War Hospitals and Convalesance in Hull & East Yorks

[MJF]

My great-grandfather Private George Fowler or 1/4th Battalion Green Howards was shot in the face and severly wounded on Sep 1916 (Battle of Flers-Courcelette) and left France on 21st Sep 1916. He survived and joined the Labour Corps 11 months later after been determined as not fit to return to the front. He was based in Hornsea during his brief service with the Labour Corps (Aug 1917-Dec 1917). My great-grandfather was born and brought up in Aiskew near Bedale in North Yorkshire but after the war he married and settled in Hull for the rest of his life.

 

I have learnt that my great-grandfather's Battalion formed part of the 150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division From the wikipedia page for the 50th (Northumbian) Division I found that they had a medical services HQ in Hull; 3rd Northumbrian Field Ambulance. Peacetime HQ – Hull... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50th_(Northumbrian)_Division#Medical

 

I believe my great-grandparents met either when he was convalescing at a military hospital in Hull or during his service in Hornsea. My great-gramdmother's sister worked in a convalescent home in Withernsea in 1916. I wondered if this might have been a place of convalesence for soldiers during the war.

 

I would appreciate any information about Hull & East Yorks Military hospital in WW1; I am hoping it will shed further light on how my great-grandparents met.

 

Thanks in advance,

Martin

[alf mcm]

Martin,

  You may find your great-grandmother's sister here;- http://www.redcross.org.uk/About-us/Who-we-are/History-and-origin/First-World-War/Search?hosp=withernsea

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[MJF]

Thanks Alf. I couldn't find her on there but she was a laundry maid. From her own memoirs -

In 1916 Kitty was working at Withernsea Convalescent Home as a laundry maid. The Matron of the Home was Miss Florence Cavell,sister of Edith Cavell.Kitty was at the home when Edith Cavell was shot by the Germans. “It was terrible! Miss Florence was very upset but she kept a brave face. She kept on duty and she didn’t talk about it to anybody.”

These recollections were dictated to my mother when Kitty (my great-grandmother's sister) was about 90 years old so they are a bit vague. My great-grandfather was wounded in Sep 1916 and I'm not sure if Kitty (his future sister-in-law) was still at Withernsea convalescent home by then as she moved to work in a Hull flour mill toward the end of the war. I'm not even sure if Withernsea was used for soldiers convalesence. I understand it was run as a convalescent home by Hull Royal Infirmary.