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Remembered Today:

Alexandra Park Hospital


FredJCarss

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My grandfather was gassed 2/5/18 at a place called Lone Farm while serving in the MGC with No.196 Coy. His diary shows he arrived at Alexandra Park Hospital on the 8th.

Do any pal know of this hospital and where it is or was??

Thanks

Fred

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Probably Jim (and Google) is right - although I'd never heard of a hospital there. Another school quite close by which was also used as a hospital.

If this is to be a Greater Manchester area one, then there is a small suburb just to the south of the city centre which is known as Alexandra Park and which is immediately adjacent to the land occupied by Manchester Royal Infirmary. Could be another option.

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Fred,

Was that arrival at Alexander Park Hosp on 8th May? That is only 6 days later - I know it is physicaly possible, but I would be surprised to see that he was evacuated to the UK so quickly. I would have expected him to have been at a base camp hospital perhaps by then, not back in the UK?

Ian

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Jim & John

Thank you both for your help - it certainly looks right. I have some poor photographs taken in the grounds of a hospital so I will compare for any similarities.

Does the name West Endon (written in pencil and not that clear) mean anything to either.

He was also in MOLDINGHAM? MILITARY HOSPITAL???

Kind regards

Fred

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Fred,

Just having a guess - Moldingham - would not be 'Mendighem' by any chance?

I just mention again the time-scale - gassed on 2/5/18, in hospital by

8th - was that 8th May, or another month?

The reason I ask is that if it is the 8th May then perhaps it points to a base hospital overseas rather than back in Blighty?

Ian

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Ian

He was gassed on 2/5/18 sometime after 3.30pm.

Arrived at Camiers or Carmiers Hospital on the 3rd and left midnight on the 7th.

arrived Calais at 4pm on the 8th. Edminton (place or ship?) at 6.30 and arrived Alexandra Park that same night.

I have read that because of the level of casualties that spring casualties were moved on quickly.

Regards

Fred

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Ian WAKEY WAKEY

Dont go to sleep on my account ;)

What you said is very valid - if I did not have his diary and shaky pencil entries I would be a touch wary.

Kind regards

Fred

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Fred,

could it be the place Edmonton? which then was in Middlesex but now part of London, there is an Alexandra Park a couple of miles away from there. There is still a large Hospital in Edmonton, the North Middlesex Hospital which I believe was there during the Great War.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Scottie.

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Fred,

reading your entries again, could 'West Endon' be West Hendon, again in North London about 4 miles from Alexandra Park and approx eight miles from Edmonton.

We talk a bit lazily down 'ere' and to a 'stranger' listening to a us speak you could easily be mistaken writing down phonetically what we say. i.e Edmonton sounds like Edminton, and West Endon sounds like West Hendon, just a thought?

By coincidence i have been bantering on 'Chit chat' today with Cairan and he mentioned that he has a book on Alexandra Palace in the Great War which may mention Alexandra Park, I have posted him a message to have a look at your thread in case this is the location you want.

Cheers,

Scottie

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Ian

He was gassed on 2/5/18 sometime after 3.30pm.

Arrived at Camiers or Carmiers Hospital on the 3rd and left midnight on the 7th.

arrived Calais at 4pm on the 8th. Edminton (place or ship?) at 6.30 and arrived Alexandra Park that same night.

I have read that because of the level of casualties that spring casualties were moved on quickly.

Regards

Fred

Hello Mate,

There is indeed an Alexandra Park in North London which I can walk to from my house. It is quite a large park and the actual "Palace" was used as an internment camp during the war persons of German descent. I have a book on Alexandra Palace which gives its history in great detail. Unfortunately I won't be able to get hold of it until Friday. I will have a look then but the fact that Edmonton, and West Hendon are mentioned would suggest that this is the place.

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I'm pretty sure Alexandra Palace was used as a hospital so it sounds quite likely. I haven't checked but it would be worth looking through the UK hospitals list of the parent "Long Long Trail" website. If it isn't on the list perhaps we can add it once you bottom out the details.

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Hi Martin, Scottie & Ciaran

Your comments certainley make sense to me. I have been studying the short entries again.

On the 10th of July there is an entry - "Left Edmontton (note spelling) for Woldingham C????? (cross or corps?) Camp. Walk through Caterham & Whyteleafe".

11th - "Hellish Hut & Miserable"

What do you make of it?

Thanks for your aid.

Kind regards

Fred

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On the 10th of July there is an entry - "Left Edmontton (note spelling) for Woldingham C????? (cross or corps?) Camp. Walk through Caterham & Whyteleafe".

Fred

A quick check of my trusty AA road atlas, 1995 edition :blink: , shows Caterham, Whyteleafe and Woldingham all within about 3 miles of each other, just N of the M25 on/near the A22, in Surrey.

Jim

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  • 1 year later...
My grandfather was gassed 2/5/18 at a place called Lone Farm while serving in the MGC with No.196 Coy. His diary shows he arrived at Alexandra Park Hospital on the 8th.

Do any pal know of this hospital and where it is or was??

Thanks

Fred

Hello Fred

This thread related to the wherabouts of Alexandra Park Hospital, but in case you don't know where Lone Farm is I can tell you the following:

My father Arthur H Morris was working there in April 1918.

He was a doctor in the RAMC and in April 1918 was with the 2/1 Wessex Field Ambulance, a non-Lancastrian part of the 55th Division.

Lone Farm was an Advanced Dressing Station west of Givenchy and North of the La Bassee canal, and was right in the thick of it when the Germans attacked the 55th. According to the history of the 2/1 Wessex a few German troops actually got far enough to enter the ADS but the pulled back.

I still have my father's flag with a red cross that flew outside the ADS at the time.

I also have a trench map my father got hold of later, which is for the area in July 1918. Lone Farm is clearly marked.

A building on exactly the same spot is also visible today on Google Earth. (It is on Rue Marcelin Berthelot on the dog-leg bend in the road some 600m to the West of the Commonwealth War Grave at Festhubert. Coordinates: 50º 31’ 44.13”N 2º 44’ 00.54”E)

I'll try an attach a small section of the trench map.

I have a feeling I have at sometime found some kind of index for hospital locations on the net, I'll see if I can dig it out but it may have been for ones not in blighty.

Was your GF in the 1st Division as I think the 1st releived the 55th on this section.

Alfred M

post-13413-1192814201.jpg

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