VAD Hospital, St Martin’s, Cheltenham


   LEAVING CHELTENHAM …………..and all that was dear

 

 

VAD Hospitals in Cheltenham During the Great War

St Martin’s VAD Hospital, Parabola Road

Location: “Eversleigh”, Parabola Road

Grid Reference:   SO 944222

Opened:   23rd June 1915

Closed:   7th March 1919

Beds:   40

Average Resident Patients in 1918:   31

Total Admissions:   690

IWM War Memorial Ref:  In due course

 

Photos taken inside of St Martin’s can be viewed here

From September 1918 the hospital was moved to and situated at Lisle House, Clarence Square, Cheltenham until closure in March 1919.

 

The hospital was staffed by No 68 Gloucestershire Voluntary Aid Detachment and its officers were:

Commandant:   Miss Donald

Medical Officers:   Dr Grace S Billings

Lady Superintendent:   Miss Wintle, ARRC

Quartermaster:   Miss G Gilliatt

Hon Secretary and Treasurer:   Miss L Green

 

Notes by the Commandant.   St Martin’s Hospital was opened in June 1915 at Eversleigh, Parabola Road, Bayshill, with accommodation for 40 patients.   It was entirely staffed by former pupils of the Ladies’ College, Cheltenham.   At first it was only intended to be a convalescent hospital, but in a very short time this was altered and patients came direct from the front the same as to all the other hospitals in the town.   The staff consisted of the Medical Officer, Commandant, Lady Superintendent, Night Sister, six to eight VAD. Nurses, Housekeeper, Hon. Treasurer, Quartermaster, and Assistant Quartermaster, three Cooks and two or three pantry maids, and practically the whole of this detachment worked full time throughout.   In September 1918, St Martin’s was moved to Lisle House, Clarence Square, kindly lent by Mrs James Winterbotham, as the owner of Eversleigh wished to use it for other purposes.   In many ways the new hospital was better; though not actually taking more patients there was far more space, especially in the Quartermaster’s premises, and the lift from the kitchen to the dining room proved an inestimable boon, as did also the big shady garden.

 

Further reading: 

1.   “Cheltenham in the Great War” by Neela Mann (ISBN 978 0 7509 6415 9) published in 2016, describes the considerable contribution to the war effort made by the Cheltenham Branch of the British Red Cross Society during 1914 – 1919.

2.   “VAD Hospitals in Cheltenham” from The Wilson Collection and Archives at the Cheltenham Museum can be viewed here and here.

3.   “Gloucestershire Red Cross Hospitals” can be seen here.

 

Page last updated:   8th October 2017

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