I am looking for possible links regarding the following: My Father (a Prisoner of War) was apparently detained in a UK hospital for some time prior to him returning to his home town of Sunderland in December 1945. Would anyone know of any possible Army/General Hospitals this may have been or, if indeed there would be any available records of this. I would also be interested to know if he had been hospitalised during his service as a Driver with the RASC during active service abroad. I did telephone Glasgow with regard to obtaining his P.O.W. records over a year ago but was told to await an application form for this, which could take a considerable length of time! Nothing forthcoming as yet. Your comments on this would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks. Susannah
Hi Susannah Have you obtained your father's military service records, as the name of the hospital or location could be in them?
OurDearDad Have a look at one of my record sheets to see what is available . You will see that it clearly shows when I did a stint in the 93rd General Hospital at Naples and the date when I was returned to my unit. Army records, when they are correctly interpreted, are the best means of establishing a serviceman's movements during his whole military career. Ron ps A full set of my record sheets can be found if you click on my avatar, go to my Profile and look at the Photo Album entitled "Army Records". Be warned however that when you send away for records they are not always as complete as mine were.
Thank you so much for your reply. I had found what I thought could be Dad's Army and Prisoner of War Numbers but was not sure enough. However, since joining the Group, and information received from ADM199, I am absolutely delighted to be able to go ahead and order them now. Oooh the long wait commences but in the meantime I am finding out some very interesting reading on this site.
Hello Ron, WOW - thanks so much for your rapid response and the opportunity to glean so much from reading your site - can't wait to peruse it. I will bear in mind that my Dad's Service Records may obviously not be as extensive as yours but you give me so much insight and enthusiasm into the hope of at last finding out much more of Dad's movements during those long war years. It is a credit to you all as to the amount of knowledge and expertise you have within this Group and are so willing and kind to helping other members. Susannah
War diaries of Military Hospitals are in the National Archives at Kew. The ones I've looked at don't contain details of specific men, but they do tell you where they were located, how many beds they had, and other details about what was going on etc.
Susannah, My Late father was hospitalised on overseas training prior to his unit going to North Africa, due to receiving phospherous burns from a grenade accidentally thrown into the rear of the transport he was travelling in. He told me about this when I was young, but when I applied for his service record it was all documented, even where he was taken (Nearby RAF Burns hospital). So I hope that your fathers records also show this detail for you. Regards Tom
Hello Tom, Thanks for the information relating to your late father - yes I too hope I am able to obtain more information from his Service Records. As I said, all we had was very sketchy information about his time in the War and although Dad survived the traumas of war etc, he died at the age of 38yrs, when I was one of four very young children. Susannah
Hi Tom, my father was in 5 recce and his service records show that he was hospitalised on 25/1/45 and discharged on 9/2/45 but it doesnt show exactly where. if i've interpreted the records correctly it shows that he was "taken on strength" with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.... any ideas where I can get some detailed info about where he was serving and why he was admitted to hospital ?? Dave
Ganga - If you have your Father's service records you might find somewhre the 5th recce were attached to which division- plus the Mediterranian Expeditionery Force was in actual fact the MEF= Middle East Force which was usually Egypt - Lybia area so if you can scan his record - we might be able to assist a bit more as a few units went back there towards the end of the Italian Campaign (CMF- or AFII) Cheers
I always thought MEF WAS Mediterranian Expeditionery Force not the Middle East Force so I think the query on dates I had the other day on my dad's records for 56 recce could be explained! Can I PM you later if that's OK? Lesley
Whilst Kew holds the 'administrative' type records of Military Hospitals they do not hold the 'medical' records, i.e. the records of individuals. The medical records from all military hospitals, including field hospitals, hospital ships and POW camps were held originaly by the old DHSS and now, presumably, by the Veterans Agency of the DSS. The records are, I believe, still in use for the administration of war pensions. I do not know if these records are available to next of kin in the same way as service records but it may be worth enquiring.
Has anybody ever pursued this? My grandfather was hospitalised at first 70 General Hospital and the 22 General Hospital, both in Taranto (Italy) in December 1943 and January 1944. Given the dates--and the battalion diaries--it seems very likely that he came down with pneumonia or something similar as three days before being admitted to hospital the whole battalion's camp was flooded during thunderstorms. That said, I don't rule out the possibility (nor would I be troubled by the possibility) that he might have been a naughty young man in Italy, as many have mentioned as possible! I haven't ever seen a General Hospital Diary. Is there any hope whatsoever of gleaning any personal information about a man admitted using these? From all I've read there will be no medical data on any men, but are there rolls or returns of who is resident or administrative notes about where precisely they are located etc? Reference: WO 177/1332 Description: 70 Gen. Hosp. Date: 1942 Nov.- 1944 Dec. Reference: WO 177/1227 Description: 22 Gen. Hosp. Date: 1944 Jan.- Dec. Any advise valued. I've chased about every other lead I can from the paperwork aspect.
As you have said that both 22 and 70 were in Taranto then I presume you want to be more precise, but for others: Hospitals WW2 - Scarlet Finders
Ah interesting my Father was injured or diseased nw Europe Nov 45 and sent to Ronkswood Hospital ,Worcester. Never been able to find out any further info
Interesting topic. My grandfather was hospitalised in Edinburgh (?) after a long DEMS stint aboard the St Magnus, on the Aberdeen - Lerwick run for several months; thinking it was quite possibly pneumonia, but would be interesting to find out more info, as his service record doesn't say much other than the place and dates.
As far as I am aware the MOD do not release medical records, and no idea if MOD medical records ever got linked to NHS records.