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Remembered Today:

Photos: Thurlston Military Hospital, Fleet


cpnorfolk

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Attached are three photos of Thurlston [or Thurlestone] Military Hospital in Fleet, Hampshire. My great aunt, Birdie Partridge, was a nurse there. I have her photo album with another 15 or so photos. Judging by the date of one photo in the album these were probably taken 1917-18.

Are there any publicly available records of nurses, doctors and patients who worked in these hospitals?

I can identify the patient standing with crutches on the right of the group photo as one Douglas McClaren. The doctor [in white coat] is possibly Doctor Speechly. Can anyone identify any other persons?

I can provide other photos if anyone is interested.

Thurlston 4.jpeg

Thurlston 5.jpeg

Thurlston lg.jpeg

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2 hours ago, alf mcm said:

You may find your great aunt's Red Cross record here;-  https://vad.redcross.org.uk/Search?sname=PARTRIDGE

Regards,

Alf McM

Thanks Alf, but I did already have this: https://vad.redcross.org.uk/Card?sname=PARTRIDGE&page=3&id=167762

I don't suppose there is any database with photos linking to the Red Cross database, is there?

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Nice photos, nowhere near expert in these matters but it looks like all the females in the group photo are VADs, no TFNS or QAIMNS nurses present. 'Matron' looks like a VAD.

Possible that VADs had been qualified nurses but quit to work through the VAD system rather than the TFNS/QAIMNS route. Other VAD 'nurses' in some cases had served abroad and saw far worse things and had mire experience than their trained counterparts.

Not many BRC cards for Thurlston but the one for your great aunt doesn't mention Thurlston either.

Don't think there's much more than the BRC cards. Newspapers could be the best next thing with fund raising events or days out for patients being reported.

TEW

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'Matron' is a trained nurse, all the others in the last photo are VAD's. Those with a red cross on their aprons are Nursing VAD's, the others are General Service VAD's.

Regards,

Alf McM

Edited by alf mcm
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Thanks for clearing that up. Not that it helps the OP but I was wondering about the four ladies with darker sleeves, St  John's?

For the OP, Hampshire Archives have a VAD Branch Report which includes Thurlston, no idea what's in it.

https://calm.hants.gov.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=A12173%2fA%2f1%2f2%2f1&pos=3

TEW

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On 26/01/2022 at 10:05, TEW said:

For the OP, Hampshire Archives have a VAD Branch Report which includes Thurlston, no idea what's in it.

https://calm.hants.gov.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=A12173%2fA%2f1%2f2%2f1&pos=3

TEW

Thanks for this, I now have its operating dates: "opened from April 1917 to February 1919."

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