|
Date: |
|
Description: | Two albums with affixed photographs and ephemera and annotations detailing the history of Wilderness VAD Hospital at Seal, nr Sevenoaks, Kent from 1914-1918. Compiled by the Hon Violet Mills MBE, owner of Wildernesse House, the album uniquely contains lists of the names of all the patients admitted to the hospital, their ranks, regiments or corps, their wounds or illnesses, and dates of admission or discharge. The album contains photographs of the stable block (internal and external) in which the hospital was sited along with informal groups of the patients and staff. Also contains some entertainment programs for events held by the nurses for the patients.
Coverage of hospital activities from October 1914 to December 1916, including detailed lists of all patients who were admitted to the hospital between 14th October 1914 and 5th December 1916. Persons covered include soldiers of British, French, Australian and Canadian nationalities, sailors of the Royal Naval Division and RFC airmen.
Ephemera includes: newspaper extracts reporting the opening of the hospital along with a report into VAD hospitals of the time. A telegram to Wildernesse from Folkestone reporting the despatch to the hopital of the first seven patients. A playbill for a performance of 'Showed up with a Duchess'. A poem written by patient Private T Barrow. A playbill for 'Any Day Any Time' performed at Wildernesse. A postcard entitled 'To Red Cross Nurse', giving thanks for work done. A poem entitled 'Tommy from France' written by patient E Payne of 13th Battalion Rifle Brigade. A poem entitled 'Made Up In Flanders' written by D D Lubbeck of 1/5th Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment.
Photographs include: VAD nursing staff training prior to the commencement of medical duties. A view of the building on Wildernesse estate which became the hospital. Annotated photographs of informal solo and group portraits of patients, medical staff and domestic staff in and around the hospital buildings. A motor ambulance at the hospital. The funeral of Private Walter Williams of A Company, 2nd Battalion, the East Yorkshire Regiment. Informal group portrait of members of the Mills family including Violet Mills and Algernon Victor Mills. View of the interior of the stable block after conversion to a ward. Views of patients dining outside.
Coverage of hospital activities from December 1916 - December 1918 including detailed lists of all patients who were admitted to the hospital between 5th December 1916 and 2nd December 1918 on the hospital's closure. Persons covered include soldiers of British, Australian and Canadian nationalities, sailors of the Royal Naval Division and airmen of the Royal Air Force.
Ephemera includes: A playbill for a variety show put on at the hospital. An illustration and watercolour of a nurse entitled 'The Darling of the Ward'. A drawing of a stylised Napoleonic cavalryman by Sapper Male (1917). A postcard entitled 'Thank You Sister'.
Photographs include: Annotated photographs of informal solo and group portraits of patients, medical staff and domestic staff in and around the hospital buildings. A small number of semi-formal studio portraits of patients. A motor ambulance at the hospital. Views of the patients dining outside.
The albums were compiled throughout the First World War by the nursing staff of Wilderness VAD Hospital and principally the Hon Violet Mills. MBE, daughter of the 3rd Lord Hillingdon who owned Wildernesse House, the estate on which the hospital was founded. After the war the albums were kept in the building which had been converted to a laundry. In c.1950 upon the death of Violet Mills, the albums and other papers were inherited by her niece, who displayed them at various local archives events before deciding to hand them to IWM.
Two bound cardboard photograph albums containing photographs and ephemera (newspaper cuttings, playbills, telegrams and notes) affixed by glue.
Album One: Green bound cardboard photograph album, entitled 'Photographs'
Album Two: Brown and maroon bound cardboard photograph album with gold banding decoration | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | Royal Navy 1914-1918 British Army 1914-1918 Hospital Medical Casualties women First World War | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Mills, Violet | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
|
|