Opinions required- Gallopoli Casualties Albany Road Roath Cardiff

[rob1713]

I recently acquired this postcard showing a group of First World War Casualties. Fortunately there was a photographers name printed on the back of the card which enabled me to pin it down to the Albany Road School Hospital, Roath in Cardiff. Part of the 3rd Western Hospital.

To my eyes, these patients seem to be fairly recent arrivals, a few details lead me to think this as they all seem to be suntanned, they seem to sporting a mixture of headgear and uniforms and somehow their appearance and field dressings look a little stained.

From the headgear and uniform clues I wonder if these soldiers have just returned from Gallipoli.  I’ve always assumed that casualties from this theatre were treated in hospitals in Lemnos, Egypt or Malta prior to return to duty or being repatriated back home. (The images of some of the wounds on display suggest that some of the soldiers have been wounded relatively recently.)

Internet sources indicate that a few soldiers were returned to the UK for treatment as the Mediterranean based hospitals were being overwhelmed with sick and wounded soldiers.
I would welcome any opinions or knowledge that may help to further explain this image.

Kind regards 

Rob

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

I can't see any headgear, Mediterranean or otherwise, but I can see one quite bulky dressing which seems quite plausible for a wound on the left side of the head/face/neck. (First man, middle row.)

[rob1713]

8 minutes ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

I can't see any headgear, Mediterranean or otherwise, but I can see one quite bulky dressing which seems quite plausible for a wound on the left side of the head/face/neck. (First man, middle row.)

Check out the enlargements, Slouch hats, service caps and Pith helmet.

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

6 minutes ago, rob1713 said:

Check out the enlargements, Slouch hats, service caps and Pith helmet.

Ah yes.

I was looking at their heads.

They do look tanned.  Gallipoli looks a good bet.

[alantwo]

On 31/05/2023 at 12:56, rob1713 said:

I would welcome any opinions or knowledge that may help to further explain this image.

Rob

I have the names of half a dozen or so artillerymen who served at Gallipoli and were admitted the 3rd Western General Hospital, Cardiff. A well known Gallipolian No.21205 Acting Bombardier George Edward Dale, 'A' Battery, 59th Brigade RFA was admitted on 2/10/15 with enteritis; his personal diary is at the IWM though I have yet to see it. Another man from the same Brigade, No.21271 Driver William Stokoe was admitted "sick" on 27/11/15, both men's papers will be on FMP and Ancestry.

Regards

Alan

[rob1713]

Thanks Alan, I will certainly check up on these chaps as I am curious as whether they came straight back to the UK after passing through initial treatment. I always assumed they would have been sent to convalesce in one of the Hospitals in the Mediterranean theatre and only sent back if they weren’t fit for further active service.
These chaps dont look as if they have done much convalescing yet.

[robertb]

Rob1713,

You might like to view:

Twitter (X) - @RoathHistory

or,

roathlocalhistory.org

Cheers,

Rob

Edit:

roathlocalhistorysociety.org

Many apologies.

[Ozzy paul]

I am from Cardiff and lived close to Albany Road.  I was not aware that there was a hospital in that location.  But by the looks of it - it could be the Albany Road school.  My grandfather was wounded at Arras and made it back to recover in Splott Road School just a few miles away.  So they obviously used these locations as they could not handle the amount of casualties in the other hospitals.  The slouch hat and the pith helmet are give-aways for the eastern operations, but it could have been Egypt as well as Gallipoli as the campaign pushing the Turks out of Jerusalem and Damascus involved many men who were sick and wounded.

 

[robertb]

Ozzy Paul,

Many apologies for the reply - holidays.

Albany Road School was amongst a number of schools and other public buildings that made up the 3rd Western General Hospital (beds for 38 officers and 2626 other ranks).  There were other hospitals in Cardiff including the Welsh Metropolitan Hospital (Whitchurch Asylum) (beds for 66 officers and 839 other ranks) and the Prince of Wales Hospital for Limbless Soldiers (66 beds).

Here is a link to Albany Road School during the Great War - BBC - World War One At Home, Roath, Cardiff: Albany Road School, Wartime Hospital

Cheers,

Rob

[Ozzy paul]

Thanks for the info