Red X at Richmond

[benjamin thyla]

Hello all,

Is there someone having an idea on what/where "RED X" HP or IP could have been? In London? I guess it must have been at/near/connected to the SA Mil Hospital at Richmond Park, as "in" the original stamp of the Richmond SAMH, all is barred except "Richmond".

The patient who I am interested in was transferred  from "Red X" to Tidworth Mil Hosp (Salisbury), which looked like a facility for contagious diseases among troops, to me (e.g., measles, scabies...) 

Sincerely,

Benjamin Thyla

[Gareth Davies]

I would think that Red X means Red Cross. There was Red Cross hospital there. 
 

Edited 15 April , 2023 by Gareth Davies

[Gareth Davies]

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/the-evacuation-chain-for-wounded-and-sick-soldiers/military-hospitals-in-the-british-isles-1914-1918/military-hospitals-in-london/

[Terry_Reeves]

The conjoined H P means hospital.

TR

[benjamin thyla]

Dear gents,

this sounds so simple, that I guess that you may be right... Although, I cannot find any Red Cross hospital at Richmond in the List-of-auxiliary-hospitals-in-the-UK-during-the-First-World-War.  

"Why" is "HP" a conjoined, meaning hospital? Is this an abbreviation? When I look it up, I get separated Siamese twins (!?) Could you explain, please?

Sincerely, 

Benjamin Thyla 

[Terry_Reeves]

It was  just the shorthand that was used at the time.

TR

[Gareth Davies]

4 minutes ago, benjamin thyla said:

Dear gents,

this sounds so simple, that I guess that you may be right... Although, I cannot find any Red Cross hospital at Richmond in the List-of-auxiliary-hospitals-in-the-UK-during-the-First-World-War.  

"Why" is "HP" a conjoined, meaning hospital? Is this an abbreviation? When I look it up, I get separated Siamese twins (!?) Could you explain, please?

Sincerely, 

Benjamin Thyla 

It is in the list at the link I provided. 

[benjamin thyla]

Hello (again),

Thanks a lot, much obliged. The Red Cross "HP" at Richmond Park would then nothing have to do with the SAMH? Was it at another location? 

Sincerely,

Benjamin Thyla 

Edited 15 April , 2023 by benjamin thyla

[benjamin thyla]

I found this...

During WW1 the workhouse and infirmary became the Richmond Military Hospital.  In 1915, at 4 o'clock one Sunday morning in November, all the lights of the buildings went out.  There was a strong smell of burning rubber.  A few minutes later there was a huge explosion and fire broke out in one of the wards.  The cause of the explosion is not clear but the consequences were. The windows of the ward were broken and the doors splintered and torn off their hinges.  One nurse was flung outside by the force of the explosion and into a manhole (its cover had been blown off by the blast), but she survived relatively unscathed.  Another nurse was seriously hurt, having been blasted out of the ward and down the stairway with her clothes on fire.  Three of the patients in the ward managed to operate the fire hose, putting out the flames and also unwittingly dousing the nurse, whom they could not identify because of the darkness.  The nurse, although conscious, could not speak and sustained further injuries by rescuers trampling on her.  The noise of the explosion had been heard for miles around.

On 1st July 1918, since by then the Hospital was treating mainly South African wounded, it merged with its neighbour, the South African Hospital, which had been built in Richmond Park on the other side of the perimeter wall.

In 1929 the LCC took over the administration and the workhouse and infirmary were renamed the Richmond Institution.

Edited 15 April , 2023 by benjamin thyla

[Terry_Reeves]

This will help Benjamin:

https://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/southafrican.html

Also this: https://ww1richmond.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/south-african-military-hospital/

TR

Edited 15 April , 2023 by Terry_Reeves

[benjamin thyla]

Thanks a lot!

[Moonraker]

On 15/04/2023 at 18:55, benjamin thyla said:

 ... The patient who I am interested in was transferred  from "Red X" to Tidworth Mil Hosp (Salisbury), which looked like a facility for contagious diseases among troops, to me (e.g., measles, scabies...) ...

 

During the war,  the  military hospital at Tidworth was at Lucknow and Delhi barracks. There was an isolation hospital at Brimstone Bottom, very nearby, with 117 other-ranks beds for infectious cases only. The hospital was still marked on maps published in 1926. It has been suggested that it was built as early as 1900, though there may be some confusion with the "emergency hospital" that was part of Brimstone Bottom  navvy village, erected for workers constructing Tidworth Barracks. A reference in 1910 suggests that by then this had become an isolation  hospital for soldiers.

[benjamin thyla]

Thanks General, makes sense, Petersen suffered from scabies, which is rather contagious.  I am pretty convinced that - at the time - they knew it was transmittable. Hence the importance of infectious wards or isolation wards. 

Thanks!

Benjamin Thyla