The Indian Army @ The Royal Pavillion In Brighton

[Guest dulce et decorum est]

My gandmother recently died and left me an autograph book that her mother owned. She was a nurse at the Royal Pavillion in Brighton duing the war and looked after not just wounded Indian soldiers but also Tommies from various regiments. The autograph book is full of poems, ditties and watercolours written by these extraordinary individuals many without the use of their arms and legs. One watercolour is of the British Army's original attack on Baghdad during 1915 I believe. I know it is worth some money but that is of no interest to me, the real value is the fact that a bookl ike this still exsists. I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction of any websites that would assist in finding out what role the Indian army played in the war and if there are any patient records still in exsistance.

Any help greatly appreciated

Replies:

[zooloo]

There is a book about Brighton and the Indians.

Dr. Brighton's Indian Patients by Joyce Collins.

I have not read it.

Website:

Indian Divisional index - http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/a...d_div_index.htm

A bit dry, really a list of divisions etc with few notes.

...And if you're down that way, somebody there has got to know about all this in tedious and minute detail

CHATTRI INDIAN WAR MEMORIAL

The Chattri on the Downs above Patcham marks the site of the cremation place for Hindu and Sikh soldiers who died of their wounds at the Royal Pavilion Hospital during World War One.

It was unveiled in 1921 by the Prince of Wales. Each year at 3.00pm on the fourth Sunday in June, the Patcham Branch of The Royal British Legion organises a Pilgrimage to the Chattri.

The Pilgrimage is attended by representatives from the Indian High Commission, and ex-officers and men of the Indian Army.

Details can be obtained by ringing Brighton and Hove City Council on (01273 290000)

BTW. I am jealous.

zoo

[Guest dulce et decorum est]

Thanks for the information. A majority of the autographs / pictures are signed by the patients name and regiment and the year. I am going to cross reference the Commonwealth War Grave Website and see whatthe outcome was for these patients, i.e whether they recovered, died from their wounds or returned to active service to be wounded or killed elsewhere. I will be sure to post the information and maybe some scans in the future.

[Sue Light]

On 21 November 1914 the Mayor of Brighton telegraphed the Secretary of State and offered the Royal Pavilion, for use as a hospital. For this ‘Indian Palace’ to be used by Indian wounded was seen at the time as appropriate, and a most generous offer by the town.

On the 25th November it was taken over by Eastern Command together with other local buildings - The Dome, the Blenheim Hotel and York Place Schools. It was staffed by 'native personnel' [it was not thought suitable for British nurses to look after these men], and there was considerable difficulty in finding them. Eventually the staff of the Indian Hospital Ship 'Guildford Castle' were used, and in March 1915 the Dome was vacated by patients and used for staff quarters.

In ‘Women and the First World War,’ [p.76] Susan Grayzel writes:

‘Concern about interaction between Indian troops and European women was even more pronounced when it came to British women serving in the war zones, and emerged in debates about the provision of British nurses to hospitals for them in France. This extended to attempts to prevent Indian wounded from being transported to England for treatment for fears of what damage might be done by having them cared for by British nurses. If there was some concern about loose women leading to scandals, there was more anxiety about preventing the direct care of Indians by British women as it was thought that this might erode the Indians conception of the ‘honour’ of white women, which was seen as upholding the mystery and legitimacy of British Imperial Rule.’

The workhouse and infirmary in east of the town were staffed by number I, Y, and Z Indian General Hospitals which left India in December 1914 and reached Brighton on 13 January 1915 - this became the Kitchener Military Hospital. The number of equipped beds there in June 1915 was 1763, and by 1st July the addition of huts and tents had increased this to 2,000.

In February 1915 the Indian section at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley was closed, and moved to the Kitchener Hospital, Brighton. The other main hospital for Indian troops, 8A Indian General Hospital, Bournemouth, was evacuated in November 1915, and remaining patients moved to Brighton, but later that month both Pavilion and Kitchener Hospitals were closed to Indians, and from then on all buildings were used for British patients, the majority being amputees. No further Indian troops were treated in the UK after November 1915, and at no time were both Indian and British/Commonwealth troops nursed together there.

Despite what is written above, I have seen some references to British nurses working at the Pavilion while the Indians were there, although I believe that none were employed by the War Office. As I have never had definite facts about this, I'd be very grateful if you could confirm from information in the album, whether your great-grandmother did work at Pavilion Hospital before December 1915, and also in what capacity she was employed [and by whom].

I have to admit that I feel quite shocked by having to publicly reproduce the passage in italics - there is often debate about 'different times, different standards' - this is a very blatant example!

Sue

[Muerrisch]

At that time my maternal grandpa was serving in France: ASC, MT driver. My grandmother and mother lived opposite the Corn Exchange, Pavillion and Dome, and many years later told me of the wounded soldiers [not just Indians] in blue suits with red ties. Church Street, they said, swarmed with limping soldiers, crutches, slings etc. fighting back to fitness.

[wilkokcl]

Hi,

My gggranfather was a doctor in Brighton during WWI and treated patients at the Pavilion. I have photos of him with his patients - all white soldiers with limbs missing.

Those taken outside clearly show the Pavillion and Dome in the background, but some inside appear to be in huts. I assume they were purpose built - long wooden huts with about 20 beds in them and very clean and clinical.

Does anyone know where these were? I am assuming the photos are all taken somewhere on the site, but have only found reference to the buildings themselves being used as medical facilities.

Thanks,

Mark.

[Sue Light]

Mark

There were quite a few buildings in the grounds of the Pavilion while the Indians were there - they had at least seven or eight separate kitchens to cater for different religious preferences, and one building was set aside as a temple for the Sikh patients to worship. After they left in November 1915, and the hospital was used for British limbless soldiers, I imagine that those extra buildings were converted for other use, although I have no idea if they would have been suitable for ward accommodation.

Or perhaps the huts were at Kitchener Military Hospital - now Brighton General Hospital - more than 1,000 of the beds there were in hutted accommodation.

Sue

[Moonraker]

Brighton remember Indian soldiers who fought in WWI

 

(Meridian TV report)

 

Moonraker