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Military hospitals in Birmingham WW1

Hi Cromwell, i have just joined the Brum history site, I'm interested in your ww1 info. My Father was a pow in the last years of the war, because he died young I know very little about him, except what I'm finding out in my research. do you know if the pow's were sent to hospital on their return home, my father Charlie was gassed,which eventually contributed to his death. Love the photos. Regards from an ex Brummie.
 
William have you any idea what POW camp he was in ? as their would have been correspondence,but I suppose if their was its long gone. I have a few photo's of the men in Rouben POW camp in Germany which I might post at a later date.
Private John Henry Currah was buried with full military honours at Yardley Cemetery, he was an old soldier who joined the army in 1903 and was recalled to the colours at the outbreak off war in one of the first engagements with the enemy he was wounded and captured. Whist in a POW camp in Gemany he threatened a brutal camp guard and as a punishment was made to stand in a hogshead barrel of water in the middle of winter for six hours at a time which led him to become paralysed down his left side, he was sent to Switzerland and repatriated back to England, after a week in the Hospital in Birmingham he had a major stroke which killed him. His younger brother William Francis 10516 DCLI was killed in action 11th.April 1916 (Birmingham born but lived in Newquay). and his older brother was also a POW in Germany
If the men were fit and healthy when they were released they just had to get on with things, if like you say he was gassed, treatment would have been no existant as the damage was done at the time of gassing  and his lungs would have deteriorated over the years.
If you knew his regiment you could do a lot more research through the war diaries of the regiment
 
That information about being tortured was chilling, i can't see the point, it must have been bad enough being a pow without being tortured.  My father was in the Eighth Rifle Brigade, I've only found that information off his wedding certificate, but I have found his Medal role sheet. Is there any other way to find out were he may have been held prisoner.
 
Williams, Their is a great deal of info in the Brum Newspapers and Like I said you will have do do your research first, Number,war diaries etc.
 
The Hollies was a large house situated opposite the Sutton Park in Four Oaks Road. The building dated from at least 1868, when its then owner. Richard Dorsett, was mentioned in a law dispute.It opened as a VAD hospital in October 1917, closed in APRIL 1919.
I WILL post PICTURES LATER.
 
Warwickshire
Alcester- VAD Hospital
Banbury- Brailes Auxiliary Hospita lFarnborough Hall
Berkswell- Berkswell Rectory
Birmingham- Halloughton Hall, Coleshill, Maxstoke Castle, Coleshill The Vicarage Auxiliary Hospital
Coventry- Hillcrest Auxiliary Hospital Berkswell Rectory, near Coventry
Hampton-in-Arden- The Fentham Institute
Henley-in-Arden- VAD Hospital (and Extension, Wootton Hall)
Kenilworth VAD Hospital
Kineton Auxiliary Hospital
Knowle -Springfield Norton Cottage
Leamington - Holmdene Auxiliary Hospital The Warren Auxiliary Hospital, Lillington Road
Marston Green Ivy Cottage
Nuneaton Weddington Hall Hospital
Olton- Congregational Church Room
Rugby- St John's Auxiliary Military Hospital Rugby Town V.A. Hospital Bilton hall Red Cross Hospital Ashlawn Red Cross Hospital Rugby School Sanatorium Pailton House, near Rugby
Shipston-on-Stour Halford ManorPark House Auxiliary Military Hospital
Solihull - Hermitage Auxiliary Hospital
Southam - Red Cross Hospital
Stratford-on-Avon - Town Hall Hospital War Hospital, CloptonV.A. Hospital, Whytegates
Sutton Coldfield - Longfield Auxiliary Hospital, Little Aston Wood
Warwick - Barford Hill Longbridge Manor Guy's Cliffe Hospital Hill House Auxiliary Hospital
Wooton Wawen - Auxiliary Hospital
Wylde Green - St Bernard's Red Cross Hospital
 
As  promist see reply 66, here is a Photo of Sutton Coldfield VAD Hospital  "The Hollies"  a large house situated opposite the park in Four Oaks Road,at least 359 patients were treated including several Canadians, Americans & Australians & TWO PRISONERS OF WAR.
I include Also a PICTURE of a group of patients & staff ( no date )
ASTON
 
Aston two great pics, slowly building a great record up on the War Hospitals thank you for everyones help up to now.The Hollies opened in Oct.1917 as an annexe to The "Allerton" VAD 70 Hospital
I should let anyone who is intrested know that a few years ago I compiled a list of all the wounded Royal Welsh Fusiliers which I put on a CD rom showing which hospitals they went to etc.
But at the start of the war all wounded were listed each day in the Newspapers so anyone who was wounded would be in the papers as it gave Regiment  Number and Name all at Birmingham Central Libary
 
In Astons picture of Staff and patients, why do some of the soldiers have white lapels on their tunics,? :-\
 
Postie it was standard practice as a hospital uniform for soldiers others might be due to leave or just come
 
The Hollies VAD : Miss Beatrice Cooper was appinted Sister-in-Charge at The Hollies,opened as an extention to Allerton VAD hospital the Commandant was Beryl Ryland from Moxhull Hall & the Medical Officer in charge was Dr G.P.Jerome.
This is the Staff Photo.
 
These remarkable sketches were done by a Lc.Cpl of the Sussex Regt in a Hospital ward were he was recovering from having his arm blown off
 
The photos of the nurses are very special. The ad for the aprons is very nice. It's such a shame that nurses don't look like nurses anymore these days. When I was visiting my daughter a few years ago I couldn't tell who was a nurse and who wasn't until I got up close and saw the badges. The nurses were wearing track suits and some in nylon pant suits. I don't think a practical nurse outfits has ever been designed after the ones familiar to us over the years. It seems to be a mish mash now.

The sketches drawn by the soldier with one arm made me feel very sad but then
how talented he was. I hope he felt better after he drew those sketches because
losing your arm would be devastating to anyone but to a first class artist, which he was,
it must have been even more dreadful.

The sketches are truly remarkable Cromwell. The captions are very fitting. Thanks for posting them and the Hollymoor staff photos as well.
 
Here are some great Red Cross postcards I have collected over the years
Last photo is a photo of a Red Cross nurse taken in 1918
 
Tom Mostyn painted this oil painting in aid of the Charity..... War Hospital Supply Depot
The painting was sold at auction and so was 200 coloured reproduction copies which raised a large sum for the charity in 1917
 
If you have noticed the wounded were given a uniform which was called Hospital Blues but as hardly any coloured pictures came out of the Great War I Have managed to find one to show you the colours of the suit and tie
Bottom pic is the Canadian Convalescent Home at Bearwood does anyone know if is still their and where it was ?
 
Cromwell,a Google search shows a Bearwood Park Hospital in Wokingham,Berkshire

"He began military service on 17 September 1917 was transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Bearwood Park, Wokingham"

or could Bearwood Park be Lightswood Park as #47

Colin
 
Thanks for that Colin, I know now its not in Brum (but I will leave the pic on)
 
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Cromwell...it's an amazing looking place where ever it is located. Seems a lot of these
beautiful stately homes were used as hospitals and convalescent homes going back to WW1
and over the years following as well. People used to talk a lot about going away to a
convalescent home after a serious illness.
 
When we think of the horrific injuries suffered by the men not a lot of folk know that their was no National Health Service like we have today if you wanted a wheelchair you had to buy it yourself or any other medical aid that you required and I have seen the poor men outside the crowds of football matches begging, one had lost his legs and he was on a Homemade skateboard type contraption scooting along by his hands on the floor collecting money from the crowd while his one armed blind mate played the penny whistle........ in a land fit for heroes 
The Bottom two cards are what appeared in cigarette packets after the war for the Lord Roberts Memorial Workshops appeal for money
 
Postcard of Mr & Mrs Ernest W Beston entertaining wounded soldiers at Fernwood Grange New Oscott Sutton Coldfield Monday 7th June 1918
 
A card sold by L M Richard in aid of blinded soldiers
Note the Swastika border which meant nothing in the Great War, a Symbol Hitler hijacked in WW2 for the Nazi party
Bottom two are postcards sold in aid of the war hospitals fund
 
Reading this thread I feel ashamed at how little I knew or cared :(

Does anyone know if the now defunct (or demolished?) All Saints Hospital, Hockley was used as a war hospital?
(It looked like SO many in some of the previous photos).
I used to work there in '87/'88, when training for psychiatric nursing.
 
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