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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Lady Ridley's Hospital


AngieBenn13

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Hi all,

When sorting through my father-in-law's possessions my husband and I have come across a handwritten notebook apparently compiled by a patient at Lady Ridley's Hospital comprising poems credited to various other patients. The majority of the poems are in the same handwriting, though a few at the end are clearly different. The early pages aren't dated but the later ones are 1916 and 1917. 

The content of the poems is mostly focussed on the patients and staff of the hospital, some of whom are identified by name, but usually only a last name. Whilst I have plenty of experience in family history and have tentatively identified a few of the people mentioned, I know very little about the Great War hence joining this forum for advice/help. So far as I am aware my father-in-laws only connection to the Great War is an Uncle who died relatively early on and definitely wasn't an Officer (and no other branch of the family is likely to have produced an Officer) so we're at a bit of a loss as to why he kept the book with some of his most treasured possessions.

I have now been through the book multiple times and made a list of all the names mentioned, staff and patients as well as at least one visitor. Would it be reasonable to post them here? Could I also later post scans of the actual pages and a photograph of the book itself? 

I found the British Academy article about the hospital and the poem they include as 'Lady Ridley's Poem' is one of those in the book. There are also several mentions of 10 Carlton Terrace and Carlton House Terrace so I'm sure I've identified the right hospital.

Thanks for any advice/suggestions and apologies if I've inadvertently broken any rules/conventions.

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Hi AngieBenn13,

If you post the WW1 pages and the list then I'm sure you won't be breaking any rules, just keep the post as compact as possible and see what what other information comes to light.

We love a challenge on the GWF, someone may be looking for the details you already have.

Regards Barry

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I am not sure what rules you think you may inadvertently be breaking. Some, if not all, entries are Great War period and hospital related. Bring it on.

 

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It's going to take a while to scan and post everything, especially as I'm away next week.

The front of the book - not in the best condition, nothing front or back to identify it. 

IMG_2579.JPG

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Page 1 - Humpty Dumpty by (probably a G) Lush

I keep getting error code 200 when I try to upload this page, it's a PDF and 78kb. I'm not very technically minded ....

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I'm not totally sure what that code, is, might be a flood control, @spof might be able to help. Have you tried again? 

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It is a vague, generic error about something on the server. I've made a change. Can you try again. If that fails, email it to us via the Contact Us link at the very bottom of the page  we'll try to add it fir you.

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You may be in luck with regarding background to the officers named.

Lady Ridley's was affiliated to Millbank, there are 207 MH106 books at TNA for Milbank and most as far as I know will be online via Findmypast.

The bulk of the 207 books won't apply here and FMP will just return relevant results anyway (hopefully). The named officers should have admission and possibly operations, x-rays etc under Millbank.

I'm also seeing two officers with other records relating to Lady Ridley's in MH106 which I'm afraid are not online. RJHF Watherston & GH Salmon.

TEW

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@spof Thank you, trying again.

Page 1 - Humpty Dumpty by (probably G) Lush

Same error code unfortunately.

@TEW I didn't realise FindMyPast had such useful stuff, I've not used them for 5 or 6 years as I could generally find what I needed on Ancestry. I may have to renew my membership. Thank you.

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@AngieBenn13 Can you post a screen shot of whats happeneing when you post please? Ive just tried to upload a JPEG onto this thread and it worked fine.

Thanks

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Also won't let me upload pdf of screen shot but did allow PNG. Weird.

 

Screen Shot 2021-07-06 at 15.12.41.png

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While we're waiting, some of the people mentioned.

McTavish who led the Scots attack on Fosse 8. I believe this refers to the Battle of Loos in 1915. A Captain Frederick Hugh Campbell McTavish of Black Watch (who participated in the attack) was admitted to Millbank Hospital on 13/10/1915 before being transferred to the Ridley Hospital from where he was discharged 4/12/1915. The regiment and dates match up so he may well be the McTavish mentioned in a poem entitled 'The Hymn of the Hut' credited to A L Walton. The hut in the title probably refers to the huts constructed on the terrace so the patients could get plenty of fresh air. If this is the right McTavish he was born in Worcestershire in 1885 to Alexander C (Brigade Surgeon) and Mary H H. He died in London in 1945.

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A L Walton may be the Lieutenant admitted to Millbank on 25/2/1916 before being transferred to Ridley and discharged on 25/4/1916. He wasn't a patient at the same time as McTavish but could have heard about him from others. If this is the correct A L Walton he was born in Surrey in 1879 and died 8/7/1918 in France and Flanders.

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@spofOne for you?

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One patient whom I am sure I have identifed correctly is Sir Henry Lancelot Aubrey-Fletcher, at the time a Captain in the Grenadier Guards. He was admitted to Millbank on 7/10/1915 and discharged from Ridley 19/11/1915. He was born Henry Lancelot Fletcher in 1887 in Surrey and died in 1969. In the book he's credited with a poem called 'The Long Hut', hopefully to follow soon.

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