British General Hospitals: Locations

Discussion in 'RAMC' started by Sue Light, Jan 1, 2010.

  1. Oldman

    Oldman Very Senior Member

    Sue
    Brilliant post the information is a great help to my research, thank you for taking the time and trouble to share it with the forum members

    oldman
     
  2. Sue Light

    Sue Light Member

    Thanks to everybody for all the positives - I usually just plod away in solitary confinement not quite knowing whether anyone out there's interested, so the encouragement should keep me going for quite a while. Just no-one suggest that I should do the same for Field Ambulances!

    Sue
     
  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Just no-one suggest that I should do the same for Field Ambulances

    Funny you should say that, we've had a few queries regarding thouse too.
    :)
     
  4. Sue Light

    Sue Light Member

    In answer to a query from Ron further up the thread, yesterday I had a look at the war diaries to confirm the locations. It was definitely No.92 General Hospital in Scudillo, Naples, at that time and not No.93. The diary of No.92 also has a separate mention of the eruption of Vesuvius on 18th March 1944, necessitating the evacuation of No.1 R.A.F. General Hospital for a couple of weeks, and the admission of all patients to 92 General.

    Sue
     
  5. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Sue

    Many thanks for dotting the i's for me

    Regards

    Ron
     
  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Raleigh Trevelyan in The Fortress says he was at 186th General Hospital.
    Is that a made up one ?
     
  7. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Sue - this is excellent work and most useful as I tried to get some knowledge of these hospitals some time ago in chasing a query and all I got was the usual "Duh"..
    so this is truly a work of art.

    only one comment - the dates of the 33rd Gen. at Catania appear to be a bit off at - 1/45 - 4/45 as I was there between the middle of October '44 until the January '45 having skin grafts by the resident surgeon Major Gordon - what happened was this -

    I was wounded at San Martino in the Coriano Ridge on Sept 17th - taken overnight to the CCS at Ancona - who couldn't do much - so hospital ship to Bari and the 98th Gen. - after three weeks they decided that I was Blighty bound and so the big white ship came alongside and I was filled with joy.

    Alas it was then discovered that we were running short of experienced bodies for fighting and I and two dozen more were thrown off at Catania and the 33rd Gen - which by that time was reduced to one wing of the local Maternity Hospital - then back up the line !
    Cheers
     
  8. Sue Light

    Sue Light Member

    Hallo Tom
    I've just gone back through the originals, which give the information that's online, but when I get a chance I'll have a look at the war diary for the unit and check it. There may well be something amiss, because as it stands at present, there were no units given as being in Catania between August 1944 and January 1945. Was it something you said?

    Sue
     
    von Poop likes this.
  9. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Sue -
    More than likely as I have been noted - even on this blog - as having spoken out too often in my personal quest for the Truth....some people don't like the truth you may have noticed !

    and I can prove that I was discharged from 33rd Gen. at Catania - Sicily - ISQ by Major Gordon - just before Christmas in fact '44..and light duties for 14 days while waiting transport back to the Convalescent camp at Torre Annunziatta - and from there back to the RAC depot at Rietti before joining the 16/5th Lancers as my old regiment had been broken up for spares in early December and Gerry Chester's NIH took our place in 21st Tank Bde .
    Cheers
     
  10. CommanderChuff

    CommanderChuff Senior Member

    I have been following the development of the Scarlet Finders website with close interest and just wanted to drop a line to say that it has been very useful in my research into railway ambulance trains. I am a member of several railway historical societies and have read your recent posts on the WW2talk forum. Although there is much information to read in the IWM, PRO and other libraries, there isn’t always the time or convenience in getting to the libraries.

    So your database is a great help in making the difficult task of data collection much easier by being online. I would be more than pleased to answer queries about the ambulance trains in WW1 and WW2 should you need more information, and thank you again for the website.

    David Austin
    WW2Talk, South Eastern Railway Society, Brighton Circle, LSWR Circle, Southern Railway forum, Gauge 0 Guild.
     
  11. CommanderChuff

    CommanderChuff Senior Member

    Dear Admin,

    Please would you consider putting the list of links to websites in alphabetical order, and adding Scarletfinders.
     
  12. Oggie2620

    Oggie2620 Senior Member

  13. Sue Light

    Sue Light Member

    Hallo Dee

    I do hang around Rootschat, and Scrimnet has often put links to my site on various Great War posts, but he probably doesn't realise that I've 'diversified' a bit into WW2 - it's come as a surprise to me as well! I'll add a post to the WW2 section there.

    Regards --- Sue
     
  14. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Dear Admin,
    Please would you consider putting the list of links to websites in alphabetical order, and adding Scarletfinders.
    Quite happy to add a link to Sue's site. Looks like a good 'un, so I've done so (By the way, Hello Sue.).

    As for alphebetising the links, that's not going to happen as it'd probably be more confusing than the vague groupings I use now.

    Cheers,
    Adam.
     
  15. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    P/215042 War Substantive Sister, Temporary Matron T.A.N.S., Beatrix Ernestine O'DWYER-THOMAS, No. 92 General Hospital, 57 Area

    This unit was the first British Hospital with its sisters to arrive in this theatre of war. At this time the fighting line was only a short distance away. Thus the onus of making provision for the skilled nursing of the sick and wounded of the whole British force fell on Miss O'DWYER-THOMAS. After distributing detachments of her nurses to the forward medical units, with the remainder she hurriedly organised the nursing of an improvised 400 bed hospital to deal with a heavy influx of malaria patients many of whom were gravely ill. The unit's equipment not having been disembarked this entailed much improvisation to enable nursing to be carried out at all.

    Later Miss O'DWYER-THOMAS had to organise the nursing service of the hospital in NAPLES when owing to the enemy having destroyed the water, light and sewage services, the difficulties in nursing the patients were prodigious. Frequent air-raids called for the highest courage and calmness which Miss THOMAS showed in soothing and giving confidence to the very many desperately ill patients who could not be moved to underground shelters. At this time the hospital was treating several hundred more patients than its establishment allowed for without any extra staff and with some still det?? to other units. The fact that this hospital admitted nearly 10000 patients in under two months gives an indication of the superhuman efforts that were required of the Matron to organise the nursing of such a tremendous rush of sick and wounded to one hospital. All through this unbelievably trying time Miss O'DWYER-THOMAS showed great qualities of energy and sympathy in the highest degree. She was moreover carrying out duties far beyond those of her rank and it is surprising that her health did not give way under the strain.

    Royal Red Cross

    The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Image Details

    WO 373/7-ir2266-p123&124
     
  16. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    206516 War Substantive Sister, Temporary Matron Sarah Alice WADE, Q.A.I.M.N.S., 93 GENERAL HOSPITAL

    Miss WADE, Q.A.I.M.N.S. as Matron of a Gen Hospital (1200 beds) has since joining this unit & during the period under review, carried out her duties with energy and efficiency. She has at all times set a high standard of loyalty and cheerful devotion to duty to the nursing staff under her, and has maintained under difficult conditions, in all departments of the Hospital, a level of nursing efficiency worthy of the high traditions of her service and profession.

    (Period 27 Aug - 31 Dec 43 Sa?????a (Tripoli) and Barletta)

    RRC

    The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Image Details
    WO 373/7-ir2266-p1235
    Name Wade, Sarah Alice
    Rank: Sister, Temporary Matron, Acting Principal Matron
    Service No: P/206516
    Regiment: 101 British General Hospital
    Theatre of Combat or Operation: North West Europe 1944-45
    Award: Bar to Royal Red Cross
    Date of Announcement in London Gazette: 11 October 1945
    Date 1945
    Catalogue reference WO 373/55
    The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Image Details
     
  17. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    P/209741 Sister Flora McDonald BARBOUR, T.A.N.S., 92 GENERAL HOSPITAL, 57 Area, C.M.F.

    Nursing Officer Miss BARBOUR has been working as operation theatre sister since the hospital opened in this area. During this time operations have averaged twenty a day for a period of nearly two months. Many of these operations have been on patient with the gravest and most extensive injuries and such duty is well known to be physically and mentally exhausting. In the ordinary call of duty a theatre sister would not be expected to have to stand up to much pressure or so long a period, but though working night and day her work was always efficiently carried out and sudden emergencies were met with unruffled calm & cheerfulness.

    She always gave of her best even when only here indomitable spirit was keeping her at work.

    ARRC

    The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Image Details

    WO 373/7-ir2266-p132
     
  18. barbaralawrence

    barbaralawrence Senior Member

    Hi Sue - Thanks very much for the list. This is a wonderful piece of research, and a great addition to your site. In March you and I corresponded about the VAD, and my mother (pictured in the avatar). I knew then that she served in Lambeth Hospital and at a hospital in Croydon. I'm now about 90% convinced she was in the military hospital that was set-up temporarily in part of the Croydon Airport Aerodrome Hotel. I wonder if you (or anyone else reading this) know anything about that small facility?

    Thanks very much for all your great work.

    Barbara
     
  19. barbaralawrence

    barbaralawrence Senior Member

    I heard today from Joanna Bogle, who wrote a series about Croydon Airport with two co-authors. She told me that their last book, Croydon Airport: from War to Peace contains a lot of information and parts of a nurse's war diary about the hospital in the aerodrome and local houses. I ordered it today so let me know Sue, or anyone else, if you want more information after I've read the book.

    Barbara
     
  20. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    Hi

    this is a superb resource. Do you know the reference at Kew for a similar list for Indian General Hospitals? I am researching my father-in-law's service and he was in hospitals in Imphal, Poona and Secunderbad after being wounded in the defence of Imphal but I don't know which units.

    Thanks again
     

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