Intriguing postcard from 8 General Hospital, Rouen - can't make it out though.

[DuncanBro]

Can anyone please help me decipher the message on this postcard please?  So far I've got, "So glad to ... sick sister ... 8 General Hospital".

 

Also, any idea what O.A.S and D.E.W. might stand for?

 

Cheers,

Duncan.

[Polar Bear]

So glad to ...

You are [loved?]

Write ... to

Sick Sisters

... 8 General Hospital

A P O 2

Yrs [standard abbreviation for Yours]

D. S. W

D. [Wellingtons???] (If so, Duke of Wellingtons - an Army Regiment - just a guess though]

 

Hope that helps

 

P

[DuncanBro]

12 minutes ago, Polar Bear said:

So glad to ...

You are [loved?]

Write ... to

Sick Sisters

... 8 General Hospital

A P O 2

Yrs [standard abbreviation for Yours]

D. S. W

D. [Wellingtons???] (If so, Duke of Wellingtons - an Army Regiment - just a guess though]

 

Hope that helps

 

P

I've been looking at it for the last hour now, it's driving me nuts!!! 

[Marilyne]

"So glad to hear you are home - Write me to sicks sisters"??

 

Could be a letter sent to a brother.  

Sick Sisters's hospital in Rouen was situated at Bois Guillaume, with staff attached from Nb 8 General Hospital. D.S.W. was maybe staff at the hospital ?? 

I don't think it's signed "D. Wellington", but rather "D. Williams"

but I might be mistaken

 

M.

[Michelle Young]

Army Post Office 2? 

[DuncanBro]

4 minutes ago, Marilyne said:

"So glad to hear you are home - Write me to sicks sisters"??

 

Could be a letter sent to a brother.  

Sick Sisters's hospital in Rouen was situated at Bois Guillaume, with staff attached from Nb 8 General Hospital. D.S.W. was maybe staff at the hospital ?? 

I don't think it's signed "D. Wellington", but rather "D. Williams"

but I might be mistaken

 

M.

Interesting, I thought Sick Sisters was just a nickname. 

[Marilyne]

3 minutes ago, DuncanBro said:

Interesting, I thought Sick Sisters was just a nickname. 

 

No. every major hospital cluster had one. It was often a separate hospital,  not just another ward: villas or hostels in the vicinity. Every stay of more than 21 days I think and they were evacuated to England. For Rouen, Australian artist Jessie Trail described it: It is a charming house, a sort of wee chateau in lovely grounds very nicely done up.

In Etaples it was "Villa tino", a chateau formerly owned by a Serbian Count in Le Touquet.

In Wimereux the Hotel Mauricien. Abbeville had to make do with a ward at Nb5 Stationary, but for which special wallpaper was bought! 

Sick sisters stayed the name, even when WAAC's were admitted to the wards. 

More info: http://www.fairestforce.co.uk/21.html

 

 

[DuncanBro]

5 minutes ago, Marilyne said:

 

No. every major hospital cluster had one. It was often a separate hospital,  not just another ward: villas or hostels in the vicinity. Every stay of more than 21 days I think and they were evacuated to England. For Rouen, Australian artist Jessie Trail described it: It is a charming house, a sort of wee chateau in lovely grounds very nicely done up.

In Etaples it was "Villa tino", a chateau formerly owned by a Serbian Count in Le Touquet.

In Wimereux the Hotel Mauricien. Abbeville had to make do with a ward at Nb5 Stationary, but for which special wallpaper was bought! 

Sick sisters stayed the name, even when WAAC's were admitted to the wards. 

More info: http://www.fairestforce.co.uk/21.html

 

 

That's fascinating. So it was a hospital unit catering for sick nurses then? 

[JWK]

My interpretation:

 

O.A.S. [= On Active Service]

 

So glad to hear it

you are home!

Write me. To

Sick Sisters

c/o 8. General Hosp

A.P.O. 2 [=Army Post Office 2 – see also cancellation]

Yrs.

D.S.W.

 

And I agree with Michelle: it looks like D. Williams

 

Regarding that APO 2: cancellation shows they had a proper machine for cancelling letters, it's not a handstamp.

Which would suggest APO 2 was a stationary Post Office, as opposed to an APO which followed the troops.

 

 

[DuncanBro]

Thank you everyone, that's fantastic! 

I've been wracking my brains for over an hour now. And I've learnt quite a bit too. 

[Bardess]

6 hours ago, JWK said:

hear it

Rather than 'hear it' I believe it is 'learn'

[DuncanBro]

13 hours ago, Bardess said:

Rather than 'hear it' I believe it is 'learn

My partner thinks its' learn' I thought it was 'hear it'! 

[TEW]

George Edwards is at the same address in 1911. Stepson of Charles Jones. GE aged 13 in 1911.

 

Charles and the two stepsons were born in Bushley, Worcs.

 

GE's stepmother should be Sarah Ann Jones previously Ellis. CJ and SAE married in Upton On Severn district 4/1901.

 

Edited; there's another marriage between parties Charles Jones Sarah Ann Edwards in Tewkesbury 2/1902.

 

 

SAJ born Tewksbury (1911 census) as was a Cecil Jones circa 1904.

 

There's an unaccounted for child from this marriage plus the possibility of other stepchildren.

 

Is addressed to Mr GE or Mrs GE?

TEW

Edited 13 September , 2020 by TEW
Additional marriage found.

[Neil Mackenzie]

18 hours ago, Bardess said:

Rather than 'hear it' I believe it is 'learn'

Agree.

 

[sotonmate]

Definitely "learn".

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

"So glad to learn you are home..."

Edited 12 September , 2020 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[Marilyne]

On 11/09/2020 at 22:38, DuncanBro said:

That's fascinating. So it was a hospital unit catering for sick nurses then? 

 

sick women, in general, yes. 

 

 

[DuncanBro]

On 12/09/2020 at 18:26, TEW said:

George Edwards is at the same address in 1911. Stepson of Charles Jones. GE aged 13 in 1911.

 

Charles and the two stepsons were born in Bushley, Worcs.

 

GE's stepmother should be Sarah Ann Jones previously Ellis. CJ and SAE married in Upton On Severn district 4/1901.

 

Edited; there's another marriage between parties Charles Jones Sarah Ann Edwards in Tewkesbury 2/1902.

 

 

SAJ born Tewksbury (1911 census) as was a Cecil Jones circa 1904.

 

There's an unaccounted for child from this marriage plus the possibility of other stepchildren.

 

Is addressed to Mr GE or Mrs GE?

TEW

Wow, thank you, that's wonderful. 

[TEW]

A few odd genealogical things going on which may be irrelevant if you're try to ID D. Williams.

 

Firstly. George Edwards Jnr.  (Recipient). 1901 census he is in Bushley,  Worcs. with blood parents and two siblings, Alfred & Fanny. His mother is Sarah Ann Edwards, father is John Edwards who is down as being 85 with a 39 year old wife and 3 month old (Alfred). Hat's off to him!

 

Next door neighbour is Charles Jones, later to be stepfather. 1891 census CJ is a lodger with the Edwards family.

 

There seem to be two potential marriages for Charles & Sarah. One in the registration district where they lived in 1901 under Ellis and another in 1902 under Edwards in their later district.

Different couples one would think.

Edit; now thinking her maiden name was Fletcher not Ellis

 

Widens the extended family with step uncles, aunts as well as blood. Plus one wonders if John may have previous children.

TEW 

[headgardener]

"D ? Williams" was apparently a nurse or other female personnel serving in France in March 1915, so by my reckoning it can only be either Dorothy L Williams or Dora E Williams. 

[Terry_Reeves]

Sick Sisters hospitals here, from the late Sue Light's excellent research:

 

http://www.fairestforce.co.uk/21.html

 

[headgardener]

Further to my earlier post, I would narrower it further and say Dora E Williams is the only female D Williams that I can find who was present in France in early 1915 (she served with BRCS & OStJJ from Nov 1914).

BRCS records state No5 RX Hospital at Wimereaux from Dec 1914 to Nov 1915.

[TEW]

Dora Elizabeth Williams later Stevens.

 

Formerly of Rhos-on Sea then Ipswich. Married Wilfred in Reading 1917.

 

Patient or staff at Sick Sisters? PC suggests it's a permanent address, position not noted on her card.

 

Had wondered given his age if G Edwards might have been in her care at some point.

TEW

[headgardener]

BRCS record card records her as being a nursing sister.