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christiravens
New Member
Hi Everyone
What a fantastic and interesting thread which I am hoping is still open?
I have a picture of my grandad taken during WW1 in front of a hospital/convalescence home but have no idea where it is. It has been suggested that it may be the Birmingham area as the architecture is very similar to the Highcroft Hospital in Erdington - maybe a very long shot but I'm hoping that someone on here could either confirm or discount that. My details are very sketchy I'm afraid - he was gassed and received a bullet wound to his arm/hand (seperate incidents) but do not know when etc but do know that he was medically discharged in December 1918.
Fingers crossed and look forward to any replies with great interest. Many thanks.
Christiravens
What a fantastic and interesting thread which I am hoping is still open?
I have a picture of my grandad taken during WW1 in front of a hospital/convalescence home but have no idea where it is. It has been suggested that it may be the Birmingham area as the architecture is very similar to the Highcroft Hospital in Erdington - maybe a very long shot but I'm hoping that someone on here could either confirm or discount that. My details are very sketchy I'm afraid - he was gassed and received a bullet wound to his arm/hand (seperate incidents) but do not know when etc but do know that he was medically discharged in December 1918.
Fingers crossed and look forward to any replies with great interest. Many thanks.
Christiravens
T
Trevor Sproston
Guest
This isn't a reply, I'm afraid; it's because I can't post this question any other way - apologies if it's already been asked.
In his autobiography, Harry Patch says that he convalesced in Handsworth Hospital. Does anyone know which one he means?
In his autobiography, Harry Patch says that he convalesced in Handsworth Hospital. Does anyone know which one he means?
Note. Two separate threads have been merged from his point onwards
When I saw this photo from the Birmingham Weekly Post (29 August 1914) it struck me that soldiers from all over the country might have been treated in Birmingham. I know some hospitals were makeshift such as at B'ham University, but wonder if these men were being transferred to what later became Selly Oak Hospital? All the men were wounded in training, they wouldn't have yet seen a WW1 battlefield. Having now read many war diary pages, I'm surprised to learn that this was a more common occurrence than you'd think. Viv.
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When I saw this photo from the Birmingham Weekly Post (29 August 1914) it struck me that soldiers from all over the country might have been treated in Birmingham. I know some hospitals were makeshift such as at B'ham University, but wonder if these men were being transferred to what later became Selly Oak Hospital? All the men were wounded in training, they wouldn't have yet seen a WW1 battlefield. Having now read many war diary pages, I'm surprised to learn that this was a more common occurrence than you'd think. Viv.
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Re: WW1 hospitals in Birmingham
Just had a look around and Birmingham University would have been where these lads were heading. B'ham Uni was the 1st Southern General Hospital in Bournbrook.
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And here's a very kindly looking matron. Viv.
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Just had a look around and Birmingham University would have been where these lads were heading. B'ham Uni was the 1st Southern General Hospital in Bournbrook.
View attachment 93640
And here's a very kindly looking matron. Viv.
View attachment 93641
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ColinB
gone but not forgotten
Re: WW1 hospitals in Birmingham
There were many public building and private houses used as temporary hospitals during the wars, there was over 130,000 wounded treated in Birmingham alone, I've got a number of them listed on my website https://www.bhamb14.co.uk/index_files/THEWARYEARS.htm .
Many mental health hospital were used for the wounded which meant re-housing the original patients in suitable accommodation throughout the country.
Colin
There were many public building and private houses used as temporary hospitals during the wars, there was over 130,000 wounded treated in Birmingham alone, I've got a number of them listed on my website https://www.bhamb14.co.uk/index_files/THEWARYEARS.htm .
Many mental health hospital were used for the wounded which meant re-housing the original patients in suitable accommodation throughout the country.
Colin
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Re: WW1 hospitals in Birmingham
Thanks for your link Colin. It tackles a very interesting WW1 subject. From your info it seems plans to use B'ham Uni as a hospital were made (if it became necessary) as far back as 1909. They went into some wonderful locations for treatment, especially the auxiliary hospitals, a consolation given that the men would have been severely wounded Dealing with the wounded must have been a very difficult issue for the authorities as I don't expect they particularly wanted the public to see droves of wounded men coming back from the Front. The arrangement of a specially built platform at Selly Oak speaks volumes. I also wondered whether fatalities at these hospitals had their own war memorials and whether the soldier's body would be returned to their home town for burial? I know bringing home bodies from the Front was discouraged, but I presume the dead from hospitals would have to be sent home. Viv.
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Thanks for your link Colin. It tackles a very interesting WW1 subject. From your info it seems plans to use B'ham Uni as a hospital were made (if it became necessary) as far back as 1909. They went into some wonderful locations for treatment, especially the auxiliary hospitals, a consolation given that the men would have been severely wounded Dealing with the wounded must have been a very difficult issue for the authorities as I don't expect they particularly wanted the public to see droves of wounded men coming back from the Front. The arrangement of a specially built platform at Selly Oak speaks volumes. I also wondered whether fatalities at these hospitals had their own war memorials and whether the soldier's body would be returned to their home town for burial? I know bringing home bodies from the Front was discouraged, but I presume the dead from hospitals would have to be sent home. Viv.
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Chris_Baker
master brummie
Re: WW1 hospitals in Birmingham
Thank you Chris. A lot of interesting information on your site too. I like the story of Mona from the Talbot Inn taking cigarettes, chocolate etc with her father to the wounded arriving at Soho Station at night. And good to see more acts of kindness by the Birmingham Brewers Association in helping to refurb Farcroft as well as Avery's contribution to Stapylton House, Harborne.
I expect early on in the war wounded soldiers were allocated places as they became available. But wondering if there was some degree of specialisation as time went on (and of course as more experience was gained) ? Viv.
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Thank you Chris. A lot of interesting information on your site too. I like the story of Mona from the Talbot Inn taking cigarettes, chocolate etc with her father to the wounded arriving at Soho Station at night. And good to see more acts of kindness by the Birmingham Brewers Association in helping to refurb Farcroft as well as Avery's contribution to Stapylton House, Harborne.
I expect early on in the war wounded soldiers were allocated places as they became available. But wondering if there was some degree of specialisation as time went on (and of course as more experience was gained) ? Viv.
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Old Boy
master brummie
Re: WW1 hospitals in Birmingham
I also wondered whether fatalities at these hospitals had their own war memorials and whether the soldier's body would be returned to their home town for burial? I know bringing home bodies from the Front was discouraged, but I presume the dead from hospitals would have to be sent home. Viv.
Hi Val,
There is a small area in Lodge Hill Cemetery where soldiers who died locally in WW1 are buried although I expect the majority were returned to their home towns. It was actually forbidden for bodies of soldiers killed in action to be returned to the UK . They were buried where they fell.
Old Boy
I also wondered whether fatalities at these hospitals had their own war memorials and whether the soldier's body would be returned to their home town for burial? I know bringing home bodies from the Front was discouraged, but I presume the dead from hospitals would have to be sent home. Viv.
Hi Val,
There is a small area in Lodge Hill Cemetery where soldiers who died locally in WW1 are buried although I expect the majority were returned to their home towns. It was actually forbidden for bodies of soldiers killed in action to be returned to the UK . They were buried where they fell.
Old Boy
Re: WW1 hospitals in Birmingham
Hi Forum,is there any Lists of injuried Troops,& Where they Stayed what area,they were sent too of Birmingham..my cousin wants to come up from london to see where his father was located at,Which Building,in 1917..if that is still possible, cheers..
Hi Forum,is there any Lists of injuried Troops,& Where they Stayed what area,they were sent too of Birmingham..my cousin wants to come up from london to see where his father was located at,Which Building,in 1917..if that is still possible, cheers..
pjmburns
master brummie
Re: WW1 hospitals in Birmingham
I am not sure about a list detailing who was sent where but this site lists all the auxiliary hospitals across the country. https://www.redcross.org.uk/~/media/BritishRedCross/Documents/Who we are/History and archives/List of auxiliary hospitals in the UK during the First World War.pdf Many Birmingham ones are listed under Worcestershire. However, my Grandfather, from Birmingham was not sent to a Birmingham hospital on his return from France. So unless you can actually find where someone was sent this list may be no use. There are, of course, other non-auxiliary hospitals as well.
Janice
I am not sure about a list detailing who was sent where but this site lists all the auxiliary hospitals across the country. https://www.redcross.org.uk/~/media/BritishRedCross/Documents/Who we are/History and archives/List of auxiliary hospitals in the UK during the First World War.pdf Many Birmingham ones are listed under Worcestershire. However, my Grandfather, from Birmingham was not sent to a Birmingham hospital on his return from France. So unless you can actually find where someone was sent this list may be no use. There are, of course, other non-auxiliary hospitals as well.
Janice
ColinB
gone but not forgotten
Re: WW1 hospitals in Birmingham
They could have been sent anywhere in the country depending where there was bed space suitable for the treatment requiredo, some would only need TLC others needing medical care.
I do know that when Highbury Hall was used as a V.A.D hospital it only had a few medical staff and was more of a recovery and rehabilitation unit when the wounded would have been sent after treatment
Colin
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They could have been sent anywhere in the country depending where there was bed space suitable for the treatment requiredo, some would only need TLC others needing medical care.
I do know that when Highbury Hall was used as a V.A.D hospital it only had a few medical staff and was more of a recovery and rehabilitation unit when the wounded would have been sent after treatment
Colin
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pjmburns
master brummie
Christy
I have just come across this site - https://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/125.html It doesn't answer your question but goes a long way to explaining what happened. If you can find a service record then you may discover the hospital. I found out by discovering a postcard/photo showing my Grandfather. There was a photographers address and from that I found a web site which led me to the hospital he was in. Pure luck.
Janice
I have just come across this site - https://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/125.html It doesn't answer your question but goes a long way to explaining what happened. If you can find a service record then you may discover the hospital. I found out by discovering a postcard/photo showing my Grandfather. There was a photographers address and from that I found a web site which led me to the hospital he was in. Pure luck.
Janice
Thank you very much Janice. A very helpful link. Interesting that there were concentrations of beds in Birmingham, Manchester and London. Viv.
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Re: WW1 hospitals in Birmingham
Hi Old Boy. Thanks for the info. I didn't realise it was actually forbidden to return bodies. Despite that I think some families did get them returned. I think families could pay for this, but maybe that was the case some time after the war. Viv.
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Hi Old Boy. Thanks for the info. I didn't realise it was actually forbidden to return bodies. Despite that I think some families did get them returned. I think families could pay for this, but maybe that was the case some time after the war. Viv.
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paul stacey
master brummie
What we tent to forget is that the First World War saw the British army swell from some 50,000 men in 1914, to over 1.5 million, at any one time there may have been 250,000 men in some sort of training, it would be unusual if not say 2 % were injured in training as now. Paul
Hi Josie. When you see WW1 causes of death, many of these wouldn't have happened today. WW1 enabled surgeons, medical staff etc to make great strides in treatments. Such a terrible fact that many, many people died in the process. Viv.
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Absolutely Paul. And of course training was not only carried out at home; the recording of some form of training appears almost every day in the war diaries. Some dreadful accidents are recorded with groups of soldiers being blown up, accidents involving training on new weapons as well as day to day accidents. And as we all know, occasionally they were intentional (and who can blame them). Your 2% would be a very realistic figure. Viv.
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paul stacey
master brummie
Sad to read of your loved one Josie, "Gangrene", was an all to common form of death in WW1, as we did't have any "Antibiotics" then, and some German bullets were made of lead. Paul
ColinB
gone but not forgotten
Dudley Road Hospital cared for over 53,000 casualties during the war.
https://www.bhamb14.co.uk/index_files/DUDLEYROADHOSPITAL.htm
Colin
https://www.bhamb14.co.uk/index_files/DUDLEYROADHOSPITAL.htm
Colin
paul stacey
master brummie
I was born there.
The "suburbanbirmingham.org.uk " site makes an interesting point about a city producing vital munitions whilst caring for the many wounded soldiers who passed through its hospitals:
"This paradox was typified in an example cited by Reginald Brazier in his history of Birmingham during the First World War: Highbury VAD Auxiliary Hospital was funded through the generosity of the workforce of the Kynoch armaments firm." And ".... on the one hand to maximise the efficiency of the creation and production of the most deadly weapons and, on the other, to provide the best medical care for the wounded and sick." It must have been a difficult issue for some munitions workers.
It's interesting that the survival rates mentioned in Colin's link were good too. The Suburban Birmingham site shows how Birmingham was prepared to try out different approaches to treatments. At Bournbrook, the use of open air treatment was tried. Maybe this was a factor helping in a good recovery? Opinion was divided, but there was probably some value in open air treatment.
Viv.
"This paradox was typified in an example cited by Reginald Brazier in his history of Birmingham during the First World War: Highbury VAD Auxiliary Hospital was funded through the generosity of the workforce of the Kynoch armaments firm." And ".... on the one hand to maximise the efficiency of the creation and production of the most deadly weapons and, on the other, to provide the best medical care for the wounded and sick." It must have been a difficult issue for some munitions workers.
It's interesting that the survival rates mentioned in Colin's link were good too. The Suburban Birmingham site shows how Birmingham was prepared to try out different approaches to treatments. At Bournbrook, the use of open air treatment was tried. Maybe this was a factor helping in a good recovery? Opinion was divided, but there was probably some value in open air treatment.
Viv.
my Cousin was taken to Dudley rd Hospital 1917...Injuried..Years later He was taken to Cemetry in London to visit 3,Graves..My Guess His Friends, i will try to find out if the Soldiers,were injuried or may have died in Battle,?.. Also the Cemetry in London..Name...Will let you Know,,Cheers..
as i said in my post 17 one of my relatives died in torbay hospital torquay
i have tryed to find a photo of how the hospital would have looked in 1916 without luck
does anyone know where i would be able to get get hold of a photo of the hospital in 1916
thank josie
i have tryed to find a photo of how the hospital would have looked in 1916 without luck
does anyone know where i would be able to get get hold of a photo of the hospital in 1916
thank josie
Hi Josie. The hospital was completely re-built in the 1920s.
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Radiorails
master brummie
The hospital was the civilian hospital. The building still exists and is used by the local authority and the courts as far as I know. Injured servicemen - ordinary ranks were just down the road a short distance in the Town Hall which was given over for use as a hospital for the Red Cross. It is recorded that Agatha Christie visited this hospital, she was a Torquinian. Officers, it is said. were on the outskirts of Torquay at Stoodley Knowle - a very large house which has been a convent and girls school for many years. (great sea views)
eaceful:. Oldway Mansion, in Paignton was also used. South Devon has always been used for convalescence due to its climate.
eaceful:. Oldway Mansion, in Paignton was also used. South Devon has always been used for convalescence due to its climate.