Hospital Allocations

[WelshWielje]

Bore Da, Good Morning Friends. 

 

I am trying to piece together the story of a relative. I have recently come into possession of his Notebook which was returned to his family home along with his other possessions. Now, I knew he had been wounded in May 1917 and was sent back to Blighty to a hospital to recover. Being a member of the RGA I assumed he would have been stationed close the South Coast - however an entry in his notebook reads: Ward 4, Edinburgh, W.H, Bangour, Scotland. I know this to be the War Hospital in Bangour, however I would never have thought a soldier be sent all the way up North? I am aware there was a special surgical section for orthopedics at Bangour (thank you The Long Long Trail) - could this be a deciding factor on where he was sent? Or was it simply wherever had a spare bed?

 

I would be grateful f anyone could help.

 

Thank you.

[alf mcm]

Bangour took patients from all regiments, with all sorts of injuries and illnesses. If there were a lot of casualties then it would have been a case of available beds. Your relative would have arrived at Bangour by Ambulance Train, after travelling all day from the south. Those who could not make the journey would have priority for a south of England hospital. Bangour had its own branch railway line, so patients could be transferred direct from the train, via ambulance, to their hospital bed. 

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[WelshWielje]

Thank you Alf, I was hoping the answer would be as simple as that - is there anywhere I could find hospital admission records or any detail of my relative - I'm trying to find out the nature of his injuries and have drawn a blank when it comes to looking at records on the front as I can't pin point which CCS he was sent to. 

 

I though that hospital allocations would depend on bed availability and seriousness of injury. 

 

Thank you.

[alf mcm]

WelshWielje,

  Your ancestor's service record {if it has survived} may give you a CCS number, but it is unlikely he would be mentioned by name in their War Diary. Medical records are available on Findmypast, copied from those in The National Archives. However, only 1% {i think} of all medical receords have been preserved at TNA, so finding a particular person's record is unlikely.

  There are pension records on Fold 3 {indexed on Ancestry} which may help, but the most detailed records are not available yet.

  Most of Bangour War Hospital is still standing, and anyone can walk around the site. Most of the 'Wards' were actually individual 'Villas' built for Bangour Asylum.{The railway was originally built to transport building materials to the site}. This video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J25Ws-zqad4  I have been studying Bangour Asylum and War Hospital staff for a few years now, and was wondering if your ancestor named any of the medical or nursing staff.

 

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[WelshWielje]

Hi Alf, I am quite fortunate he was mentioned in the WD, and was said he was sent to a CCS but not which one. I will have another look through his service records to see if I can find a CCS number.

 

Thank you for the further info. Unfortunately he did not name any medical or nursing staff. Only Ward 4 was mentioned with regards to specifics I'm afraid. 

 

Stifyn