Medical Stations

[Roger34]

Hi All,

I have been contacted by a secondary school who want to learn (and visit) more about the medical facilities on the Western Front. Apart from Etaples I'm a bit stuck on what they could see or where they could go. Can anybody help with some ideas?

Thank you,

Roger

[seaJane]

The building is not there any more, but maybe the site of the Trianon Hotel in Le Treport? (No.3 General Hospital)

http://anurseatthefront.org.uk/news-archive/information-about-le-treport-and-no-3-general-hospital/

[Old Tom]

The range of medical units was large if field units are included, but nothing to look at on the ground. What about a visit to the RAMC museum?

Old Tom

[Dragon]

I can't help with the western end of the Western Front, but there are remains of field hospitals in the Vosges and there is a new museum actually in the Ambulance Alpine du Mittlach. This has a walk attached, which I know isn't much use to people who aren't visiting, except that it's based on the letters and diaries of a medic and the free informative booklet is trilingual. I can provide context. Would your contacts be interested in some links on this aspect of the French experience?

Here are a few of my photos, but I have lots more.

(BTW, the steps to the Trianon are still there to be seen.)

Gwyn

[Malcolm Linham]

Roger

How about Essex Farm at Ypres and Avril Williams at Auchonvillas both medical facilities near to the Front line as opposed to the larger stuff at the rear.

Also what about the new museum at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery (although I haven't yet been here ) so perhaps so one else can comment on this idea.

Hope this gives you some ideas

Malcolm

[squirrel]

New museum at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery definitely worth a visit.

[mandy hall]

New museum at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery definitely worth a visit.

Having visited recently, I would agree with Squirrel. It is such a big cemetery, you would also probably find men local to you buried there.

Mandy

[bigjohn]

Wasn't there some medical equipment including an ambulance at Hooge?

John

[Roger34]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I will pass the ideas onto the school.

Roger

[The Scorer]

What about a visit to the RAMC museum?

Old Tom

I'd definitely recommend a visit to the RAMC Museum at Keogh Barracks, Aldershot.

One word of warning, though: as it's part of an army base, security is quite tight, but they'll be able to tell you what you need to know about a visit.

[seaJane]

http://www.ams-museum.org.uk/museum/planning-a-visit/

[Mark Hone]

I am going to make medical services one of the themes of my 2017 tour to Ypres. The exhibition at Lijssenthoek is first rate. For Essex Farm can I recommend an article in what was sadly the last ever edition of the Wellcome Trust magazine on the History of Medicine (Issue 54, December 2014). It uses the example of Essex Farm to describe the stages of casualty evacuation and treatment. This is available as a PDF download but I can't post the link as my iPad is currently out of action.

[The Scorer]

I visited at the end of March and, as I've said above, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit.

One interesting thing that I was told while I was there is that the museum is set to move from Aldershot to Cardiff in about two years. It's apparently going to move to the former Bute Road railway station building in Cardiff Bay, which I was told was used as a medical facility during the First World War.

I don't know why it's moving, but the MOD are selling quite a lot of their land in the Aldershot area, and I'm guessing that Keogh Barracks may be going to close, hence the move.

[Mark Hone]

Here is the link to the magazine, which includes other interesting articles about medicine and the Great War:

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/stellent/groups/corporatesite/@msh_publishing_group/documents/web_document/wtp058051.pdf

Blimey, I think that this is my 5000th post on the GWF.

[seaJane]

One interesting thing that I was told while I was there is that the museum is set to move from Aldershot to Cardiff in about two years. It's apparently going to move to the former Bute Road railway station building in Cardiff Bay, which I was told was used as a medical facility during the First World War.

I don't know why it's moving, but the MOD are selling quite a lot of their land in the Aldershot area, and I'm guessing that Keogh Barracks may be going to close, hence the move.

Interesting! Keogh Barracks has certainly been winding down as Defence Medical training relocates, but the rumour mill hadn't, last I heard, suggested Cardiff as the AMS destination. Good luck to them.

[The Scorer]

Interesting! Keogh Barracks has certainly been winding down as Defence Medical training relocates, but the rumour mill hadn't, last I heard, suggested Cardiff as the AMS destination. Good luck to them.

One of the staff there told me when I said that I was from Newport.

She was happy, because she's from Pontypridd originally, and would therefore be able to move back home!

[BloodMedic]

Don't forget there are RAMC VC winners graves in the Ypres area, and as mentioned Lijssenthoek is a good source , Regarding Keogh and the RAMC museum, Keogh as become re-activated as a base for a Field Hospital and Armoured Ambulance but the Museum is very accessible.