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  1. #1
    helen
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    Default hospitals for injured ww1 soldiers

    Does anybody know if there were particular places/hospitals where Australian WW1 soldiers may have gone if they were injured. Family folklore of injured grandfather being injured during the war and letters from England written by a nurse to his wife in Australia. He never returned home to her, but maybe staying in England with nurse or returning to Australia to live with her here.

    Any clues?
    Helen

  2. #2
    Colbara
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    My G.uncle, from Australia, fought in WW1 and on looking through his army papers I see that in 1915 he was returned from France to England with Trachoma - defective vision and he was taken to the General hospital at Bristol Southmead.


    My grandfather was also in hospital and as his wife was in London he was transferred near there - it was not far from London as my nan visited him. Most probably Hertfordshire the family tbink.

    Hope that helps.

  3. #3
    helen
    Guest

    Default hospitals for injured ww1 soldiers

    thanks you have given me a strating point. I am waiting on his war records from the National Srchives in Canberra, so I hoping that there may be some additional info in there.

    helen

  4. #4
    Procat
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    Hi Helen,

    You may get lucky with his war service record but they are often sketchy with regard to medical records. My grandfather was gassed and hospitalised in England but there is no mention of this in his records.

    Why is no medical record included?

    For WW I, the only medical information that normally exists is the brief information contained on the service record. During WW II separate medical files were created. These records are now either with the Department of Defence or were passed to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Because of the personal information they contain they are not generally available under the Archives Act. If you have a special need for access to the information they contain, you will need to apply to the Department of Defence (where the information is likely to be for the war period only) or the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (where there is likely to be war period information and post-war veteran’s information) for access under the Freedom of Information Act.

    Regards,

  5. #5
    helen
    Guest

    Default injured ww1 soldier

    you are right, I am expecting that I may get a brick wall when I receive the file. I thought that they may withhold some sections. I am wondering if there will be any reference to my grandmother perhaps making some contact with them after the war as she tried ti find out what happened to her husband. I wait with excitement.

  6. #6
    Geoffers
    Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by helen
    Does anybody know if there were particular places/hospitals where Australian WW1 soldiers may have gone if they were injured. Family folklore of injured grandfather being injured during the war and letters from England written by a nurse to his wife in Australia. He never returned home to her, but maybe staying in England with nurse or returning to Australia to live with her here.
    Helen
    Around where I live there are many large manor houses. I know that some of these were used in WW1 as temporary hospitals and places for soldiers to recuperate. A few years ago I was speaking to an old boy who was a teenager during the Great War and could remember soldiers using one of them. He said that there were many different nationalities in this manor house and remembers how usnusual this seemed. This may of course be a one off, but I somehow doubt it, I believe that the manor house concerned was mostly used for recuperation. I don't know if this helps or hinders you.

    The only reason I know where my grandfather was treated is becasue he told me, I've found nowt on official documents.

    Good luck
    Geoffers
    Charlbury, Oxfordshire

  7. #7
    Fulhamster
    Guest

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    Queen Marys Hospital, Roehampton, London, England?
    I shall pop into the archives office on Monday 18th Oct.
    (tomorrow) and have a word with the archivist.
    I am sure we had some ANZAC troops here. The hospital
    was world famous for its false limb factory. Douglas Bader
    had his limbs made here.

  8. #8
    Procat
    Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by helen
    you are right, I am expecting that I may get a brick wall when I receive the file. I thought that they may withhold some sections. I am wondering if there will be any reference to my grandmother perhaps making some contact with them after the war as she tried ti find out what happened to her husband. I wait with excitement.
    You may well have better luck with that. I have several sets of records. In one of them there is a letter from one of my my grandfathers requesting information regarding his uncle and another contains numerous letters from a wife requesting personal effects and medals - along with the response that she was unable to claim them as the deceased soldier had made a Will leaving everything to another person.

    Regards,

  9. #9
    Patrisia
    Guest

    Default Roehampton Hospital

    I too lived in Roehampton and also worked at Queen Mary's Hospital for several years. I seem to remember being told that when the Ministry of Pensions took over the then Roehampton House, a great number of the historical documents were stored away in the basements. Where of course they ended up is another matter.

    The first wards were built behind the House for WWI wounded, then used again and developed following WWII.
    As well as Douglas Bader and his fellow amputees, the burns unit was also developed.This was brought up from Rooksdown House by Harold Gillies, a contemporary of Archibald Mcindoe of Guinea Pig Club fame.

    I digress.....

    When I obtained my grandfather's Army Service Record, I learnt that he was medically discharged at Netley. Since then I have been trying to get more details, so I too would be glad of advice - the Hospital Archives has proved a dead end.

    Patrisia

  10. #10
    A fountain of knowledge Lindad's Avatar
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    Oct 2004
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    Hi Helen

    I take it you've looked for him already on the Commonwealth War Graves site? I'm not sure whether this includes the names of soldiers who died after being repatriated or at least evacuted out of France or wherever...

    It seems strange that, if he died whilst recuperating, no one officially wrote to inform your grandmother.

    If your grandfather did decide to settle here (for whatever reason) and died some time later, presumably his name would appear on our usual BDM lists. If you let us have his name, maybe we can have a look.

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