Mysterious Hospital WW1

[Midase]

Does anyone have any suggestions as to where this picture was taken. Sorry that the picture is not that great, this is all I have to work with.

[harvo]

Hi Midase,
      I am not sure this is going to be helpful, The building does not look like a Hospital but maybe a school comandered for a recuperation/ convalecent centre. I state this as over the door on the left it says GIRL which in normal times would be the girls entrance as mixed schools were not the norm except in country areas and there would be a separate boys entrance.
      The inmates are certainly from different regiments and countries as I believe you can tell from the headgear being worn. The suits look to be the walking out wear of recuperating soldiers[in WWII this was a bright blue suite , white shirt ,and red tie ,but I don't remember the light coloured lapels] It is also noticeable that no bandages , or indeed patients in hospital beds which often the norm in hospital photographs are on display.
     The nurses appear to be Queen Alexandria's Royal Army Nursing Corps by the look of the officers uniforms with shoulder capes.If you wish to know more you could try QARANC website asking anyone can identify the photo for you.
     Best Wishes , Good Hunting

[Sam Swift]

There are a few men with arms in slings, a couple of men wearing pith helmets (one on  the far right 3rd row from front)  and are some (at the back centre for example), wearing the sort of cap worn by the Australian army ?

What about this ? Clothing is ismilar
 http://www.oldshep.co.uk/page11.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-20875135

[Rena]

Whilst trying to find which hospital my grandfather was treated at during WWI, I've found what looks to be a useful military hospital website on this url which lists Military hospitals and what type of buildings were used (eg hospital, schools, etc) :-

http://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/briefhistoryauxhosps.html

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Regarding the Australian suggestion, I've come across this page on the website which may be of interest :-   http://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/2aaah.html

No. 2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital
St Marylebone School, South Road, Southall, Midd'x
   Medical dates:   1916 - 1919

In August 1916 the St Marylebone School in South Road was taken over by the Australian Imperial Forces as a military hospital.
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Good luck

[Midase]

Many thanks for this superb information. It does indeed look like it was the St Marylebone School but alas the school was pulled down in 1933.

[Rena]

Many thanks for this superb information. It does indeed look like it was the St Marylebone School but alas the school was pulled down in 1933.

Crikey - you found your target extremely quickly!  There were so many hospitals I thought you'd take a couple of days to examine them all, especially when I looked through some of the British facilities and saw the peculiar hospital outfits they were wearing.   I stopped looking when I reached the 2nd of the 8 Australian medical facilities and recognised the hats  .

[Scarletwoman]

I'm probably being a bit dense here, but why is it thought to be St. Marylebone School - is there a picture of the original building to compare it with that I've missed?  There were more than 2,500 hospitals active during the war and hundreds were in school/college premises. By the nurse uniforms it's a military hospital under War Office control, rather than an auxiliary hospital, and British nursing staff rather than Australian.

Sue

[Midase]

Looking closer at the picture there are a number of soldiers wearing Australian bush hats. This suggests that it was an Australian medical establishment. Marylebone School was taken over as an Australian Hospital. The Australian Red Cross paid for the unit. It could of course mean nothing at all!
Most of the hospitals can be eliminated very quickly as they were existing hospitals and some were just grand houses.

[John915]

Good evening,

Most of the men are wearing British hats, some units of the British army also wore slouch hats. Not just an australian practice.

I would agree with them being British nurses as well.

John915