Winchcombe VA hospital |
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| Winchcombe's VAD hospital was on a split site, with beds provided in an old infant school belonging to Mr Dent-Brocklehurst of Sudeley Castle, and in the Conservative Working Men's Club, which still serves as an important social venue in the town today. | Gloucestershire Red Cross Hospitals 1914-1919 |
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WINCHCOMBE V.A. HOSPITAL GLOS. 6 final report from The Red Cross in Gloucestershire 1914-19 |
Date of opening—May 16th 1915 No. of beds Admissions since opening to March 26th 1919 Deaths
Average number of days each patient was resident |
45 809 3 1915 51 |
1916 48 |
1917 51 |
1918 45 |
OFFICERS Commandant: Miss E. Wedgwood Medical Officer: Dr J. Halliwell Lady Superintendent: Miss E. Booth Quartermasters: Miss Deans, Mr J. Wellington Hon. Secretary: Rev. W. F. Eliot |
NOTE BY THE COMMANDANT The V.A. Hospital, Winchcombe, opned in 1915 with 45 patients. We received our patients straight from France. The hospital was in two buildings a few hundred yards apart — The Unionist Workmen's Club and the old Infant Schoolroom — rendered suitable for the purpose by Mr Dent-Brocklehurst's generosity. The Medical Officer, Mr Halliwell, kindly placed his X-ray room and his garden at our service. Mrs Halliwell started the catering so excellently that when disabled by ill-health her understudy, Miss Deans, proved herself equally efficient as quartermaster. Mr Wellington, pack storekeeper and quartermaster, placed his own car at our disposal. Mrs Bird, linen keeper, organised a weekly whist drive. The nursing staff consisted of two trained nurses and seven V.A.D.s, for whom I hired a house close by as a hostel. The V.A.D. nurses were employed either permanently or every other fortnight for 14 days on end. The Vicar, the Wesleyan Minister and the Congregational Minister gave us in turn every Sunday a half-hour service in the evening. Mrs Frank Adlard arranged a weekly concert. Mr Dent-Brocklehurst gave a recreation room, and we built a small operating theatre and started a successful laundry; the average weekly amount washed being 600 articles.
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