Location of Hospitals UK

[Terry]

The service file on a Canadian nursing sister has just arrived, and while I can easily sort out her service in France (No.2 Cdn.Gen.Hospital Oct-Nov.,1915; No.1 Cdn.Gen.Hospital June-Sept.,1916), I am having some difficulty with her service in the UK.

The file entry states: To D.of C. Redx.Hosp., Taplow for the period from Nov.,1915 until she returned to France in June,1916. She became ill in Sept.,1916 and was evacuated to the UK. After recovery she spent some time transporting wounded troops back to Canada before her next appointment in June,1917. The entry states: Moore Bks.Hosp.,Shorncliffe.

Can any of the Pals assist with the full names of either of the UK-based hospitals?

[Stephen Nulty]

The first one is Cliveden.

Known as "The Duchess of Connaught Canadian Red Cross Hospital" from December 1914 to September 1917 and then it became No 15 Candian General Hospital.

[BRONFAY]

The link below should prove of interest

http://www.taplow.org.uk/[/url] re the Taplow Hospital

[Terry]

Thanks for the information on Taplow, guys. The entry on her file does read "Posted to D of C. Redx Hosp." so obviously Redx must translate to Red Cross.

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Terry

After the war the hosptial was gifted to the local community becoming the Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital. One of my daughters was born there in 1979.

Dave

[BRONFAY]

Shorncliffe nr. Sandgate Kent

"Moore Barracks Canadian Hospital (967 beds) (May 1915, on 10 September 1917 became No 11 Canadian General Hospital, and included the affiliated hospital at Beachborough Park)"

[Terry]

And once again the Pals come through! Thanks to all.

[Neil Clark]

All men who died at Shorncliffe were buried in the dedicated military cemetery there. It's well worth a visit if ever in the Folkestone, Kent area. It contains many Canadians

Neil

[Moonraker]

Shorncliffe nr. Sandgate Kent

"... the affiliated hospital at Beachborough Park)"

Not germane to the original enquiry but here's a good a place as any to mention this article about the Queen's Canadian Military Hospital at Beachborough Park:

click

Moonraker

[C Battery RHA]

On the subject of hospital locations, you might like to look at http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/124.html

I am looking for any/all information relating to the VAD hospital at Lakenham, outside Norwich, Norfolk.

This appears to have been set up in the school in December 1914 and became 'operational' in early 1915.

It seems probable that my great aunt, Alice Hooper, worked there, but possibly as a 'volunteer support worker' rather than a nurse, and also her older sister Ruth (Edwards from December 1915).

There is a suggestion that the first main influx of casualties were from Gallipoli, though I think this unlikely as I would have expected the hospital cases to have gone to Malta; perhaps indicating that Lakenham was a convalescent hospital (at least in part) ?

Any help appreciated.

Many thanks

[Sue Light]

Nick

The only hospital that I have in my database that matches is Norwich Military Hospital, Lakenham, which as you say occupied school premises, and had beds for 246 other ranks, so quite large. It wasn't a VAD hospital which would have been run under the Joint War Committee (British Red Cross/St.John) but was a central military hospital under War Office control and would have received more seriously sick and wounded patients direct from embarkation. The staff would have been composed of trained military nursing sisters and VADs, possibly with some addition civil nursing staff. All VADs working in military hospitals would initially have been employed by the JWC, and always worth an enquiry to see if there is a surviving service record card at the British Red Cross Society Archives:

BRCS Archives

Sue