hospital, Genoa, Italy would be most welcome. Hello. I am an old man 76 years and member of the "Anciens Combattants" of Wimereux. I sailed as "Spark" in the merchant and fishing navy in north Sea during 45 years, and of course, I was every day in contact with Englisht and Scottish operators, so it had been possible to improve my english. I read that many people have some difficulties for the location of Hospitals during WW1; I wrote a book on this subject and i could find the location of the 11 Hospitals established in Wimereux area. Yhat had taken 3 years of research, but in 250 pages it was not enough to decribe the situation in Wimereux in 1914 1919 The RAMC left Wimereux during summer 1919. In the present, the question is;"Location of Hospital N°14 At the begining of year 1914, it was "The Grand Hôtel" in Wimereux at the Sea Front in the South part of the beach. The 23 jan 1916 during the night a short circuit put the fire in the building, there was no possibility to stop the fire, the hose used by the firemen were impossible to set on the waterpoint because of the screwpath was in inches for the firemen and in cm for thwaterpoint. Ther were no victims, the soldiers injuried which were in hospital were all saved and the 70 men were evacuated to Boulogne toward England by hospital ship. The head quarter of N°14 became the "Hôtel Splendid' at 500 meter southward "HospitalN°14 for officers" with annexe "Casino" There were in the rear front of the hospital one serial of "Barracks" which completed the space for the casualties.And all around the General Australian Hospital N°2nd Stationnary Hospital N°8 In the book "Wimereux 1914 1918" you have all information a concerning this story. The Grand Hôtel after some month was reused as "Isolation" for infection such as Scarlatine, Influenza and others contagious diseases. But annex of N°14. This building ist alwayx existing but not as hôtel, but habitations. The"Hôtel Splendid " was demolished by the "Wehrmacht" in year 1941 in same time as the Casino and others nice buildings At the location of hotel splendid remains only a large wall which retain the sliding of the cliff. At this location (Casino and Splendid) there is now tHe Nautical Center and Laboratory for the university of Lille. With my best regard for every one of the reader. Chris BARBE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skoyen89 Posted 13 May , 2016 Share Posted 13 May , 2016 Thanks Chris. This is really interesting detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardX Posted 9 November , 2018 Share Posted 9 November , 2018 Dear All My great grandfather Col John Robinson Harper from Barnstaple North Devon was the Officer in charge of 14 Stationary. I have an album of photographs that he took and attach a selection. Hope they bring it to life. I don’t know the exact location but maybe the aerial photo and the old town photo may help. It looks like they also took convoys of casualties. regards Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 10 November , 2018 Share Posted 10 November , 2018 Lovely photographs! That last one is late enough for her to be wearing her medals. He didn't marry one of the nurses, did he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 11 November , 2018 Share Posted 11 November , 2018 Thanks for that. I only found out yesterday that the widow of a relative of mine, who became a VAD after her husband was killed at Loos, served for more than a year at that hospital. Cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardX Posted 11 November , 2018 Share Posted 11 November , 2018 A more complete collection of photos follows. With labels. Plus a thankyou letter, a thankyou cartoon, a boxing night entertainment programme and a Christmas menu. Sorry not sooner - been busy. regards Richard Col J R Harper RAMC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardX Posted 11 November , 2018 Share Posted 11 November , 2018 It should be remembered that this was 20 years before antibiotics. I suspect the dressing tent was for boiling and sterilising used dressings. I’d be interested to know what treatment of grease water was. Sewage? Maybe something to do with trench foot? regards Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 15 March , 2020 Share Posted 15 March , 2020 On 19/07/2014 at 21:38, johnboy said: 14 Stationary Hospital Wimereux Oct 1914 = April 1919 Boulogne June 1919- January 1920. In the light of Corvid 19 and 14th Stationary Hospital being used for 'Isolation 'purposes I have been researching it and found your very interesting photographs. My grand father Lt Col JS Warrack's last appointment of the war was as Officer in command of Medical Division, 14th Stationary Hospital. He was subsequently MOH to the Port of London Authority. Sadly other than obituaries and University of Aberdeen Roll of Honour I have no other information, So Richard if you have anything further, I would very much like to contact you. WW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennyford Posted 15 March , 2020 Share Posted 15 March , 2020 Great photographs, thank you for posting. Particularly interested in the group labelled 'Officers and Sisters of the Day Staff'. Is it possible the woman circled is a doctor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r larkin Posted 18 March , 2020 Share Posted 18 March , 2020 The Splendid Hotel & Casino cost £250 a month to rent or equivalent of £29,063 today plus the cost of reinstating the building to original condition after it was returned to the owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC Posted 18 March , 2020 Share Posted 18 March , 2020 1 hour ago, r larkin said: The Splendid Hotel & Casino cost £250 a month to rent or equivalent of £29,063 today plus the cost of reinstating the building to original condition after it was returned to the owners. I am just finishing off writing up my notes on the names on the Methwold War Memorial in Norfolk, as part of which over the last two days I've been checking through the Methwold related newspaper articles from the period that I have in my possession in case I'd missed an incidental mention of one of the fallen. So the following piece, taken from the edition of the Norwich Mercury dated Saturday November 21, 1914, was still in my mind when I saw this thread pop-up in the activity feed. ESCAPE FROM BOMB METHWOLD NURSE’S EXPERIENCES. The No.14 Hospital of the Expeditionary Force (with which Nurse May Dodson, of Methwold, is serving) has had some remarkable experiences in getting set up in France. On their way out they called at three ports before deciding to establish their hospital. At the first port a Taube dropped four bombs within a hundred yards of their ship. But the Taube was subsequently brought down by a British armoured car, ten miles from the scene of her triumph. “Arrived at our destination, and looking round for a building for our hospital, we found a vacant hotel and a casino full of furniture and gaming tables. At 10.30 in the morning we had orders to prepare 300 beds by 3.30 in the afternoon. By noon the wounded were arriving, and by next morning we had accommodated 550 wounded in a perfect hospital for our work. Though some of the shrapnel wounds are terrible, the men are very plucky, and stand tons of pain without a murmur. Much to my surprise the men are in the pink of condition, and are an excellent testimonial to the feeding they get in the firing line. My chum and I have a Primus stove on which we get out instruments sterilized. At first we got no time off at all, but now we manage to get a little.” Cheers, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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