Belgian Field Hospital No. 1

[HannahE]

Greetings all,

 

I'm trying to learn more about the history of the No. 1 Belgian Field Hospital. I've read "A War Nurse's Diary" and and "A Surgeon in Belgium," but both of those accounts end before 1916. I know the hospital moved from Antwerp to Furnes to Hoogstad; I'm curious if it remained in Hoogstad for the duration of the war? Did it keep having to relocate? Are there other first-hand accounts from this hospital I can read?

 

Thanks for any guidance you can offer! 

[Chris_Baker]

Hannah, I tried to find the definitive answer to that question when researching a book (it comes out in June, with a bit of luck). Unfortunately, it is not clear, so luckily it was not vitally important to what I was writing up. The military hospital established at Gasthuis Clep in Hoogstade certainly continued and it appears that the British section did too, at least for some time into 1917. But the documentary sources just fizzle out, as far as I could find. It is possible that there are archival sources in Belgium which may provide the details.

Edited 29 March , 2021 by Chris_Baker

[HannahE]

3 hours ago, Chris_Baker said:

Hannah, I tried to find the definitive answer to that question when researching a book (it comes out in June, with a bit of luck). Unfortunately, it is not clear, so luckily it was not vitally important to what I was writing up. The military hospital established at Gasthuis Clep in Hoogstade certainly continued and it appears that the British section did too, at least for some time into 1917. But the documentary sources just fizzle out, as far as I could find. It is possible that there are archival sources in Belgium which may provide the details.

 

I see, thanks! Any chance you could point me towards the documentary sources about the hospital post-1915? 
Also I'd love to know more about your book--will definitely keep an eye out for it! 

[HannahE]

Also thank you for the detail about it being established in Gasthius Clep. That lead me to this:

https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMZ5NH_Ren_Beaurieux_Valmeer_Riemst_Limburg_Belgium

 

This person died there in Oct. 1918, so it seems the hospital did remain at that same place for the duration of the war. 

[Chris_Baker]

The hospital certainly did: whether the British section did too is the bit that eludes me.

[HannahE]

3 hours ago, Chris_Baker said:

The hospital certainly did: whether the British section did too is the bit that eludes me.

OK, after some more research (again, the Gasthius Clep name was the key!) I found this:

http://felix.bastin.info/brochure_11 nov-2012.pdf

 

After some time with Google translate, it seems the British management of the hospital withdrew just before the Second Battle of Ypres, and it became a full-fledged Belgian Military Hospital under the direction of Charles Willems. That matches up with the nurse's account in "A War Nurse's Diary," who wrote, "We were now a fully recognized Belgian Military Hospital although we were staffed by English surgeons and nurses. But the arrival of the Belgian Surgeon Major and his staff of officers gave us a standing we never had before, and a Power was behind us." So, leadership and management changed, at least some of the staff stayed the same. 

Thanks for your help unravelling this! 

[Niko]

The Belgian Military Cemetery Hoogstade with 805 Belgian and 20 British graves is a mute testimony to this hospital....

 

See also: BMC Hoogstade

 

and some more here and here.

 

This might interest you too: Clep

 

And this: https://www.visitflanders.com/en/her-side-of-the-war/mairi-and-alsie/

[HannahE]

23 hours ago, Niko said:

The Belgian Military Cemetery Hoogstade with 805 Belgian and 20 British graves is a mute testimony to this hospital....

 

See also: BMC Hoogstade

 

and some more here and here.

 

This might interest you too: Clep

 

And this: https://www.visitflanders.com/en/her-side-of-the-war/mairi-and-alsie/

 

This is perfect, thank you so much!