St Johns Hospital Malta

[Goosegirdle]

Hi,

 

Can anyone guide me where to look for details on staff at the St Johns Hospital, Malta during late 1915?

 

In particular a Sister named Susan/Suzanne Brooke/Brook/Brooks.

 

Thanks,

 

 

[TEW]

Can't see a Sister by any of those name combinations in WO399. However, sometimes they are indexed under their married name even if they married post-war.

 

Can't see a Medal Card to a Nurse by those combinations.

 

TNA seems to be playing up at present and now I can't see if there's a diary for the Hospital.

 

There are VAD cards for Staff of Malta Military Hospital but they won't be Sisters.

 

If she married do you have her married name? I'll look again if so.

TEW

[Goosegirdle]

Thanks TEW,

Unfortunately my diarist does not give many details. As well as Sister Brooke, he mentions a Sister Thompson, Doctor Gillespie, Nurse Kerr and Orderly named Ramsden. No other first names are given.

 

Regards,

[petestarling]

Could she be one of the Scottish Women's Hospital left behind when they moved on in May 1915?

[axial1680]

Would this be a malaria hospital used by soldiers from Salonika?

[seaJane]

The only St John's & Military Hospital Malta records I can find on TNA are these, none of which I think help, alas.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6084660

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/311e63ba-6fb4-4363-9f0f-bcbbd2f32d6f

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6275736 [may be from Imtarfa]

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6083897 [ditto]

 

Other "military hospital" records definitely refer to Imtarfa/Mtarfa, which is not the same establishment.

 

This website http://maltaramc.com/articles/contents/greatwar.html discusses the Maltese hospitals and medical services of the Great War. From it I find that St John's School in Sliema was used as St John's Hospital from 1 Sep 1915 - October 1917. The only member of the medical or nursing staff mentioned is Staff Nurse Dorothy Mortimer Watson TFNS who died at the hospital on 13 March 1917; her name is on the Harrogate Hospital war memorial. 

 

It occurs to me that if you can find Susan/Suzanne Brook/e/s in the Royal College of Nursing archives you might be able to trace her home town and consequently some local newspaper reports.

 

sJ

 

 

Edited 14 November , 2016 by seaJane

[Goosegirdle]

Hi Jane,

 

I don't think any of those are the girls I want to know about but thank you for the effort. I did take a look at that website earlier, the hospital had a short but interesting operation. As axial asked, it was a hospital specifically for medical cases, my diarist had bad pneumonia and was evacuated from Gallipoli.

 

Pete,

 

Interesting suggestion, my diarist does refer to "The Scotch Sister" (sic) in his notes, no name. Anyway, when he does name people, with very few exceptions, he has the annoying habit of only using their last name!

 

Regards.

[Goosegirdle]

Just an update on this:

 

Nurse Kerr is Constance Kerr, born at The Breck, Triangle, Halifax, England in about 1887. She served in Malta from 2 September 1915 until 13 March 1916 and then in France until termination on 16 December 1916.

 

Thanks!