Page 8 - Hunstanton Town & Around - September 2013
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8 Hunstanton Town & Around September 2013                         Tel: 01485 533422 email: editor@townandaround.net
                                                             Home accompanied by Princess  attend meals punctually or even
        The Convalescent Home at War                         Mary and Prince Henry, and she  return  to  the  Home  at  night.
        Jim Welham                                           returned on the 29th of that month  Several   cases   of   grave
                                                             accompanied  by  her  sister,  the  disobedience were referred to the
        The  Hunstanton  Convalescent  hundredweight iron girder about
        Home was formally opened by the  12  feet  off  the  ground.  It  was  Empress of Russia.  military authorities.
        Prince and Princess of Wales on  nearly  in  position  when  the  Male patients requested that an  The  battle  of  Loos  is  little
        14th  April  1879  and  provided  scaffolding gave way.  Most of the  extension should be added for use  remembered  now,  having  been
        accommodation for 20 male and  workmen fell clear of the girder,  as  a  smoking  room,  but  the  eclipsed by the later carnage of the
        20  female  patients,  all  working  but  Robert  Barrett  of  Heacham  architect was unable to see how it  Somme  and  Passchendaele.    It
        class  people  from  the  eastern  received a compound fracture of  could  be  done  artistically.  The  commenced  on  25th  September
        counties  particularly  Norfolk,  the  leg  below  the  knee.    His  committee   said   that  1915  when  Kitchener’s  Army
        Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.  brother had been the victim of a  photographers,  organists  and  launched a major offensive in an
        They were recovering from illness  fatal accident in Heacham chalk  architects all relied too much on  attempt to break the deadlock in
        and, in the opinion of their medical  pit the previous year.  their  artistic  tendency  and  the  trenches.    The  British  were
        advisors,  ‘would  be  completely  Lady   Ffolkes   laid   the  improvements should come first.  heavily  outnumbered  as  they
        restored to health by a few weeks  foundation  stone  on  26th  April  Britain  declared  war  on  advanced  over  open  ground
        at  the  seaside,  by  sea-  bathing,  1906.  The next day the editorial  Germany on 4th August 1914, and  towards the well-fortified German
        rest, care, good living and pure  in the Lynn Advertiser said, ‘The  as a result, wounded servicemen  defensive  positions.   Their  only
        air.’    During  the  first  year  360  Home will stand as a monument of  soon  began  to  be  returned  to  hope was that the enemy machine
        patients passed through the Home,  piety  and  liberality  long  after  England.    Temporary  hospitals  gunners were incapacitated by the
        and  due  to  the  huge  number  of  those to whose gifts and labour it  were  required  to  accommodate  release of vast amounts of chlorine
        applications,  the  building  was  is due have passed away; and the  them, either class A for bedridden  gas.  However the wind changed
        extended  on  each  side  to  stone will remain as a record for  patients   or   class   B   for  and many soldiers were enveloped
        accommodate  a  further  20  future  generations,  and  the  convalescent   and   ambulant  in  a  cloud  of  their  own  gas,
        patients.    The  dining  room  and  building as an inspiring example  patients.  In 62 Norfolk towns and  resulting  in  over  50,000  British
        kitchen were extended and another  urging them, in their time, to rival  villages auxiliary hospitals were  soldiers  killed  or  wounded.
        two houses built, connected to the  the good deeds of the year 1906.’  established  in  halls,  public  Amongst the notable fallen were
        main  building  by  a  covered  The  Prince  Edward  Home  for  buildings,  army  camps,  large  Captain Fergus Bowes-Lyon, the
        walkway.                   convalescent  children  officially  private  residences,  and  even  Queen’s  uncle  and  Lieutenant
          Up to the end of 1905 19,257  opened on 8th June 1907.  (The  Thorpe  St  Andrew’s  lunatic  John Kipling, 2nd battalion, Irish
        patients had received the benefit of  building  is  now  the  Borough  asylum, after the inmates had been  Guards who had just turned 18, the
        the Home.  It was then decided to  Council Offices, Valentine Road.)  moved elsewhere. The owners of  only  son  of  the  author  Rudyard
        erect  a  new  building  in  the  The  Convalescent  Home  had  the premises were paid 3 shillings  Kipling.  The  action  was  later
        grounds  exclusively  for  sick  two  sources  of  income.    Either  a day for each bed occupied by a  described as ‘nothing but useless
        children at a cost of £5,000 raised  individual   subscribers   made  wounded soldier and nothing for  slaughter  of  the  infantry.’  The
        by  the  Home’s  staunch  and  donations  of  money  or  goods,  those unoccupied.    surge  of  casualties  needing
        unfailing  supporters.      The  which  entitled  them  to  write  a  On 11th February 1915 the War  immediate admission meant that
        architect  was  Alexander  Paul  letter   of   recommendation  Office accepted an offer of 60 beds  on 4th October 1915 40 more beds
        Macalister and the builder Rueben  nominating a deserving person to  at the Convalescent Home which  were  occupied  than  originally
        Shanks.  The children’s home was  be restored to health in the bracing  became  a  class  B  auxiliary  agreed.    Hamon  Le  Strange,
        designed to be compact to allow it  air  of  Hunstanton,  or  Friendly  hospital  and  subject  to  any  Chairman of the Home’s General
        to be administered by a small staff.  Societies contributed, such as The  conditions  that  the  military  Committee, took it upon himself
        The  kitchen  and  offices  were  Odd Fellows, who alone had 8,000  authorities  imposed.      The  first  to offer the military authorities 25
        situated  centrally  and  all  the  members  in  the  Wisbech  area.  requirement  was  that  all  female  more beds for the period up to 1st
        dormitories could be supervised  They  made  a  levy  on  their  patients  should  be  excluded  March  1916  as  with  winter
        from  the  nurses’  room.    The  members  which  they  could  ill  although children and some male  approaching,  there  were  few
        building  faced  south-west,  with  afford to pay, but gave them the  patients were still admitted.    civilian patients and the home was
        the largest windows possible to let  comfort  of  knowing  that  if  Wounded and gassed soldiers  normally closed for cleaning each
        in  the  maximum  light.   The  air  suffering from illness, they would  started to arrive at Hunstanton on  January and February.  At that time
        space allowed for each child was  be admitted to the Home.    19th June 1915.  They were all  the  Royal  Gloucester  Hussars
        just less than 700 cubic feet.  The  Extensions to the main building  required to wear the soldier-patient  were stationed in Hunstanton and
        main entrance gave access to the  were  added  in  1910  and  1912,  uniform of blue flannel jacket and  requested a few beds to be put at
        boys’ and girls’ wards on either  making accommodation available  trousers, white shirt and red tie,  their  disposal,  as  cavalrymen
        side.  Two extra staircases were  for  100  patients.    Nearly  a  although  they  retained  their  frequently  received  accidental
        installed for ease of escape in the  thousand adult patients and 150  military caps and boots.    injuries.  Hamon offered them 12
        event of a fire.           delicate children passed through  The staff still consisted of only  more  beds  for  as  long  as  they
           On  Good  Friday  13th  April  the Home each year and stayed on  the local GP, Doctor Sumpter, who  remained in the town, on condition
        1906 many of the workmen of the  average for 3 weeks.  became  the  medical  officer,  the  that  their  own  doctors  attend  to
        new  building  were  enjoying  a  King Edward VII continued to  matron, two nurses, domestic staff  them.    The  members  of  the
        Bank Holiday, but a few men in  take an interest in the Home he  and  female  volunteers.    There  regiment seldom occupied more
        the  employ  of  Homan  and  had  opened  and  subscribed  12  were no military orderlies to help  than six beds.
        Rodgers,  subcontractors  for  the  guineas a year.  On 9th April 1912  maintain  discipline  and  the  Many subscribers to the Home
        fireproof floors, were hoisting a 9-  Queen  Alexandra  visited  the  walking wounded often failed to  resented  the  excessive  military
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