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Marston Green Hospital Nurses

P

Pat56

master brummie
I'm new to Birmingham History Forums so thought I would begin here.

The photograph that goes with this post (see below) has caused a bit of a stir in our family recently and it is the photograph I'm seeking help with.


image.png Hi All,
Long story, cut short .........

I'm a member of a West Bromwich family (hope that doesn't alienate me) and I have a sister that recently came across this photo "by chance". The photo (taken in New Jersey) has caused a stir because everyone who has seen it, agrees that the woman on the right is our mother.

Our mother passed away in 1967 when we were all very young and our dad, as was often the case back then, hardly ever spoke about her. Dad passed way a few years back leaving us knowing little about our family past and particularly our mom.

The photo became more intriguing when we discovered it to be held in both, the archives of the New York Daily newspaper and Getty Images. Email inquiries to the NY daily are unanswered!

The Birmingham connection ......

Our mom was a nurse at Marston Green Hospital during the 1940's - the date of this photo is 19th December 1945. We believe our mother was in America at about this time of her life - but why, we do not know. So we are wondering, are the other ladies in the picture from the Birmingham area? - are they all nurses? Is there anyone out there who might be able to help with this question?

Which area of the forum would be best to post this photograph in?

Our mothers name back then: Mary Ellen Cremin (later Powell), originally from Cork, Ireland. She had a brother Daniel Cremin who lived on the West Brom side of Birmingham; he was killed in a car accident in in that area in 1959.

Have read the threads on MG hospital, we have some bits of information from the 40's that might be worth posting on here somewhere.
 
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Interesting connection between the hospital and North America...

"Early in the Second World War a base was built for the Royal Canadian Air Force off Berwicks Lane. Built as a series of huts, this was the 19th Canadian General Hospital with beds for some 700 patients. In 1948 it became Marston Green Maternity Hospital, one of the first opened under the newly founded National Health Service."
 
Hi Pat 56, the only thing I can suggest is that I was watching a programme the other night about nurses in the war. The programme was to do with airmen, some of whom were injured. When injured airmen were taken home they had to be accompanied by trained nurses. I wonder if the girls in the picture had accompanied some of the MG patients when they went home and were having a bit of a spree before the return journey? Lovely picture!
 
Welcome Pat. Lovely photo. And interesting background to the Marston Green nurses. Suggest you leave this thread as it is for the time being. Hopefully others will pick up on it. I've added Marston Green nurses to your title as it might help to attract members attention. I'd be interested to see how this develops! Thanks for posting. Viv.
 
Pat56 said:
What am I doing wrong? I seem to be posting my photos ok ..... but they are not appearing in my messages.
Click to expand...
Out here in rural Herefordshire the internet travels along lengths of wire no better than string ....... things don't always work as well as they do in fibre world!!
 
Can anyone suggest a better area of the forum to put this in?
I started in advice being new to the forum, now thinking there might be a little more exposure higher up the forum list somewhere.
 
There has been a suggestion that not all of the photos are at MG and some could be at Chelmsley Hospital. Anyone good at building identification? The external spiral staircase on one of the photos must be a bit of a give away?
 
Pat56 said:
Can anyone suggest a better area of the forum to put this in?
I started in advice being new to the forum, now thinking there might be a little more exposure higher up the forum list somewhere.
Click to expand...

hi pat i have moved this thread to the hospitals section of forum

lyn
 
The lady on the right is my mother Mary Ellen Cremin, Marston Green nurse at the time of the photograph 19/12/1945. Can anyone identify the other ladies in the picture? Can anyone help with the story that goes with the picture? Even the slightest scrap of information might help.

upload_2017-2-2_9-43-2.png
 
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Hi Pat 56, I remember that this appears on another thread with a couple of newspapers mentioned. I've just had a thought about a very long shot so will try it. Can you repeat the names of the papers here please? I have a contact in the USA who had access to newspaper archives, she may have an idea or two.
 
Hi Lady P,

thanks for showing interest.
Yes, I do have a thread running in the Hospitals section.
The fascinating thing about the photo (for our family) is that we have traced it back to the "New York Daily" newspaper archives, where there is a caption and a date (19/12/1945). I have sent several emails to the NYD, but have failed to get a single reply. The photograph is available to purchase - but they will not post outside the USA! I did exchange a few emails with one of the photo sales team, but he said there was no information relating to the photograph available. He did however kindly send me a good image file of the photograph that prints quite well.
 
Hi Pat 56, I emailed as promised and had the following initial reply:

"The first thing that comes to mind is that these nurses may have been helping wounded American troops returning home from Europe after the war. Newark Bay was a huge point of departure and arrival then. I'm sure the picture was taken in Newark. I see New Jersey on one store front, and "Treat" next to it. There is a Robert Treat Hotel in Newark and that name must be associated with it somehow.

I would advise your friend to go to https://www.oldnewark.com/ and post a query and her picture. I'm sure she will get a response.

upload_2017-2-3_14-19-24.png"The largest collection of Newark Memories, Images and Information on the Internet!"

I'll take a closer look at the notes this week. City directories of that era might help pinpoint the exact location of where the picture was located if I can find the "cleaners" mentioned in the storefront. "

Pat, it was through that site that I met my Stateside friend so it's definitely a start. Good Luck!
 
Pat, next message reads:

"I'm sure your friend's mother could have been part of a large contingent of English nurses who served the troops aboard the QM. A brief perusal of my GenealogyBank newspaper database returns--Tuesday, November 27, 1945, from the Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, NJ): (see image)

Speaking of the Queen Mary. She is docked Long Beach, California. It's a museum and hotel. We went there about two years ago. I wonder if she could be found in passenger records..."
 

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What interesting research! Just shows what can be gleaned from a photo. The lady in the fur coat seems to be carrying a blanket with the name 'Slumberest' on it. The lady to her left has the same, but two of them. They look like satin-edged blankets. I wonder if these were to bring home? Or for use in the US? Were they collecting nursing supplies?

I've brought the two threads on Marston Green hospital nurses together. Viv.
 
Thank you all, for both your interest in this thread and the help provided. The wartime role of the QM we didn't know about, but now that we do - we have another avenue to explore.
 
Words from the wards!!
The following pages are photographs of pages from Mary Ellen Cremin's autograph book.IMG_3985.JPG
 

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