A Manchester Military Hospital in World War One for Facial Injuries

This WW1 photograph shows a large number of inpatients in front of a British hospital. The memorial stone on the front, reads ‘Alderman Thomas Turnbull Hospital’, and has the name, ‘Manchester’.

World War One Manchester Military Hospital

War Inpatients during the War

The group of about 150 wounded and convalescing servicemen seem to have mostly eye, nose and chin wounds, suggesting the hospital specialised in facial injuries. Apart from rifle and machine gunfire, a large number of injuries were caused by the metal fragments from exploding shells, often causing blindness, deafness and burns to exposed skin. Injuries often required regular cleansing and dressing leading to long periods of convalescence. In the community, some civilians were shocked at how disfigured the inpatients were.

The servicemen in the photo are wearing hospital blue uniform with a white-facing collar and red tie. Between the two sergeants in the centre of the second row from the bottom, is a coloured colonial soldier with long service stripes.

A colonial black solder amidst a sea of white faces, likely from South Africa.

The field service badges showing are Seaforth Highlanders, Worcestershire Regiment and a Glengarry headwear. Most of the servicemen are in their prime with just a few in middle age.

Field Dressings of the RAMC Medical during WW1

This world war one photograph shows a Royal Army Medical Corp with medicinal gear in readiness for what the Great War had in store. The absorbency of the field dressings became paramount, as heavy blood loss was common on the battlefield.

A medial orderly in front of bell tents

Medical Practices in the Great War

Here, this RAMC serviceman carries a kit, likely comprising antiseptic wound dressings of muslin and wool, which would be used as an immediate application to a wound until the stretcher bearers arrived. For very heavy blood loss, bog moss from Scotland was used for high absorbency and antiseptic properties. Sphagnum, as it was called, was collected by children in Scottish bogs.

The practice spread throughout Ireland, Europe and Canada before the end of the war. The dressings were kept in an airtight waterproof pouch to keep the dressings clean and dry. Soldiers on the field were eventually required to keep a dressing pouch in his pocket, should a RAMC cannot be located.

Basic applications were used, such as hydrochloric acid to clean wounds and ether to subdue the patient.

British Military Hospital in World War One: Convalescing Servicemen Outdoors

This WW1 photograph, taken outside the hospital grounds, demonstrates the principle that fresh air is good for health. Here we see approximately 30 wounded and convalescing WW1 servicemen with their nurses. A rare jovial air is reflected by the character in the foreground, reclined upon the lawn in debonair fashion, wearing his sling like a fashion accessory.

Wounded WW1 Servicemen with VAD Nurses outside a Military Hospital

WW1 Military Hospital Photograph

Some of the casualties have been brought outdoors on their beds or wheelchairs, having donned their hospital uniforms for the shot. The fabric would have been Oxford blue with white collar and red tie.

A large number of these servicemen had suffered wounds caused by rifle and machine gunfire, as well as shrapnel from exploding shells. Such injuries required regular cleaning and dressing. Servicemen often had long periods of convalescence.

Voluntary Aid Detachment during WW1

The nurses pictured are VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) who, from a war office appeal, had stepped forward to do their bit for their country. Many of the women were from the order of St. John and the Red Cross to serve as nurses at home and in British hospitals. The VAD also served at casualty clearing stations near the front line. After learning basic first aid and how to deal with simple fractures, many VAD nurses also drove ambulances.

British Red Cross Nurses in WW1: Photograph of a British Hospital in 1914 before the Outbreak of War

This old photo of an English hospital has a Victorian feel. The interior shows wooden rafters, open plan with an air of high discipline judging by the postures of the nurses and the starchy British Cross uniforms.

British Red Cross Nurses in a Hampshire Hospital Prior to WW1

At the back of the photograph, a nurse called Gracie writes the date, which is 31 July 1914, although the date displayed on the front gives the date 27 May 1914. Hants, discloses the location being Hampshire, a county on the south coast of England.

Life of a World War One Nurse

The date on the rear would have been 3 days after war broke out, which was July 28 1914. A cloud of uncertainty and dread must have pervaded over the room. But the belief of doing right by your country would have bolstered morale.

The wards would have comprised a mixture of trained nurses, and volunteers, known as Voluntary Aid Detachments (VAD). Matrons and sisters would have presided.

Message dating back to before the First World War

The message from Gracie on the back of the photograph reads:

“Ear Ida,

I have marked myself and my special friend. I am the short one, of course. I am looking forward to seeing you soon. Please write.

Love, Gracie”.

Beneath is the note: “received last night”.

WW1 Squaddies outside a Bell Tent: the Lazy Tribe with Haunted Faces WW1

This World War 1 photograph shows eight privates outside of their bell tent. It would appear that these squaddies are made up to look wounded. A contrived feel pervades over the theatrically-applied bandages, a ‘black’ eye and a limp.

The Lazy Tribe in front of a Bell Tent during WW1

Rare Moment of Humour on the Front Line

At such grim times as on the Western front, a little humour may help lift the spirits. Sharing good and bad times would no doubt form a lifelong bond, if all the privates pictured had survived the terrible experiences of the trenches.

This ‘Lazy Tribe’ may have lifted the mood for an instant, as can be seen in this shot, but the haunted look on some of their faces tells a different story.

WW1 Dentistry: Photograph of RAMC Staff Waiting outside a Dental Surgery

This rare photograph shows two medics of the Royal Army Corps waiting outside a dentist’s surgery during World War 1. Dental treatment dished out within, would likely have been basic and unpleasant.

Medics of the Royal Army Waiting outside A Dental Surgery during WW1

What Dentists Like in World War One

Dentistry during this time was in its infancy. Many recruits for the armed forces were rejected because of poor dental health due to ignorance. Dentistry in the United Kingdom was not properly regulated until 1921. And even then, volunteers and unqualified recruits dished out the treatment, due to shortage of qualified dentists.

  

Many recruits would have suffered toothache, which would have resulted in tooth extraction, as there was little other treatment available.

The Royal Army Dental Corps

Even Douglas Haig suffered a bout of toothache during the Battle of Aisne, having no qualified dental surgeons at hand. To guard against a similar fate befalling the troops, mobile dental units were despatched to battlefields to treat dental ailments of the soldiers. This enabled the forces to remain on the field. But it was not until 1923 that the Royal Army Dental Corps was formed.

The British Dental Association continued to print its journal despite the cost of the war. Sharing valuable information about the treatment of facial injuries such as that of the jaw and lower face was vital for dentists working on the field. Antiseptics and ether was widely used.

Photo of British Red Cross Ambulance in World War One

This photographs shows an early Ford Model T Field Ambulance used on a training exercise in a Royal Army Medical Corps barracks in Britain. Five medical orderlies await instructions from their sergeant as they practice loading procedures using two of their comrades on stretchers as make-believe casualties.

Horse Drawn Ambulance attended by medical staff during World War 1.

Horse Drawn Ambulances

Ambulances during this time comprised of a canvas top on a wooden frame which were horse drawn. As can be appreciated, the Medical Corps faced many challenges, not least the lack of speed the vehicles were able to travel. The ride would have been bumpy and conditions inside would have been basic and uncomfortable.

But by 1916, the Red Cross saw the first motorised ambulances. It didn’t take long before the horse-drawn variety was phased out. Similarly, equipment within was changing rapidly, seeing the first two-way radios, more advanced medical equipment and trained physicians.

To aid the war effort, undertakers donated hearses, as these could ferry a patient whilst supine.

In 1900, more than 300,000 horses were used in London alone. They pulled everything from buses and trams and delivery vans. The start of World War One saw a huge rise in demand, but the motor engine was about to change everything.

Photograph of a German A7V Tank named Adalbert in World War One

This picture of the German A7V Tank, Adalbert with two of its crew being transported upon a railway flat car, did not see much success. Its original name was changed twice due to its poor design.

The tank saw action in 1918 at Villiers, Bretonneux, Midway between Amiens and St Quentin under its original name, Hagen. In thick fog on the morning of the 24April, the total German tank force of A7Vs, which came to just 12, confronted the British Mark III and IV tanks. The Mark designs were far superior.

The AV7 Tank renamed Adalbert was not very successful as a fighting machine

German Tanks in WW1

Although the A7Vs destroyed a few machine guns, they were inevitably outmatched. Hagen broke down and was repaired. It was later renamed Konig Wilhelm after the Kaiser, and served at River Matz in June 1918. But further mishaps meant a royal name was not considered suitable. The tank was reverted to the name, Adalbert and went on to serve at St Etienne in July. After the war, Adalbert was taken by French forces.

Konig Wilhelm Tanks

With a length of 24 feet with half inch metal plates, the A7Cs weighed over 30 tons. Powered by 2 x H.P. engines, the tank at 5pmh needed a gallon of fuel to travel just 2 miles. It had one main armament at the front and six machine guns on all sides. Eighteen servicemen were needed to operate it.

In 1918, 100 A7Vs had been ordered, but only 20 were completed. As an armoured fighting vehicle, the A7V posed little threat. It was large, clumsy, awkward and slow, managing only to lumber about in the mud. Many toppled sideways into a trench or with their caterpillar tracks revolving on the same spot.

Most A7V tanks became hopelessly bogged down in the battlefields’ liquid mud.

WW 1 in Pictures: Royal Army Medical Corps Carrying A wounded Soldier on a Stretcher

This World War One Photograph appears to be taken spontaneously by a passerby.

With members of the public looking on, the Royal Army Medical Corp is caught by the photographer as they carry a wounded soldier towards a horse drawn ambulance lined up at a nearby station.

Stretcher Bearers of  the RAMC Taking a Soldier to a Nearby Hospital

Development of the RAMC

By the outbreak of 1914 – 1918 war, the RAMC had only been in existence for 16 years. But the numbers of staff flourished from just 9000 in 1898 to 113,000 by the end of the war.

The difficult situations of the field and the muddy trenches meant the corps learned many valuable lessons, one of which was the importance of sanitation, medical obedience and observance of authority. With chaos reigning all around, adhering to regulations was vital.

Sadly, medical treatment was still in its infancy in WW1, with ambulances still horse-drawn. If a soldier was deemed not to make it, was killed by allies to put him out of his misery. In other situations, the RAMC could do little but sew wounds and apply dressings. In this case, the soldier was fortunate to survive his term in the field.

World War I in Pictures: Royal Army Medical Corps in Front of Bell Tent with Message to Mother

This photograph of members of The Royal Army Medical Corps was taken in 1914 and bears a touching message from a son to his mother.

Founded in 1873, the RAMC traveled with infantrymen and dealt with war wounds on the field and within military hospitals.

Members of the RAMC Standing in Front of a Bell Tent in World War 1

The RAMC wore military uniforms, but were not seen as combatants themselves. However, they would be seen within areas of combat with stretchers, ferrying wounded soldiers and the dying to a place where treatment could be administered. As can be appreciated, the RAMC officers faced challenging situations which were at times impossible. Often, these medical staff became casualties themselves.

This photo shows three members of the Royal Army Corps from Stanhope RAMC Barracks, Aldershot.

A Touching Message from a Son to his Mother

This photograph was salvaged from a flea-market in Warwickshire. On the rear was a half-penny stamp, franked with the date: 24 October 1914. The recipient is a Mrs. Geurnsy (I shall not give the entire address), Alexander Road, East Twickenham, Middlesex.

In pencil, the message reads:

“Dear Mother, a few lines to let you know I arrived back safely. How do you like my photo? I will write again in a few days to let you know more.

Love to all,

Alf.”

It can be worked out that one of the men pictured is ‘Alf’ who likely is an ambulance driver or medical officer.

A valuable artefact that needs preservation.